NESO denounces attack on students, scribes
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 16 2018: The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), comprising of the Khasi Students' Union (KSU), All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Naga Students' Federation (NSF), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Twipra Students' Federation (TSF), All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), Garo Students' Union (GSU) and All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) representing eight major students' movements of the seven States of the North East Region, strongly condemned the brutal attack by Assam Police personnel on unarmed students and journalists on the Assam-Mizoram border at Zophai, Bairabi town, Kolasib District in Mizoram on March 8 and 10 .

According to a press release of the organisation, the students were on their way to Zophai to build a rest house/shelters' hut on land donated to them by (L) Ch Chhunga, the first Chief Minister of Mizoram when Assam Police led by the district authorities of Hailakandi district, Assam lathi charged the unarmed students and journalists who were covering the incident.

As many as 10 students were injured in the lathi charge on that day.

The students and some journalists were again assaulted by the Assam Police on March 10 in the same spot.

The police lathi charged the unarmed group as well as several journalists who were present on the spot including two female journalists, although they made it clear several times that they were media persons who were merely covering the incidents.

The police did not only beat the students and journalists with lathis but also opened fire at them without any warning what so ever.

As many as 49 students and journalists were injured in the lathi charge and unprovoked firing on March 10.Many injured persons and those with bullet wounds are currently being treated in hospitals in Mizoram, it said.

NESO demanded that such police brutalities should not happen again, and the concerned authorities involved must be punished because of what happened.

It also demanded that all the injured persons and those whose properties were damaged by the police unprovoked action should be duly compensated and the authorities of both Assam and Mizoram should take all necessary steps immediately to resolve the issue so that such untoward incidents do not happen in the future .

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