Insurgency / Manipur

Imphal, June 4: Manipur police today gunned down Paozangam Lupheng, chief of the banned Kuki Liberation Army (KLA)?s armed wing and the mastermind behind a string of high-profile abductions in an encounter in the state?s Chaningpokpi area early today.

Another militant of the outfit was also arrested.

The shootout took place when the militant leader ? arrested yesterday ? was leading Imphal East police commandos to a KLA camp under Yairipok police station.

Sources said rebels from inside the camp fired on the commandos, who were zeroing in on them. A handcuffed Lupheng escaped from the...

IMPHAL, June 2?The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs will be arriving here on June 10 to look into the prevailing law-and-order situation in the State in the wake of abduction and subsequent killing of a cloth merchant by an underground outfit. The move of the Union Home Minister?s visit to the State was relayed by the vice-president of the BJP Pyarelal Khandelwal to the State unit leaders.

The former Chief Minister and legislature wing leader of the BJP RK Dorendro while briefing the media at the MPP office said, ?The recent abduction and subsequent killing of cloth trader Manoj Kumar...

Imphal, May 30: The Union home ministry has made it tougher for foreigners to visit Manipur, where militants had taken a German national hostage two months ago.

The ministry recently issued a new set of guidelines on granting protected area permits, which every foreigner must obtain before entering the state. The whole of Manipur is a ?protected area? under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958.

Foreigners are allowed to visit only a few places, including this capital town, Loktak lake, the memorial to Indian National Army soldiers at Moirang, Keibul Lamjao National Park, Waithou lake...

IMPHAL, May 28 ? Manipur government has decided to deploy security forces round-the-clock in strategic points in view of the increasing abduction of civilians by militants, official sources said today, reports PTI. The decision to deploy forces at strategic locations was taken last night during a Cabinet meeting which also discussed the kidnapping and killing of a local cloth merchant Manoj Kumar Sethi by unidentified gunmen yesterday, the sources said.

The State Cabinet also discussed at length the increasing cases of kidnapping of people for ransom and decided to adopt various security...

AIZAWL, May 17 ? The Kuki National Army (KNA) has expressed willingness to come to the negotiating table in-lieu of a formal recognition of its demands by the Government of India. KNA Commander-in-Chief Vipin Haokip said here that the outfit is open to talks provided the Centre recognizes its long standing demand for a separate homeland for the Kukis who inhabit a substantial part of Manipur?s three hill districts.

Referring to the historical background of the Kukis, the KNA chief said, ?The Kukis were discriminated against since the colonial days. The foremost account of our tribe described...

Jotsoma (Kohima), May 16: In what could come as a surprise to states like Manipur, the Naga Hoho today struck a chord on accommodation and love for neighbours.

Speaking at a function of the Naga National Council (Panger) here today, a senior Hoho leader Krurovi Peseyie said reconciliation is the key for settling the Naga political issue. ?We should be accommodative towards the interests of neighbouring states,? he said, without naming the states. Peseyie said love, combined with a sincere approach, can resolve any problem.

The demand for the integration of all the Naga-inhabited areas under...

AIZAWL, May 13 — Vipin Haokip, self-styled chief of the Kuki National Army (KNA), the armed wing of Kuki National Organisation (KNO), today said his outfit was willing to negotiate with the Centre on its demand for a separate state for the Kukis, reports PTI. The negotiations should lead to an amicable settlement by establishment of tripartite arrangement to accommodate Meiteis, Nagas and Kukis, Haokip told PTI.

KOHIMA, May 8 – The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (IM) said it was committed to “peaceful means for solution” to the more-than-half-a-century old Indo-Naga political problem but lamented that “Indians’ commitment leaves much to be desired despite assurances” reports NEPS. In an exclusive interview to a Netherlands based national daily that made available to North East Press Service Tuesday, General Secretary of the NSCN (IM) Thuingaleng Muivah, however, asserted that the unification of “Naga territories” and their national identities were “non-negotiable. “In other words, the...

IMPHAL, May 5— Proscribed Kanglei Yawal Kanna Lup (Kykl) has decided to ban all forms of bandhs and general strike from May 15 onwards, in Manipur. The outfit also warned the teachers community in the state not to take up any ceasework strike in the days to come. The outfit in a four-page statement signed by secretary of publicity and research Lanngamba Mangang stated that from May 15 no organisation or groups of people will be allowed to impose bandh and general strikes in the state.

Besides, employees of the education department and the teachers community in the state have been warned not...

IMPHAL, April 25 – Four militants of Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), including a person involved in the recent kidnapping of German national Heinrich Wolfgang, have been arrested in Manipur, official sources said on Friday, reports PTI. Acting on a tip-off, police forces conducted search operations at Kamu and Koireng villages in interior Thoubal district and nabbed KLA militant Letkhohao Misao and three others on Thursday.

Misao was involved in the recent kidnapping of Heinrich Wolfgang who came here to inspect the functioning of some NGOs funded by some German agencies and also in the abduction...