“No resettlement for Meiteis in Moreh until political settlement is reached between GoI, Kuki Bodies”

Kuki-Zo civil bodies in Moreh have reiterated their stand that no step should be initiated for resettlement of the Meitei in Moreh under any circumstances until and unless the government of India and the apex Kuki-Zo bodies reach a political settlement.

Hill Tribe Council Moreh, KSO Moreh Block, Kuki Women Union and Human Rights Moreh, Moreh Youth Club and Kuki Khanglai Lawmpi Moreh issued a joint release on Saturday and expressed their disappointment over certain incidents in Moreh.

The civil bodies termed it unfortunate that any event that takes place in Moreh is being fabricated and publicised by the state government, state media houses and the state commandos.

Not long ago, commandos arrested some drug addicts from Myanmar who were caught stealing in Moreh. They were then portrayed as illegal Kuki immigrants by the Manipur state medias, it added.

The civil bodies stated that, "Repetition of further such false and cheap propaganda will disturb peace”.

The civil bodies alleged that the government through Tengnoupal district commissioner disallowed Moreh community leaders from cleaning and repairing the community variety market citing supreme court order, though the community leaders' move was to accommodate poor vegetable sellers.

At present, the state commandos have started occupying deserted private Meitei houses in Moreh, stated the release and added that the authority concerned should stop them immediately and confine them in the barracks.

“Or, in the event of any untoward incidents arising out of this, CSOs cannot be held accountable", it stated.

Stating that banks are indispensable public institutions, the civil bodies added that the stationing of commandos at the premises of SBI Moreh apart from causing fear among bank customers is causing a lot of inconveniences.

Vehicles belonging to commandos parked day and night along the congested main road in front of the bank itself is public nuisance which gives very little space for bank customers as well as bank staff, stated the release.

The civil bodies demanded that the commandos should be shifted at the earliest and instead, people friendly police and central security personnel be deployed at Moreh SBI.

The civil bodies suggested that it would be in the fitness of things if the off and on process of deporting Myanmar based Meitei surrenderee militants through Moreh international border is made public in the presence of media houses as this is creating public apprehension that there are high chances of the militants infiltrating the Manipur state commandos.

No Meitei civilians should be allowed to mingle among the Police Commando as was done before which would invite avoidable violence, it added

The civil bodies further stated that they have full faith and confidence in the central Indian security forces to keep peace and normalcy.

The civil bodies claimed that presence of state commandos is a threat to peace and normalcy whose excessive activities have been causing havoc in this border town.

The functioning of schools in Moreh have been crippled due to the presence of commandos in town. The future of the young generation is at stake. Until commandos are wholly withdrawn from Moreh, no additional personnel should be deployed, the release added.

“While the Arambai Tenngol, Meitei Leepun, surrendered Meitei militants with sophisticated guns in their hand are allowed to roam freely in Imphal valley, the hunt for Kuki-Zo CSO leaders on the ground of mere suspicion or cooked allegation and the arrest and imprisonment of innocent Kuki-Zo civilians of Moreh just because they possess suspicable images on their mobile phone speaks volumes as to how much discrimination is being allowed by the state government”, it added.

Let the Manipur state government stop harassing CSO leaders and release innocent civilians from prison at the earliest, the civil bodies stated.