Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 31, 2009:
High tension prevailed among the villagers of Nongsum village under Lamlai police station of Imphal east district after some suspected KNA cadres beaten up around 16 villagers after calling out from their respective houses last night at about 7 pm.
According to the villagers, on the August 29, while some cadres of a valley based underground assaulting some villagers of Khamenlok village inhabitant by Kukis, a combined team of Imphal east and 23 Assam Rifles arrived at the village.
On arrival of the security forces, the underground cadres left the village.
The incident of beating the villagers of Nongsum village occurred after then.
Around 30 well armed cadres with combat fatigues came to the village and called out members of each family and kept detained at Nongsum Bazar beaten up 16 men using sticks.
They also kicked at them.
Some of them raided the empty homesteads and destroyed belongings of the houses including TV sets, almirah and other luxury items.
The same militant group had earlier in the morning also assaulted villagers of Khongbal Tangkhul apart from causing damages to the household items.
None of the villagers hurt severely in the assault.
Following the incident, today villagers of surrounding areas including villagers of Khamenlok Kuki village, Khongbal Tangkhul village, Uyumpok, Taretkhul, Chanung etc.
along with the representatives of various meira paibi and local clubs held a meeting at Nongsum Bazar When the meeting was arranging today at around 7.30 am, the same group involved in the beating up of villagers re-visited and threatened to kill and set ablaze houses of the village.
Fear over the threats, villagers left their homes and took asylum at Uyumpok village.
Later, with the arrival of police team led by Imphal east SDPO and Lamlai police, the pulbic meeting was held.
The meeting resolved to appeal all the concern underground groups not to repeat the instant of last night once again and allow the villagers of the villages in the area lead a peaceful life.
They also resolved to lodge a complaint with the Monitoring Cell of the Suspension of Operation to look into the matter and take up action if any of the militant group under SoO involved in the incident.
However, the chief of the Khamenlok village who objected the last resolution left the meeting without signing in the draft resolution.
In the pass also there were instants of beating the villagers by Kuki militants to the villagers of Nongsum village and later Assam Rifles personnel visiting the village taking signature of the villagers to say militants had not harass them at any way.
Villagers further said that they feel fear of what to happen in the next moment after they disclosed the unwanted happening in the village.
They also drew the attention of the government to open an IRB post in the proper village in the area.
Decrying the attack on the villagers when there erupted misunderstanding among the underground groups, the villagers appealed not to harass the villagers.