Dimapur: The NSCN-IM has taken strong exception over the Haochong incident where villagers were reportedly thrashed by the cadres of NSCN-K and Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF).
Some of the victims are currently hospitalised in Imphal.
According to the NSCN-IM, cadres of ZUF and NSCN-Khaplang (NSCN-K) tortured some villagers very badly for supporting the NSCN-IM.
“Bewildering was the action of ZUF-Khaplang combine forces that tortured innocent public leaders and we bewail such brutality meted out against the Haochong village public leaders on Thursday at Tamenlong district.
“The ZUF-Khaplang forces called out the Haochong public leaders for a meeting and apprehending something fishy the villagers responded with huge turn out but seven public leaders were selected and taken to a particular place at Nagaching.
“Giving the reason for supporting NSCN they were beaten black and blue and heavily tortured and throwing at them filthy words for supporting NSCN. They were so badly tortured that they were immediately shifted to Imphal for further treatment,” the NSCN-IM said in a statement.
According to the NSCN-IM it was a daring act of the Inpui people who stood up for what they felt was right in the political sense of the term and they were targeted in the most despicable and brutal manner by the ZUF and Khaplang group.
“We express our solidarity and sympathy to the victims for daring to identify and differentiate the colour of political groups operating in their area,” the NSCN-IM added.
“It is pertinent to recollect the statement of Wangtin, MIP Kilonser of K-group who earlier denied their association with ZUF and said that ZUF was not for ‘Naga sovereignty’ and it was just a group of people whose issue or agenda not known by his group,” the NSCN-IM said. (NNN)