Insurgency / Manipur

IMPHAL, March 27: The second meeting of all political parties held at the conference hall of the CM's secretariat with Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam in the chair this evening decided to extend the ongoing unilateral ceasefire by one more month in consultation with the Centre and agreed to the formation of a Peace Committee to launch a peace campaign with effect from April 14 next. Responding to a demand by the leaders of the different political parties, Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam in the meeting agreed to produce a white paper showing the technical grounds of the ceasefire. While...

IMPHAL, March 24: The Chief Minister, Radhabinod Koijam has appealed to the underground outfits operating in Manipur not to intervene in the functioning of the missionary schools and hospitals in the interest of the general public, particularly the students community. Acknowledging the questions and suggestions made by the former Chief Minister and solitary Opposition member Rishang Keishing in Friday's question and answer session, the Chief Minister said that regular classes of almost all the missionary schools were going on smoothly except in Catholic school, Canchipur and Don Bosco...

IMPHAL, March 23: Patrolling and frisking by police and security forces have been intensified in and around Christian missionary schools in the state's valley areas. This was announced by Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam today. Security for missionary schools was beefed up following threats from militants. A militant outfit had demanded Rs 40 lakh from eight Catholic missionary schools in Imphal. When the schools expressed their inability to pay the amount, the militants slapped a fine of Rs 2 crore on them and ordered them to close down. The matter was discussed in the Assembly today...

IMPHAL, March 23: The Manipur Chief Minister today admitted on the Floor of the House that he knew about Catholic missionary schools being pressured in the state. Asked by the lone Opposition member, Rishang Keishing (Cong), if he was aware that some people were threatening Catholic missionary schools in Manipur, Koijam said yes. Koijam said patrolling around missionary schools have been intensified. All except Don Bosco, Langjing and St Josheph's School, Sangiporou have reopened. He said regular cases have been taken up against attacks on missionaries and at least two ultras were killed on 18...

IMPHAL, March 23: Patrolling and frisking by police and security forces have been intensified in and around the Christian-missionary run schools Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam told the House today. Replying to question raised in this regard by Congress MLA Rishang Keishing during the Question Hour in the State Assembly today, the Chief Minister informed the House that as of now all the Catholic School except Don Bosco School, Langjing and St Joseph's School, Sangairprou were holding regular classes. He disclosed that regular classes have been registered in connection with the incidents of...

IMPHAL, March 20: The banned Revolutionary People's Front - the political wing of the People's Liberation Army - has rejected both the government and the Army's ceasefire offer. The RPF said it would continue its struggle until the Centre ends its "colonial rule" in the state. Another rebel outfit, the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, had earlier rejected the ceasefire offer. Both outfits are constituents of the Manipur People's Liberation Front. The outfit's rejection comes a day after Governor Ved Marwah announced the setting up of a contact group to liaison with insurgent outfits...

IMPHAL, March 19: The Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam today said extortion, kidnapping, killing, movement of insurgents with arms and/or in combat uniforms and attacks on police/ security forces would be treated as breach of the ground rules of the ongoing unilateral cease-fire announced by his Government. Giving a statement in the Assembly he said the Cease-fire Monitoring Group (CMG) held its first meeting on March 17 and it was noted that except for the "burning of 15 oil tankers by insurgents near Karong on March 8, there has been no serious violation of cease-fire so far. He said the...

IMPHAL, March 18: Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam today said he was expecting a 'positive response' from insurgent outfits during the one-month long unilateral ceasefire declared by his government from March 1, even as a second underground organisation rejected it. Renewing his appeal to insurgents for a political dialogue, Koijam told PTI in an interview that barring a few sporadic extremist-related incidents, violence had come down comparatively during the ceasefire period in the State. "We all love Manipur. Why cannot we sit together to solve any problem? Violence will not solve...

IMPHAL, March 18: Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam today appealed to the insurgents for a political dialogue while expressing hope that they would come up with 'positive response,' during the one-month period of unilateral ceasefire declared by his government on March 1 last, reports PTI. "We all love Manipur and why can not we sit together to bring solution to any problem," Koijam told PTI here. Violence would not solve any problem, he said. The Chief Minister said any issue can be settled through dialogues or negotiation and sought cooperation from various organisations, local club...

IMPHAL, March 17: An Army havildar, who had once tried to stop Assam Rifles personnel from dragging a minor boy away from his house, is likely to face court martial on charges of obstructing operational activities. But the issue threatens to snowball into a major controversy as the September 1999 incident has been taken up by the National Human Rights Commission. Havildar Bhorot Singh, a resident of Heirok village in Thoubal district, was serving in the ninth battalion of the Assam regiment at the time of the incident. He is now attached to the 14 battalion of the National Cadet Corps here as...