Monday, July 07, 2008

UNLF, KYKL declare they would starve Heirok into submission

IMPHAL, Jul 6: The KYKL and UNLF have announced they would target all the villagers of Heirok unless the public relented and retreated from the decision to accept arms under the special police officer, SPOs, disrespecting the revolutionary struggle.

In a joint statement of the KYKL and UNLF today, the two outfits said the residents of Heirok, including students would not be allowed go beyond their localities and even if they do so under protection of Central and state security forces, they would be targeted at any available opportunity.

All kinds of vehicles including small and heavy vehicles would be attacked using sophisticated weapons. Even if they escape 100 times, they would be attacked on their 101st trip with lethod/rocket bombs if need be, the release said.

Those who come out for cultivation to their paddy fields or go to the hills for collecting firewood, they would be targeted, said the statement.

Students of the area would not be allowed to leave the locality for studies outside, and schools/colleges/university etc. which enrolled them would also be attacked.

Not only in Manipur but also in other parts of the north eastern region, students or people of Heirok would not be allowed to stay in hostels or rented rooms and if the warning is violated, arms would be used on the landlord, it further said.

No outsiders wouild also be allowed to enter Heirok or supply food or medical aid to the people, the statement specified adding that outsiders should avoid maintaining relations and stop attending or inviting any Heirok families or members to religious and social ceremonies and other functions as violators would be dealt with severely.

The prohibitions come into force with immediate effect and the two organisation would begin hitting any violators, the joint statement said.

The statement also said that it was not a proper ideology to supply arms to the civil populace with a view to relieve them from miseries consequent from the revolutionary struggle.

In any revolutionary situation, to tolerate miseries and problems arising out of the revolutionary struggle is commonplace and and not only for Heirok.

It is not wise to draw a line between the people of Heirok and people of the state, it said adding that the villagers should not stand against revolutionaries for a mistake committed by them and instead, try to find ways to resolve the matter.

While announcing the stringent prohibitions on the Heirok people, the lengthy joint statement reiterated a joint appeal for review of the decision taken by the people of Heirok and Chajing where they demanded the issue of licensed arms to protect themselves in the aftermath of the March 24 and April 23 incidents at Heirok and Chajing respectively.

They also appealed to them not to participate in the recruitment process of SPO in the two localities.

But instead of considering the appeal the people of Heirok had become more interested in opening SPOs and took part in the recruitment rally, the joint statement of the KYKL and UNLF said adding that by doing so the Heirok people had challenged openly the revolutionaries.

The statement also said that it had been well understood by all that the opening of SPOs was a great loss for the people. It is a strategy of the Indian government to put down the people’s uprising, it said.

It is the game-plan of the government to cause bloodshed among the people and the puppet Manipur government thinks it is necessary for bringing development in the state under the advice of the Indian government.

Salwa Judum was set up to control the “Operation Salwa Judum” and SPO was set up with an objective to “taalu haatlu”, it said.

The Salwa Judum has started killing civilians, torturing them, raping women, burning houses etc. Since its setting up in 2005, till 2007 Salwa Judum had killed 540 people, burnt down more than 300 houses and around 1,00,000 people had left their villages apart from the rape of uncountable numbers of women.

They also forcibly confined suspected people to their camps and also killed charging that they were naxalite.

Opening of SPOs in Manipur was not for governing the state but to cause killings among the civil populace. Like in Chattisgarh, at Heirok also SPOs would be given a “licence to kill” and it was the people who would suffer.

SPOs would not be bound by the Police Act of India or the Army Act. They would not be given arms like AK rifles but only .303 rifles which can do nothing to harm the revolutionaries. So it is sure to be used in killing innocent people, the statement observed adding that it can not be ruled out that the SPO of Heirok could become like the Salwa Judum of Chattisgarh.

State DGP Y Joykumar himself had said that the SPOs would be used in counter
insurgency operations which the JAC of Heirok later condemned clarifying that they
had demanded arms only for self protection and not for involving in counter insurgency operations.

Apart from this it is very clear that there was a hidden agenda when the Manipur government announced Rs. 3000 per month as honorarium for the SPOs even though in Chattisgarh Salwa Judum were given only Rs. 1500.

On June 12 last also IGAR (S), major general AK Choudury said that the Heirok people would be protected by them. Again, the chief minister, O Ibobi Singh also assured on July 1 foolproof security for the Heirok people.

If the security forces are in fact protecting them, why do the Heirok people need SPOs to protect themselves, the statement asked stating that it clearly indicated that SPOs were not for the protection of people of Heirok but for utilizing in counter insurgency operations.

Source: http://www.ifp.co.in/FullStory.asp?NewsID=2629

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