Imphal, December 27 2009: The proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) has once again asserted that the party has nothing to talk of with the Government of India except on sovereignty.

In a press release, Senior Publicity Officer, Department of publicity, UNLF, Ksh Yoiheiba today stated that the 'appeal' of India's Home Minister to ULFA and UNLF as reported in a section of the Indian media a few days ago does not contain substance.

The press release stated that he was reported to have stated that the government of India was willing to look at 'new governing structures' to take care of the development agenda of the Northeast, thus deliberately relegating the basically political conflict to a development issue.

He also reportedly stated, "A couple of groups like the ULFA and the UNLF are still carrying out violent activities.

To them we say, give up the demand for sovereignty.

Give up violence and we can talk of anything".

"Well, so far as the UNLF and the people of Manipur are concerned, we have nothing to demand from the government of India.

We simply want what was and ought to be ours - sovereignty and independence of Manipur.

This is the crux of the Manipur-India Conflict that began with the forcible annexation of Manipur by India in 1949.So, to the Indian Home Minister we say, we do not have anything to talk of, except sovereignty," Yoiheiba asserted in his press release.

"The 'violence' India's Home Minister spoke about is actually the right of peoples and nations to resort to any and all forms of struggle, including armed struggle, to assert their right to national self determination as recognised by International law," the press release stated.

It further stated, "In Manipur's case, it is the right to regain her lost sovereignty and independence.

In order to assert this right, we took up arms only when the Indian State began to use heavy military force to suppress our unarmed movement.

Our 'violence' is not violence as such, it is national liberation struggle".

Yoiheiba said, "India's Home Minister should be well advised that if at all there is violence to be stopped, it is the Indian State violence, the state terrorism being unleashed against our unarmed people.

This State violence has taken more than 700 innocent lives of Manipur this year alone.

On the other hand, the UNLF has not touched even a single innocent person inside India.

Certainly, the Indian Home Minister is not unaware of this indisputable fact".

He reiterated the UNLF's stand that the party "will never compromise on the issue of sovereignty and independence of Manipur.

Not even the biggest development package under a new 'governing structure' within the Indian Union can buy us out" .

"However, UNLF being a party having faith and belief in genuine democracy, declared with all sincerity and earnestness in January 2005 that the Manipur-India Conflict could be resolved, once and for all, by a Plebiscite conducted under UN supervision.

The UNLF further announced that it will honour the result of such a Plebiscite.

The UNLF made this proposal because it respects and believes in the collective wisdom and strength of the people, which is the essence of democracy.

India, despite being the 'largest democracy', seems to be lacking the moral strength to accept our challenge," Yoiheiba averred.

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