Insurgency / Manipur

Dimapur, April 1: Condemning the abduction of German social worker Heinrich Wolfgang by Kuki militants in Manipur, the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) today appealed to the abductors for his safe and unconditional release at the earliest in the interest of peace and justice for all.

The German national, working for the Financial Management Service Foundation as peace trainer, was abducted by militants of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) on March 23 near Maphou dam area in Imphal East district.

Though it was initially believed that the abduction was carried out for ransom...

Imphal, March 29: The Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), abductor of Bonn-based social worker Heinrich Wolfgang, is keeping its doors open for negotiation despite its announcement yesterday that the aid worker would remain in captivity till such time as the integrity of his NGO, Evangelicher Entwicklungs Dienst, was established.

A team of NGOs continued negotiations for Wolfgang’s safe release for the fifth day today at an undisclosed place. No breakthrough could be made during the fourth round of talks yesterday. The team left the state capital early in the morning today to resume negotiations.

A...

IMPHAL, March 29— Underground Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) today confirmed that it had kidnapped the German national Heinrich Wolfgang from Maphou area in Thoubal district of Manipur on March 23 last but denied it was for ransom.

“The life of the foreigner would be at risk if security forces mounted up search operations for Wolfgang who had been abducted to draw the attention of some NGOs who were discriminating against Kukis in the distribution of funds,” a KLA statement said.”

The KLA did not kidnap Wolfgang for ransom. Some NGOs had misinformed the media, that the KLA had abducted Wolfgang...

Imphal, March 28: The Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) today owned up to the abduction of Bonn-based social worker Heinrich Wolfgang and said his fate depended on the outcome of a “weeklong investigation” by its cadre into the motive behind German funding of development projects in Manipur.

A spokesman for the militant outfit said Wolfgang would remain in captivity till such time the integrity of his NGO, Evangelicher Entwicklungs Dienst, was established.

The statement was issued even as a team of representatives of local NGOs and the Church was preparing to resume negotiations with the abductors...

IMPHAL, March 26— Suspected Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) militants have kidnapped a German national from Maphou Dam area in Thoubal district, about 20 km east of here and demanded a huge ransom, official sources said today, reports PTI. The militants abducted Heinrich Wolfgang from Maphou area on March 23 when he was on a visit along with a German woman identified as Edda Kirlies to inspect activities of an NGO, the sources said. The two Germans and the NGO officials were stopped by armed militants when they were approaching Maphou Dam area. Wolfgang was whisked away to an unknown destination...

IMPHAL, March 17 :As part of intensifying their task of cleansing the education system under its Operation New Kangleipak (ONK), the proscribed Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, said that it would intensify its campaign in the ensuing High School Leaving Certificate examination. The outfit in a statement issued here said that teachers who do not take action against cheating inside the examination halls and who encourage the students to use unfair means would be forced to resign. Heads of institutions who cannot control and stop their teachers and students from cheating will also be forced to resign...

Imphal, March 20: Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh’s promise to rehabilitate surrendered militants has failed to the cheer up the majority of the former rebels. Fed up with a “series of unfulfilled promises” many of them are now weighing various options, including returning to life in the jungles.

Ibobi had announced in the just-concluded budget session of the Assembly that surrendered militants would be given priority in the recruitment of the proposed 3rd India Reserve Battalion.

However, the surrendered militants have claimed that such promises are not new. “Three phases of...

Imphal, March 17: Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh today said the Manipur government would give priority to surrendered militants in the recruitment of personnel for the proposed Third India Reserve Battalion, as part of its policy to rehabilitate them.

He, however, did not say when the recruitment would take place.

The government’s decision follows a threat by the surrendered militants to resume their agitation if the government fails to rehabilitate them.

Ibobi Singh informed the House that at present there were 92 former insurgents under government care and that most of them had outlived...

IMPHAL, March 9 — Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has close touch with his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga over the Indo-Nagaland peace talks which is likely to resume within this month. The Mizoram Chief Minister left the capital Aizawl for Bangkok via Kolkata on March 5. The Zoramthanga’s latest visit to the Thai capital is being largely perceived as one aimed at preparing suitable grounds for the next rounds of peace talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (IM), scheduled to take place soon. Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who used to be a member of the...

Imphal, March 5: The word “welcome”, written in bold on the overhead frame of the main door, appears incongruous for once. Young Yumlambem Sanamacha surely had no idea when he wrote the word that he was unwittingly inviting misfortune to his house.

On the night of February 12, 1998, a group of jawans of the Rashtriya Rifles entered Sanamacha’s house in Angtha village of Manipur — without even knocking — and dragged him away. He has not been seen since.

For his parents, Jugol Singh and Arubi Devi, the five-year-long wait for their missing son ended on February 23 when they performed his last...