PRESS STATEMENT
Dated Tahamzam, 13th April, 2013
Ms. Alice Kamei of Chingphu Zeliangrong village, a Class –IX student of Grace Reach Academy, Hiyanglam, Thoubal District, Manipur has been in the custody of the Revolutionary Peoples Front/Peoples Liberation Army(RPF/PLA) since 10th March, 2013. Ms. Alice is only 14 years old and should be in school under the guardianship of her parents. Naga Organisations have registered their protest in peaceful and democratic manner both in the media and in public places, demanding the safe release of Ms. Alice Kamei. Her continued captivity for more than one month by the RPF/PLA is against both natural law and established international norms. It is an utter disrespect for the institutions of family and an assault on the innocence of childhood.
Compare this with the flare up in Imphal valley in the wake of the reported incident of the manhandling of Ms. Momoko by a cadre of the NSCN(IM) at Chandel on 18 December, 2012, where the Nagas and tribals were targeted in well orchestrated moves. Within this episode, 13 students from Risophung village under Senapati District were waylaid by cadres of Kangleipak Communist Party at Napetpali on 24th December, 2012 and physically assaulted and a sixteen year old girl in the group was molested and rape attempted upon her. Not to be outdone by the KCP, 2 villagers of Kongkan village, under Kamjong Sub-division, Ukhrul District, who were returning to their village after a hunting trip were gunned down intentionally by the United National Liberation Front, another valley based militant group in front of a witness who survived the ordeal. The Cabinet of the communal State Government of Manipur had 3 meetings on the Momoko issue which resulted in a big delegation of valley based political parties to Delhi.
The level and sense of the offence perceived and taken in the Alice Kamei and Momoko episode are markedly communal in difference. The communal response of the State Government and the non state forces in the Imphal valley have offered further vindications for the demand of the Nagas in Manipur for an alternative arrangement outside the Government of Manipur, pending settlement of the Indo-Naga issue.
The blatant communal omissions and commissions of the Manipur State Government and the non-state valley forces in collusion on all fronts is steering away the situation from the peaceful parting of ways. The Government of India must intervene immediately with an alternative arrangement for it cannot abdicate its responsibility as the custodian of the Constitution. Nagas and tribals must be in continued preparedness. Our homes and families and our land must be defended at all cost. Ms. Alice Kamei must be safely released to her parents and her people without any delay.
Publicity Wing
United Naga Council