Eastern Konyak Union, Myanmar (EKUM) has strongly condemned the killing of innocent civilians by armed forces in Mon district on December 4 and 5 and demanded withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Nagaland.
EKUM president SA Khotai and general secretary K Akham Honwang in a press release mourned the death of 14 civilians on behalf of Konyaks of Eastern Myanmar and asked the armed forces to clarify the reason for killing innocent people.
Accusing the armed forces of shooting the daily wage earners without even interrogating them, they said shooting dead unarmed civilians was illegal and an act of cowardice. Hence, they demanded withdrawal of AFSPA.
They also accused Assam Rifles and Indian Army of carrying out attacks on civilians in Konyak villages across the international border in Myanmar several times in the name of carrying out operations against underground groups.
Alleging that Konyaks had been suffering in the hands of Indian armed forces for the past several years, Khotai and Honwang demanded that the culprits responsible for killing innocent should be booked and AFSPA withdrawn from border areas to ensure peace.
They also cited specific instances where villagers allegedly suffered in the hands of Indian Army.
They alleged that Indian Army had nabbed 13 innocent people of Chen Hoyat village in 1982 and kept them at Tuensang for seven months without any charge and one Tahlem had died in the jail.
Similarly, half of the houses were burned down by the soldiers at Chen Hoyat village in 1988 and one Tolong Wangpai was taken to an unknown destination and held captive for nine months without any reason.
Accusing Indian Army of shooting one Puthrei and injuring him at Chen Throilu village in 1980 without any reason, they said one Yavai was also killed at the village on June 24, 1981, while Ayan and Famo were also killed on August 1, 1982. They mentioned that the church and some houses too were burned down by the forces.
Likewise, they said Indian Army had burned down Kamkah and Momkho villages in 1982, besides threatening the villagers, leading to trauma among them.