EKHON
Ukhrul: Following days of peace and silence in the violence-hit Manipur, fresh violence erupted in the wee hours today in Kamjong district’s Thawai Kuki village killing three people who were supposedly village volunteers.
The bodies are currently in the mortuary of Ukhrul district hospital for post-mortem.Briefing the mediapersons, Mercy Khongsai, Joint Secretary, KSO Ukhrul district said the “three people killed are innocent people who were safeguarding their villages. The armed radical Meitei militants intruded Thawai Kuki village and killed the three people who were guarding the villages, she claimed.
he incident reportedly happened around 5.30 AM when the volunteers were guarding the bunker built at the hilltop. Mutilated bodies of three youths between 24 years and 35 years were recovered following search operation by the police following heavy gunfire in the village. The slained youths were said to be village volunteers. The bodies bore serious injury marks and their limbs were chopped off.
Khongsai claimed that the attackers also attempted to burn their village, however timely intervention of volunteers from nearby villages came and chased them away. She further claimed that the notion of peace in the state is not true saying “the very fact that she is standing in the mortuary of Ukhrul district is evident enough that Manipur is still not safe.”
Manipur will not be peaceful until and unless a concrete resolution is intended by both State and Central govt., she added.
It may be noted that the security forces had earlier ordered bunkers to be dismantled and called for disarmament of both warring communities to curb further violence.
The ethnic violence that broke out earlier on May 3 following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in hills district of Manipur escalated with the whole State in a state of lockdown.
