Not involved, claims UKLF
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 08 2008:
The Kuki outfit UKLF which is a party to the Suspension of Operation agreement with the Government of India and Manipur, is not related to the incident of seizure of 13 Urea laden trucks which were to be smuggled to Myanmar by troops of 20 Assam Rifles near Molnom in Chandel district yesterday, information and publicity secretary of outfit James Bond Thadou has clarified.
Talking to a group of mediapersons at an operational area of the Unit II of the outfit today, James Bond said that on receipt of specific information of smuggling of Urea to Myanmar through their operation area, Commander of the Unit-II 2nd Lt George Zou led a team of his cadres to Molnom area yesterday for the purpose of carrying out frisking.
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As the team approached Molnom area, 13 Shaktimans laden with Urea were seen coming along.
The team stopped the Shaktimans and were carrying out frisking one after another when Major Abhishek, A-Company Commander of 20 Assam Rifles and Major Nitin Chule, D-Company Commander arrived together in a Gypsy.
Unit-II Commander of UKLF George Zou shook hands with both Major Abhishek and Major Nitin Chule and held friendly conversation.
During the course of the conversation, the two AR officers told George Zou to send four of his cadres to their camp for some talks.
So without any apprehension, the four cadres had gone to the AR camp along with their arms and ammunition.
However, they were arrested on charge of trying to smuggle the Urea laden trucks to Myanmar, Jamesbond said, adding that is very unfortunate.
Maintaining that UKLF has been strictly observing the ground rules of the Suspension of Operation and would also do so in future, Jamesbond asserted that the conduct of the Assam Rifles in implicating the four UKLF cadres after being invited them to their camp is a deliberate attempt to discredit not only UKLF but also other organisations which are party to the Suspension of Operation. Public should not be mislead by the conduct of the Assam Rifles, Jamesbond said, while demanding the Government of India and Manipur to release the four arrested UKLF cadres unconditionally and hand over the arms and ammunition seized from them to the custody of the Joint Monitoring Group.