ZUF rubbishes CoTU's charge
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jan 13: In connection with the firing on January 8 at Kharam Vaiphei, the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) S Kamson has outrightly rejected a Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) statement for portraying the incident as an act of intimidation against "innocent villagers".
CoTU's assertion is misleading, and it fails to reflect the factual circumstances prevailing on the ground, said the ZUF in a press release.
Credible and verified inputs indicate systematic establishment of fortified bunkers by Kuki underground outfits at the village entry points, residential courtyards, and across the surrounding areas. The deliberate militarization of the locations fundamentally contradicts any attempt to characterize them as purely civilian or non-combatant zones, asserted the ZUF.
The ZUF said it is concerned over reported actions of KNF-P cadres--vandalization of public infrastructure such as a waiting shed and other properties belonging to Ireng Zeliangrong Inpui Naga Village.
Alleged threats were also issued to burn down the entire village and cause harm to its residents. Such actions constitute serious violations of law and order, and represent a direct infringement upon indigenous land rights and public safety, said the ZUF.
Encroachment upon ancestral land, accompanied by intimidation, coercion, or the misrepresentation of indigenous status, cannot be legitimized through propaganda or force. The Front will not remain a mute spectator to illegal encroachment, organized criminal activities, or the presence of illicit drug networks within its ancestral territory, said the ZUF.
"The Zeliangrong United Front reaffirms its unwavering commitment to safeguarding its people, land, and property from all forms of illegal encroachment. The ancestral heritage of the Zeliangrong Inpui people is inviolable, and not even an inch shall be conceded," it said.
IMPHAL, Jan 13: In connection with the firing on January 8 at Kharam Vaiphei, the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) S Kamson has outrightly rejected a Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) statement for portraying the incident as an act of intimidation against "innocent villagers".
CoTU's assertion is misleading, and it fails to reflect the factual circumstances prevailing on the ground, said the ZUF in a press release.
Credible and verified inputs indicate systematic establishment of fortified bunkers by Kuki underground outfits at the village entry points, residential courtyards, and across the surrounding areas. The deliberate militarization of the locations fundamentally contradicts any attempt to characterize them as purely civilian or non-combatant zones, asserted the ZUF.
The ZUF said it is concerned over reported actions of KNF-P cadres--vandalization of public infrastructure such as a waiting shed and other properties belonging to Ireng Zeliangrong Inpui Naga Village.
Alleged threats were also issued to burn down the entire village and cause harm to its residents. Such actions constitute serious violations of law and order, and represent a direct infringement upon indigenous land rights and public safety, said the ZUF.
Encroachment upon ancestral land, accompanied by intimidation, coercion, or the misrepresentation of indigenous status, cannot be legitimized through propaganda or force. The Front will not remain a mute spectator to illegal encroachment, organized criminal activities, or the presence of illicit drug networks within its ancestral territory, said the ZUF.
"The Zeliangrong United Front reaffirms its unwavering commitment to safeguarding its people, land, and property from all forms of illegal encroachment. The ancestral heritage of the Zeliangrong Inpui people is inviolable, and not even an inch shall be conceded," it said.