Kuki MLAs allege Manipur forces resorted to arson, molestation in the name of operations

Guwahati: As security forces continued the combing operations at Moreh, a town bordering Myanmar in Manipur, a large number of Kuki women and children spent Thursday night under the open sky outside an Assam Rifles camp while the males reportedly fled their homes fearing "atrocities."

Manipur police commandos and other forces launched a "combing operation" in and around Moreh after a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) was killed allegedly by Kuki insurgents on October 31.

The Manipur government rushed police commandos to Moreh from the state capital Imphal after the SDPO, Chingtham Anand Kumar was killed.

Anand, a Meitei, was also serving as Officer-in-Charge of Moreh police station in Tengnoupal district.

Moreh, a Kuki-dominated town, shares borders with Myanmar. The Meiteis had fled the town after alleged Kuki insurgents carried out violence in May. Business at Moreh started becoming normal but the situation turned tense again after the killing of the SDPO. Manipur police commandos along with other security forces launched a "combing operation" on Wednesday in search of those involved in Kumar's death. A convoy of IGP, which was rushing to Moreh, was also attacked in which three other policemen were injured.

Videos shared by Kuki organisations on Friday showed several women and children sleeping on a road outside a camp of Assam Rifles as they were allegedly not provided shelter. "Manipur police have gone on rampage in Kuki-Zo villages such as Sinam, Chikim, Govajang, New Leikot, Tinnu Munjang, Canan Veng and Phaicham Veng," Tengnoupal district of Kuki Inpi said in a statement on Friday evening.

In a social media post on Thursday night, Manipur police said a search operation carried out in the "fringe and vulnerable" areas of Moreh led to recovery of three local made pipe guns, bullet proof vests and other items.

Kuki MLAs angry: 

At least 10 Kuki MLAs, in a joint statement, alleged that the security forces resorted to arson, indiscriminate firing, looting and molestation of women in the name of the operation.

In a joint statement, the Kuki MLAs including seven belonging to ruling BJP, alleged that Manipur police commandos displayed "unprofessional conduct and inhumane excesses" against many innocent and helpless Kuki-Zomi- Hmar civilians in Tengnoupal district, especially in Moreh during the operation. "While the loss of life of the officer in the line of duty is mourned, we would like to highlight the continuing excesses and atrocities perpetrated by the state forces against our people in Moreh and other places in Tengnoupal district based on ground reports," said the statement.

"Several women have been mercilessly assaulted/molested by the commandos and admitted in the local hospital," they said. 

The MLAs sought intervention of the MHA and withdrawal of all the commandos deployed in Moreh and other Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribal areas and replaced them with neutral central forces.

More than 180 people have been killed and 60,000 others have been displaced due to the clashes between the majority Meiteis and the minority Kuki tribe since May. There was no major violence in the past few weeks but killing of the SDPO on Tuesday triggered fresh tension.