Law News
81 killed by landmines in Tipaimukh
The Hmar Students` Association claimed that 81 people have died of land mine blasts and booby traps` planted by Manipur based militants at Tipaimukh in Manipur in the past two years. Speaking at a press conference here at the Shillong Press Club, Immanuel Z Varte President of Shillong unit of HSA said "all the deaths occurred between September 2004 till January 2006". Tipaimukh is a sub-division of Churachandpur district of Manipur.
"This is an inhuman action of the militants an act of terror and is in total violation of human and civil rights", Varte added. The militants, consisting of the Manipur People`s Liberation Front (MPLF) and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), were the perpetrators of the heinous crime Varte said. Condemning the militants` violation, Varte said, the villagers are being displaced due to the continued violence. "The state machinery has failed to provide humanitarian aid to the villagers who have been displaced from the villages". Currently, the Indian army is conducting combing operations to flush out militants from Tipaimukh. This has also led to militants `forcibly` taking shelter with villagers adding to their woes, Varte told the media. He appealed to the state machineries and authorities concerned to take corrective steps so as to alleviate the problems of the villagers at Tipaimukh.
Source: Newmai News Network
