Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 20 2009:
Reacting to the formation of a faction of the KYKL, christened KYKL-MDF, the Central Committee of the KYKL today a gave detailed account of how the group broke away and floated the new outfit.
In a statement issued to the press on behalf of the Central Committee, by the secretary of the Publicity and Research department of the KYKL, Lanngamba Mangang, the outfit acknowledged the claim of the KYKL-MDF that the moral values of all armed outfits have gradually started eroding.
It is in acknowledgment of this that the leadership of the KYKL has started a process of internal rectification in all aspects, including changes in activities, principles as well as economic policies, said the statement.
The process of change is mostly felt among the higher leadership and senior officers, said the outfit, adding that the process of declaring assets, minimising expenditure and cutting down the time needed for submitting the annual expenditure, has been put in motion.
One of the primary reasons for the incident at the 1st Bn of the KYKL, was the strict discipline imposed, said Lanngamba and added those who could not bear the strict discipline chose to rebel.
As part of the corrective measures taken up within, officers with weak character and integrity are not given important posts, said the statement adding that all those with weak characters were sidelined.
A number of officers have also been given retirement and among such officers were captain Rishikanta and captain Athouba, said the outfit.
It is only expected that those with doubtful integrity and loose morales would desert the movement and sup with the enemy to throw a spanner in the armed movement, said the outfit.
Only cowards desert in their quest for personal aggrandisement.
If these people had retired, as per the laid down norms of the outfit, then they would not be in a position to lead cushy lives, and it is such deserters who will form mafia gangs and extort from the public to wallow in ill gotten wealth.
This was the practice that the late Lt Col Wangba followed, charged KYKL.
It is the laid down principle of the KYKL that death penalty be given to all those who try to foment factionalism and oppose any move to stop that factionalism.
On the killing of June 20 at the 1st Bn of the KYKL, the outfit said that the truth has dawned that all the nine were killed wilfully.
It was cold blooded murder, said KYKL.
The truth came to light from the testimonies of three cadres, who escaped from them and reported to the GHQ, claimed the outfit.
The grief expressed by MDF is just a lie, said the statement and added that all were over powered and killed wilfully.
All could have been spared from being killed, it said.
Three cadres, who refused to go along with them were killed in front of others, said KYKL.
They are killers and criminals, said the outfit.
From the information of the three cadres, who escaped, it is now clear, that the killing was hatched by 7/8 persons including three corporals.
The rest were stricken with fear to oppose them and went along with them.
The 7/8 persons who masterminded the coup and captain Rishikanta will be treated as criminals and they will be punished fittingly, said the statement.
The rest, are innocent, said KYKL and added that if they do not commit any wrong in the future, they would be welcomed back to the fold of the outfit.
KYKL also appealed to the others to return to them.
The KYKL is no longer what it was before 2002, said the outfit and admitted that their morale have eroded.
However captain Rishikanta, captain Athouba and the others who masterminded the killings are worse.
The KYKL is keen is reform themselves while the MDF leaders are not ready to reform themselves.
They will not be able to correct themselves too.
As such the KYKL urged the people not to extend any help or co-operation to them.