Sit-in protests seizure of arms from village volunteers
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 29 2024: Condemning the seizure of arms of village volunteers by security forces in Sekta area under Lamlai police station on Wednesday, Sekta Apunba Lup staged a sit-in protest at the local community hall on Thursday.

The protestors held placards inscribed with slogans 'Return the seized arms', 'Village volunteers should not be arrested', 'We want peace', and 'Narco-terrorist should be eradicated' among others.

Speaking on the sidelines of the protest, one Hijam Babita pointed out that Sekta village is in the periphery of red zone areas including Sabungkhok, Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi and denounced the failure of the government to end the conflict that has been going on for nearly one and half years.

It is unfortunate that security forces are seizing arms from village volunteers even though the conflict is not over, she rued.

Stating that there will be no issue in the seizure of arms if the conflict has ended, Babita also demanded a white paper to ascertain claim of normalcy restored in the state if the government intend to recover weapons from village volunteers.

In case of failure to substantiate the normalcy claim then the government should return the arms seized from the village volunteers, she proposed.

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