Imphal, February 03 2009: ASSERTING THAT the ceasefire between the government of India (GOI) and the NSCN (IM) cannot be extended to Manipur, the All Club Organisation Association and Meira Paibi Lup (ACOAM-Lup) Tuesday afternoon, during a press conference held its office at Sagolband in Imphal West questioned if Manipur was a part of Nagaland.

The organisation also objected to any designated camp of the NSCN-IM in the state and appealed them to leave the state, however hoped that this move does not harm the good relation shared by the people of the hills and the valley.

During the press conference, Mr.Chandramani Khumancha, general secretary of the (ACOAM-Lup) questioned if Manipur was a part of Nagaland what with the ceasefire between the GOI and the Naga rebels allegedly being extended to Manipur.

The general secretary of the organisation also questioned certain civil society bodies and the NGOs who reportedly supported the ceasefire extension in the state.

"Ceasefire is only in Nagaland and not in Manipur", said Chandramani.

While strongly condemning the reports of designated camps of the NSCN (IM) in Manipur, the general secretary of the Lup also came down strongly on the silence of the state government and even went to the extent stating that there was no government in Manipur.

Nevertheless, he hoped that the state government would do something good in the interest of the public to prevent any mob against the designated camps of NSCN (IM) in Manipur.

Chandramani also warned against any support for the Naga rebels and their designated camps from the side of the government or any civil society organisation and further warned that the government or the organisations would be wholly responsible for any untoward incident in the future on the issue of NSCN (IM) designated camps in the state.

Indrakumar, president of (ACOAM-Lup) also asserted that the issue of the designated camps of the Naga rebels in Shiroi village of Ukhrul district could perhaps remind one of the great uprisings on the issue of territorial integrity in Manipur on June 18, 2001 and warned that the present situation could lead to the same situation.

The president also held it unfortunate that the state government was not aware of the designated camps of the NSCN (IM) in the districts of Chandel, Ukhrul, Senapati, etc.

The president, however, hoped that this issue would not come in the way of the good relationship shared by the hill people and the valley people.

"We need to find out who are the people trying to create a rift between to the two communities," said the president.

Calling upon the state government for a quick and amicable solution to the situation lest it harm the integrity of the people, Indrakumar, the president of the organisation also appealed to the Naga rebels to shift their camps to Nagaland and not in Manipur.

Meanwhile, referring to the reported statement of Adani David Choro, president of All Naga Students' Association of Manipur (ANSAM) that if the ceasefire did not cover Manipur, it seems as if there are no Nagas in the state, Indrakumar questioned what he meant by those statements.

"This is a question on behalf of the people of Manipur," he added.

Meanwhile, replying to questions about the increasing death toll of the state especially in the month of January alone, Ibotombi, former secretary of the organosation and Indrajit, the finance secretary observed there was a need for understanding between the security personnel and the militant outfits of the state.

Stating further that the people of the state were today living in fear and insecure especially in the presence of security forces, the two leaders of the Lup also opined that this fear and insecurity of the people would decrease if the militant outfits were to have a second thought on the public.

They also added that this could perhaps help decrease in the number of death toll.

Further alleging that the draconian law of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, AFSPA, was the reason behind the rising death tolls in the state, the two leaders also pointed out that there was no respite from the eight long years of Sharmila's protest against the black law.

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