IMPHAL, April 23: Sapam Chonbi alias Premabati, 37 of Sairenkhun Mayai Leikai under Lamshang police station whom the Imphal West district police claimed to have arrested on April 20 is not related with PREPAK or its Red Army, the outfit clarified on Monday.
The banned PREPAK said in a statement issued by its assistant secretary, publicity and propaganda, Leibakngakpa Luwang that the statement of Additional SP (Law and Order), Imphal West police which appeared in Imphal based local dailies on April 21 regarding arrest of Sapam Premabati involved in recruitment of minor boys was “unfounded and baseless.”
The outfit also denied the charges levelled against it by the police on recruitment of child soldiers and said Premabati is not related with PREPAK in any way.
PREPAK further accused the state Home Minister of deliberately attempt to link the missing incident of minor boys with the outfit and further said such allegation is unfortunate.
As per the International Humanitarian Law, children under the age of 15 should be protected and that those children over 15 years of age do not need special protection, PREPAK said and further noted that the necessary special protection of minor children are mentioned in the Geneva Convention of 1949 and also in less than 25 provisions within the provisions of the additional protocol of 1977.