Debunking COCOMI’s Baseless Allegations

In contrast to the allegation made by the Meitei civil outfit- COCOMI, with respect to the law and order in the Hills, rule of law previals and peace and normalcy is being returned in tribal areas since the signing of Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Kuki insurgent groups by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, in 2008.

There was no violation of ground rules by the Kuki insurgent groups, no extortion or any other unlawful activities from the part of Kuki outfits. According to the rules, the surrendered weapons are kept in locked trunks and compartments and are to be checked by security forces every week, with a key available with the militant groups also. Even after the ethnic violence in the State, weapons audit was done in all the designated camps frequently.

In response to the demand made by ITLF and CoTU for reimposition of AFSPA in Imphal valley, COCOMI had stated that the demand was just like 'beating against bush and illogical.'
"For the last 40 years there is no rule of laws in hill areas most particularly in Kuki dominated areas, whereas there is reasonable peace in all AFSPA lifted areas of Manipur Valley since long time back," COCOMI had said.

The COCOMI, however, must realised that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was set to finalise a peace accord with Kuki insurgent groups on May 8, but the Meiteis' thirst for illogical ethnic cleansing against the Kukis put paid to the proposed peace accord. The proposed peace accord is a testament to the prevalence of 'law and order' in the Hills.

Enough evidences of complete breakdown of law and order in the Imphal valley have been surfacing since the violence broke out on May 3. Sophisticated weapons are looted from police battalions and are used against the hill people- most of them were just defending themselves by their licensed wepaons. Reports also stated that dormant terrorist groups become active in the valley, apart from the Meira Paibis who pose a challenge for the security forces to maintain law and order in the valley areas.

Mentioned may be made that as per MHA, there are eight terrorist or unlawful associations in Manipur, all of which are Meitei groups: the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF); United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed wing, the Manipur People’s Army (MPA); People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its armed wing, the Red Army; Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed wing, also called the Red Army; Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), Coordination Committee (Cor-Com), Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK), and Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF).

There have been reports that the terrorists groups become particularly active since the ongoing ethnic violence broke out in the State, and that they have been gaining greater support from the radicalized and secessionist sections of Meitei society. These terrorist outfits indulge in extortion, illicit taxation, drug smuggling, and trafficking activities to finance their terror activities. Thousands of sophisticated weapons, explosives, rocket launchers and other warlike stores are bought from the proceeds of these illegal revenues.