Imphal, January 05: With reference to the stance of the KLO/KLA adopted on its 4th 'reformation day' as published in the media regarding slaying of its 10 cadres and confiscation of 12 weapons by the NSCN (IM) at Tangkhul Hundung, the UNLF has favoured for a peaceful solution to the issue through dialogue between the two outfits.

A statement issued by UNLF Senior Publicity Officer Ksh Yoiheiba observed that murder of 10 KLA cadres after inviting them for a talk was against revolutionary ethics and a blot in the revolutionary movement.

Even as hundreds of innocent Kuki civilians were allegedly slaughtered by the NSCN (IM) in 1992-93 under its ethnic cleansing programme, the KLO/KLA as they reportedly believed in co-existence, was extending its hands to the NSCN (IM) before Tangkhul Hundung betrayal.

Coming out in support of the KLO/KLA's stance that NSCN (IM) must apologise as per Kuki customary laws for the carnage, UNLF remarked that the former's stance was a propitious one.

Yet, it will be a murderous blunder and hard to reconcile if the KLO/KLA targets civilians in case NSCN (IM) do not apologise within the Jan 15 deadline, noted the UNLF.

It will be a disastrous act of fool-hardiness for the KLO/KLA to avenge their slain cadres on Tangkhul civilians when unable to take on the NSCN (IM), stated Yoiheiba.

If the two outfits continue with their misadventure and remain stuck to their irreconcilable standpoints, the animosity may lead to communal clashes of far greater magnitude than the first one.

Such hostility on ethnic lines will certainly prove a great deterrent to the movement for a collective and united Manipuri identity, cautioned the UNLF.

Recalling that there have been bloody communal clashes in 1992-93 among the ethnic groups of the land which have been living together since centuries due to ethno-centric political perspectives, Yoiheiba rued that the cries of wounded souls of parents, brothers, sisters and widows whose near and dear ones were slaughtered are still reverberating in the society.

Maintaining that the UNLF is against recurrence of such unfortunate communal clashes and ethnic conflicts, the outfit asserted that other than co-existence and equitable development there is no way to future for all ethnic groups of Manipur.

The outfit further appealed to the NSCN (IM) and the KLO/KLA to settle the conflict between them through dialogue.

It also appealed to all relevant civil organisations to take all possible responsibility in resolving the conflict between the two armed groups.

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