Spokesperson of Coco Students Organization and Chief Minister of Manipur
Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi:
Manipur Chief Minister N Baran Singh today congratulated the Assam Rifles for the arrest of what he said was a “Burmese national” who was allegedly a member of the Myanmar-based insurgent group Kuki National Army (Burma) or KNA (B). ) is a member of
The Kuki Students Organization (KSO-GHQ), however, said that the person being referred to by the Chief Minister as a KNA(B) member is a registered refugee, who has fled the conflict in Myanmar.
“I actually appreciate the activities of the Assam Rifles who arrested a Burmese national, KNA(B). As Chief Minister, I have been consistently saying from the beginning that there is a foreign hand in the current crisis in Manipur. “Some people believe it, some I appreciate the Assam Rifles for catching foreigners,” Mr. Singh, who belongs to the ruling BJP and the Valley's dominant Meiti community, said in the state capital Imphal today. Told the reporters.
His comments drew sharp criticism from the KSO, whose spokesperson told NDTV that the youth whom the chief minister called a KNA(B) member was actually from Myanmar, but the official Registered as a refugee with his fingerprints and other details in the record. . A KSO spokesperson said that the Assam Rifles is aware that the man is a registered migrant.
Assam Rifles and Manipur Police have not given any statement on the matter.
Thousands of Myanmar citizens have fled the conflict between pro-democracy ethnic rebels and the junta to Manipur and neighboring Mizoram. The Assam Rifles guards the Indo-Myanmar border as well as conducts counter-insurgency operations.
“The KSO General Headquarters is shocked and surprised at the same time that someone, as Chief Minister, has taken such a stupid decision, without asking more details about what is going on. The arrested person… who is from Myanmar – of course he is a foreigner – but he has been registered here as a refugee, accepted by the Assam Rifles,” a KSO spokesperson told NDTV today.
“We have all the details. Even with all the details available on social media… when we have all these details, why would a migrant be caught? And then he is labeled as a militant or illegal.” I think the Chief Minister should focus more on the leak of the tapes than any other issue so as to deflect from what is happening and responsible for starting the Manipur crisis Acceptance.
The audio tapes have been submitted to an inquiry panel under the Home Ministry, and the people who provided the tapes have given an affidavit saying the material is authentic, news website The Wire reports.
The Manipur government has called the audio tapes “doctored”, with the aim of sabotaging peace plans in the ethnic violence-hit state.
Yesterday, top sources told NDTV that no KNA(B) member was arrested in Manipur's Chandel, as claimed by some media reports.
There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. Clashes between the Meitei community and about two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term coined by the British during the colonial era – that dominate some hilly areas of Manipur have left more than 220 people dead and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.
The general category Metis want to be included in the Schedule Tribe category, while the Kukis, who share ethnic ties with the people of neighboring Myanmar's Chin State and Mizoram, have argued for discrimination and an unequal share of resources and power. Want separate administration from Pur. Meiteis.