Morung Express News
September 17
TUENSANG: The people of Tuensang paid rich tributes to Late. Peter Yimchunger who was mercilessly shot dead by the body guards of ADC (J) Mokokchung on the night of September 15 at a place between Salonijan and Karambani in Assam. Almost the entire public of Tuensang town turned up at the Public Ground to receive the death body and to show their solidarity. TMPO, TMSF and all Tribal Organisations of Tuensang District held a short programme to mourn the death of its son. The TMPO in its three point charter of demand to the State Government insisted that the culprit Khalong ADC (J) who had reportedly given the orders to fire on the innocent public and the body guards involved in the killing be immediately terminated from service and given a befitting punishment as per the law. It also demanded that the next of kin of the murdered passenger be given an ex-gratia payment of Rs.20 lakhs and that one of the relatives of the murdered passenger is given a government job on compassionate ground to look after the orphaned children.
At the time of filing this report the death body of late Peter had been taken to his native village of Shamator for burial. The move reportedly followed assurances given by the government that the TMPO charter of demand would be fulfilled. It may be mentioned that the Tuensang public had earlier decided to keep Late Peter’s mortal remains at the public ground pending a positive response from the government.
Earlier the situation was tense and emotionally surcharged as the public waited for assurance from the State Capital, Kohima. Incidents of stone pelting at the DC office were also reported. There were also apprehensions that the situation arising out of the September 15 shooting incident could take a tribal turn. However public leaders who addressed Saturday’s public gathering called for self restraint and assured that the incident should not be interpreted along tribal lines. The situation around Tuensang has now been brought under control.
Eye witness account
Name: Hanji
Profession: Pastor
Circumstance: Sitting next to Late Peter Yimchunger
“I and late Peter were traveling together on that ill fated day. Late Peter was sitting next to me, it was between Salonijan and Karambani, the red bolero in which the ADC (J) was traveling came in full speed. Our bus driver in order to avoid accident took a sharp turn towards the small nullah. One of our front tyre almost went inside the nullah. After that the bodyguard of ADC came to our bus with a pistol in his hand demanding the driver to come out. Our driver escape from the bus out of fear (coz for no fault he can’t afford to lose his life and who knows he could have been killed by that body guard like Late Peter). Then the body guard with a pistol in his hand came inside the bus and started beating the handy man and asked the passenger to shut up and not to move from their seat, at the same time he abused the passenger with so many dirty words and also shouted that he will burn the bus along with the passengers. Then out of nowhere the bodyguard fired at late Peter and when the passenger started to react he asked the passenger to be still in their seat and warned that he will shoot if anyone moves from their seat. The body guard after shooting late Peter again started abusing the passenger so I requested the body guard to take my friend Peter to be taken to the hospital as the blood was oozing, only after some time the body guard hesitantly stopped a bus which was going towards Salonijan and we (late Peter and me) were put in that bus, after reaching Salonijan, Peter and myself were asked by that bus driver to get down, from there I hired an auto and reached Dimapur Civil Hospital and there my friend passed away”.
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