A day after the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, had proposed for a peace plan in a press conference held in Imphal, the Meitei armed groups including Arambai Tenggol, Meitei Leepun and alleged ex-cadres of Valley-based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs) continued arsoning of two Kuki villages in Kamjong district in the early morning of 1st June, 2023, thereby killing two innocent civilians at the spot, and two other injury.
As per sources, a large number of State police commandos and Meitei armed groups including Arambai Tengol, Meitei Leepun and VBIGs came with sophisticated weapons and attacked Tribal villages of Natjang under Kamjong district and N. Mollen under Kangpokpi district located in the hilly region, and burnt down about 63 houses altogether. In defending their villages, two persons lost their lives through gun-firing.
As per reports, the two villages are in close proximity, around 4 Km apart.
The two deceased have been identified as one 48-year-old Jaminthang Kipgen, son of (L) Letsei Kipgen and 68-year-old Deikhokim Simte, wife of Lenchinthang Simte and the injured persons are 25-year-old Jangminlal Haokip, son of Ngulkholun Haokip and 28-year-old Thangkholun Haokip, son of Thongmang Haokip, all from N Mollen village.
In another incident, the Meitei armed groups still continued their rampage on tribal villages located in bordering areas of Sugunu, under Chandel district, last night. Tribal villages named Dongjang and its adjoining areas were targetted by the radicalised groups of Arambai Tenggol, Meitei Leepun and others from 7:00 pm onwards till 9:00 pm, and several round of gunshots were fired towards the Tribal volunteers. Intetrestingly, the United Tribal Volunteers guarding the villages did not response to the gun firing and instead, the central armed forces retaliated the alleged State sponsored machinery with full action; and therafter, the gungfight stopped.
Mentioned may be made that ethnic violence continued even after the visit of the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, to the strife-torn Manipur on 28-31 May 2023.
As per ITLF, during the sporadic violence, hundreds of lives including women and children lost their lives, over 250 people without sparing goverment officers and people’s representative injuries, more than 300 chruches burnt down, over 115 villages and 4500 houses burnt to ashes. Still, 50+ unconfirmed death or missing reported, and about 80 dead bodies identified.
