Rio condemns attack on Rengmas in Karbi Anglong

EMN DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 28 FOLLOWING the killing of four Rengma Nagas in Karbi Anglong district on Friday, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today has shot off letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi expressing deep shock and condemnation at the reported killings, burning of villages and granaries of Rengma Nagas under Rengma Mouza-III in neighbouring Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council of Assam. “This is a very serious development and draw histories from past incidents of killings amounting to sinister designs of ethnic cleansing to drive and evict indigenous inhabitants from their ancestral lands, owing to their being a minority tribe in the State of Assam,” the letters similar in contents said.Rio said such barbaric actions have no place in a civilized society. He also reminded both Singh and Gogoi about his earlier telephonic discussion with them expressing concern and his letter dated 17th June 2013 expressing serious concern over threats and ultimatum served to the Rengma Nagas living in Assam. He expressed apprehension that the continuance of violence, intimidation, threat and exodus of people for fear of lives may snowball into situation with very grave consequences. Rio further offered to extend all cooperation from the Nagaland government side should any assistance be required. He again appealed and strongly urged both Singh and Gogoi to intervene to ensure that the lives and properties of the Rengma Nagas living in Assam are protested and that steps are taken to provide relief measures to usher an enabling security environment for normalcy to return. Six people died and three others went missing after simmering communal tension between the Karbis and Rengma Nagas in Karbi Anglong district Friday morning. The violence broke out in Phangcherop area under Borpathar police station when heavily armed suspected Karbi People Liberation Tigers (KPLT) activists reportedly invaded Khonwani Gaon, a Rengma Naga village, at around 6 am. In the violence, four Rengma Nagas, including three females, were killed while three youth reported missing. Two KPLT cadres were reportedly killed in retaliatory attack by Rengma Naga Hills Protection Force (RNHPF) at Khanari gaon, another Rengma Naga village, at around 10.30 pm. But these allegations of a retaliatory attack have been vehemently denied by the Chairman of the Council of Naga Rengma Hill/ Naga Rengma Hills Protection Force, Tarikheng Rengma. Speaking to Eastern Mirror over the phone, the Chairman said the police arrived at Khuanni gaon where four Rengmas were killed after the carnage and they then moved to Khanari gaon, an abandoned village at a distance of 4 kms from Khuanni gaon, where fields had been set on fire. So where does the question of a retaliatory attack at Khannari gaon arise, Tarikheng asked. Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Member of the Karbi Autonomous Council , Congressman Tuliram Rongha was turned away by angry Karbi villagers affected in the violence at Phencherrop. They reportedly set ablaze the relief materials the council member had brought accompanied by a team of leaders.