14 NAGA MILITANTS TO SURRENDER IN NAGALAND
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 03:
Three militants belonging to different outfits made a formal surrender before the BSF Addl DG MK Singh with a number of arms arid ammunition at the 2 Bn BSF Tac HQs located at Loktak today.
Longjam Surjeet Meitei (21) S/o Babu Kishor Meitei of Tronglaobi, Moirang, a PREPAK man surrendered with one AK 56 rifle, three magazines and 65 live rounds while UNLF cadre Huirem Kunjamohon Singh (23) S/o Dhani Mohan Singh of Jiribam Gularthon brought one M 22 rifle, two magazines and 58 rounds of ammunition.
Another UKLF member identified as Lhumkhosat-Mate (27) S/o late Okhenjang of T Minou, village, Moreh surrendered with one 303 rifle, one magazine and 20 live rounds of ammunition.
A BSF statement said that the surrendered militants have revealed that a number of cadres are fed up with the tough and meaningless life they are spending in the remote jungles and as their lives are under constant threat due to deployment of security forces.
Surjeet and Kunjamohan have undergone training in Khongtal/Sajik Tampak area south of Sugnu on the Myanmar border, BSF said.
VK Gaur, IG BSF Shillong and PK Mishra, DIG BSF N&M were also present during the surrender ceremony.
organised by JS Sangwan, Commandant 2 Bn BSF.
Later meeting the press, the surrendered militants said that they have no grudge with their respective parties and they have surrendered as they wanted to live normal lives.
BSF Addl DG MK Singh said that today's surrender was the first in a series as many other militants have also offered to give up arms.
On the rehabilitation of the surrendered UGs, he said that even if the State Government does not provide the facilities, BSF will give full assistance and take up measures for absorbing them to the force.
He also expressed concern that infiltration has increased in the North Eastern region.
Meanwhile fourteen cadres of three Naga militant outfits have arrived at Nagaland's Zakhama Assam Rifles IG headquarters to surrender formally before the Assam Rifles authority.
The cadres were supposed to give up arms at a rehabilitation ceremony scheduled to be held today.
But the programme was postponed due to some technical problems, the Assam Rifles authority at Zakhama said.
The weapons being surrendered before the Assam Rifles were displayed before a group of visiting reporters from Imphal.
The Assam Rifles said, of the 14 cadres, seven belong to NSCN (K), five to NSCN (IM) and two belong to FGN.
The weapons brought along by the militants are one LMG, two AK-56, one AK-47, two M-21, three carbines, one .303 rifle and seven pistol and revolvers.
An Assam Rifles official told the reporters that with the 14 the number of militants of different organizations surrendered in Nagaland after the ceasefire came into effective on August 1, 1997 has risen to 41.