Moreh violence is a devil hand of Meitei Govt, says Village Volunteers; Allege no state force in Moreh but Meitei militants

The Tengnoupal District Village Volunteers have said that there are no State forces in Moreh but a combined force of Meiteis' private militia group of Arambai Tenggol and surrendered Meitei militants masqueraded as Police Commandos.

Asserting that the violence which occurred in Moreh was a result of the devil hand of the Meitei Government, the Village Volunteers clarified that there were no instances of gunfight between government security forces and Kuki militants in Moreh town till today except the recent gun battles between Village guards and Meitei militia groups of Arambai Tenggol and surrendered Meitei militants who masqueraded as Police Commandos.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Village Volunteers alleged that a gunfight broke out after the joint forces of Arambai Tenggol and Meitei militants burnt down Kuki houses in Lhangnom Veng, Moreh, Ward No. 9, and another gunfight broke out after those Fake commandos tried to burnt down Chavangphai, Canan Veng and Zion veng.

"It is well known to all that Arambai Tenggol and surrendered Meitei militants masqueraded as police commandos are stationed in the name of police commandos at Moreh town," the Volunteers said.

They also alleged that the Meiteis who were once residents of Moreh town are also seen masquerading as police commandos in Moreh town. Before the communal crisis, they were just shopkeepers, butchers, private water suppliers, ex-VDF (village defence force), civil police (who has connection with Meitei terrorists) and sympathisers of Myanmar-based Meitei militants and CSOs leaders. Ridiculously, they were led by police officers with criminal records. There are a handful of state police personnel so as to conceal stationing of Meitei militia groups, the volunteers stated.

They said, "To conceal the evil design of the Meitei government, N. Biren Singh says involvement of 'foreign hand' in Moreh incidents. In fact, there is an evil hand of the Meitei government in escalating violence in the Kuki-Zo area - Moreh."

The Tengnoupal District Village Volunteers also said they were surprised to learn how the state police officer had to demand more ammunitions for use by the Arambai Tenggol and Meitei militants in Moreh town. The so-called state Meitei police officer Krishna Tombi Singh had sent a letter to ADGP (LO) for issuance of large amounts of ammunitions in Moreh town, including 10,000 nos. of 7.62 LMG live rounds; 20,000 nos. of Insas live rounds; 17,000 nos. of AK-47 live rounds; 150 nos, of 51 Motar live rounds (H.E. bomb) and 3000 nos. of .303 rifle live rounds.

In fact, the Village Volunteers said, those demanded ammunitions are to be used by Arambai Tenggol and surrendered Meitei militants who are masqueraded as police commandos.

Alleging that Krishna Tombi Singh @ KT Singh, while he was an Addl. SP (Ops) in Tengnoupal district, had been involved in criminal activities including drug trafficking, the Village Volunteers noted that there were several instances of Police and Assam Rifles apprehending police Commandos under the command of KT Singh with consignment of drugs and other illegal items.

The Village Volunteers further said that since the outbreak of communal violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo, the Centre government had already defined buffer zones between the hills and valley so as to bring back normalcy. "Deploying Meitei commandos and Meitei militia groups in Kuki-Zo area of Moreh by bypassing the buffer zone is nothing but an evil design to provoke and to escalate violence in already peaceful areas," the statement added.

Maintaining that violence would continue as long as there were Meitei forces in Kuki-Zo areas, the Village Volunteers (Eastern Zone) vowed that they would defend Kuki-Zo ancestral land of Moreh from those evil forces who tried to annihilate the people of Moreh and Tengnoupal District.