Many demand abrogation of SoO pact
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 13 2023:
Decrying the role of Kuki armed outfits, which are under Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement, in the ongoing violence and their continued involvement in attacking villages located in the foothills, different sections of the society demanded the government to abrogate the So0 pact in order to bring peace in the state.
Thousands of people gathered in Kumbi area on Saturday and organised a sit-in protest to reg-ister protest against involvement of So0 cadres in attacking civil-ians.
Raising posers over signing the So0 agreement with Kuki UG groups and demanding that the government declare the outfits as terrorist organisations considering their direct involvement in the vio-lence, the protesters also demanded deportation of illegal immigrants from Myanmar and shouted slogans for hill-valley unity.
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Family members of the three res-idents of Torbung Bangla, who were abducted by armed Kuki militants on Thursday, said they have filed abduction report at Phougakchao police station.
While contending that the central security forces deployed hi the area have failed to protect the civilians, they also demanded suitable punitive action against the Kuki militants.
Oinam Deven, vice-president of a joint peace committee of Ku-kis and Meeteis in Torbung area, who is taking refuge in a relief camp at KDU Hall, Kumbi, in-formed that the committee was formed by Kukis and Meeteis of Torbung area to maintain peace and fraternity.
- ---- - However, the peace committee members from Kuki community failed to shoulder the responsibility when Meeteis were targeted by Kukis for the past several years and consequently the peace committee was dissolved.
Later, a peace committee for Meeteis was formed in place of the previous committee, he said while pointing out that the committee has been fighting for the rights and protection of Meetei community in Churachandpur district since then.
Stating that the residents of Torbung and Kangvai area are in no position to return to their home, he appealed to the government to deploy adequate number of security personnel or provide license thins to the residents.
Meanwhile, Unity Club and Kongpal Kongkham Leikai Awang Meira Lup organ-ised a sit-in protest at the premises of the club on Saturday demanding abrogation of the 500 agreement with Kuki UG groups.
The protestors raised demands to end the So0 agreement with Kuki UG groups, stop biased and one-sided FIR against Meeteis only, protect Meetei villages by deploy-ing adequate number of security forces, prevent one-sided propaganda, deport illegal immigrants, seize arms from Kuki UG groups, etc.
They also held placards in support of ST demand for Meeteis.
Displaced people staying in different relief camps in the area also participated in the protest.