Many decry Lilong Blast
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, December 02, 2014: The United NGOs Mission Manipur (UNM-M) has strongly condemned the incident of bomb blast occurred on November 29 at Lilong in Thoubal district which claimed the life of a 11-year boy.

In a joint statement issued by the U Nobokishore, Secretary of UNMM; Sitara Begum, Secretary of KCLWDA; L Pishak, Secretary of NLF and Sobita Mangsatabam, Secretary of WAD, the Forum of NGOs said that the bomb blast happened near the 40 Assam Rifles post and the Lilong Police Station in Thoubal district.

The statement alleged that the incident spot is under surveillance by security forces for 24 hour a day.

'For the last 55 years of implementation of AFSPA, children and civilians are the only victims', the statement alleged.

While terming the statement which said the boy was hired by 9 insurgent outfits to plant the bomb as cowardly, the statement affirmed that a child cannot be used as informer or a fighter under International Humanitarian Law as stated in the Geneva Convention of the United Nations.

'If any organization or institution does not follow the norm, then they are committing a war crime and they can be brought under trial', said the statement.

The UNMM and other organizations have drawn the attention of the responsible authority to investigate the case and book the culprits as they have committed a war crime.

The organisatins have also appealed to the creators of the crime to stay away from areas where the civilians are living.

The statement also charged the central and state intelligence departments as inefficient, while urging the Assam Rifles posted there to go back from Manipur, if they cannot protect the civilians.

Meanwhile, a statement of Chairperson, Lilong Municipal Council in Thoubal district also denounced the act of planting bomb at the Sagol Loukol area which killed a civilian boy of 11 years.

The statement alleged that the act is intended to target the Meitei Pangal community which is in minority.

While sharing the grief of the family of the deceased boy, the Municipal Council appealed to all concerned to disclose the reason for such an attempt and it also demanded the authority to find the culprits responsible in the incident.

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