Chief Minister, O Ibobi with militants who laid down arms on Monday.
IMPHAL, Sep 9 MNS NNN : In all, 155 militants belonging to four groups including eight cadres from major outfit KYKL bid a farewell to arms before Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi and laid huge quantity of arms and ammunition on Monday here, while three of the four outfits have signed the Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with the government which have technically included them in the peace process through the Suspension of Operation (SoO).
Saying that the state Government has been putting efforts to bring peace and prosperity in Manipur, Chief Minister while speaking at the occasion said appropriate action will be taken up against militants under suspension of operation (SoO) if they are found involved in criminal activities.
He also suggested the people, particularly the NGOs to go together with the Government in addressing problems faced by the state, but appealed to them not to turn activities of the Government into issues.
The Chief Minister said that he was really delighted to show more militants coming back to the mainstream.Ibobi said that rumours have been there that the Government has given license to militants by signing SoO agreements with them, but the Government will take action against these militants if they are found violating the Ground Rule.
KNLF general secretary Lalmoi, KRF general secretary Doungel and KCP-Nongdren Khomba commander-in-chief Nongdren Khomba also spoke at the occasion. They said that their decision to join the peace process was taken after seriously considering the sentiment and wishes of the people and also want of peace.
They also appealed to the Government to take more initiatives towards this end and pledged that they will maintain the Ground Rules mentioned in the MoUs.
The militant groups were Kanglei Yaon Kanna Lup (KYKL) with eight cadres, Kangleipak Communist Party-Nongdren Khomba (KCP-Nongdren Khomba) with 44, Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF) with 50 and Kuki Revolutionary Front (KRF) with 53 were surrendered before the Chief Minister during a home coming ceremony at Banquet Hall of 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles here.
KNLF will be part of Kuki National Organisation (KNO), one of the two umbrella bodies of the Kuki militant organisations while KRF will be part of United Peoples Front (UPF), the other umbrella body of the Kuki underground outfits. Both KNO and UPF are already engaging in SoO with the government of Manipur and the Central government.
In today’s programme, the militants laid different weapons numbering 95 during the ceremony organised by the state Home Department.
The KNLF, KRF and KCP-Nongdren Khomba signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with the Central and state Governments during the ceremony which was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Chief Secretary PC Lawmkunga, Principal Secretary (Home) Dr J Suresh Babu, DGP MK Das, IFCD minister Ngamthang Haokip, MLAs and other top state police officials.
Helun Haokip, chairman, KNLF and its army chief Thangboi Khongsai, and secretary Lalmoi Haokip represented the party, Thanglenlal Dongel, chairman, KRF and its general secretary Henkholal Doungel on the groups’s side and the KCP-Nongdren Khomba was represented by its commander-in-chief Ningthoujam Romen alias Nongdren Khomba and chief of the army Laishram Guni alias Gunamani.
The state and Central Governments were represented by Principal Secretary (Home) Dr Suresh Babu during the MoUs signing event.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/155-militants-lay-down-arms/
