Looting of arms from Kuki militant outfits’ armoury amid ceasefire being probed in Manipur

IMPHAL: The Manipur police is probing Sunday’s looting of arms by suspected militants belonging to the Kuki Independent Army (KIA) who took away 25 sophisticated arms from the armoury of three militant groups staying in a designated camp under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement in Manipur, the police said on Wednesday.

A senior police official said that no one has been arrested so far after the looting of arms by the militants of the KIA (also known as the Kuki Independent Organisation) from the designated camp of three militant groups at Chungkhao in Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar.

The Manipur-based KIA is a non-signatory to the tripartite ceasefire pact with the government.

“Immediately after the early Sunday incident, a high alert has been sounded and all the concerned police stations and security posts have been asked to remain vigilant to recover the looted weapons and to nab the fleeing KIA extremists,” the official said, refusing to be named.

The militants of three outfits — the Kuki National Army (KNA), Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) — have been staying in the designated camp after the Centre and the Manipur government signed the tripartite agreement and SoO with these outfits on August 22, 2008.

The hilly and forested Churachandpur district in southern Manipur, which borders Myanmar and Mizoram, is home to various Kuki-Chin militant groups.

The arms loot took place three days after the Manipur police announced a reward of Rs 50,000 to any person, who provides information leading to the arrest of KIA chief Thangkhongam Haokip (40). The Manipur government last month unilaterally pulled out from the tripartite talks and SoO signed with three Kuki militant outfits even though the Union Home Ministry is yet to give its approval to the state government’s decision.

It was also reported that the cadres of KNA, ZRA and KRA are instigating poppy cultivators in the state against the government, which has been taking action against illegal poppy cultivators, and destroying poppy fields in the forest lands, especially in the reserve and protected forests. However, an umbrella organisation of the Kuki outfits has dismissed the accusations. (IANS)