DIMAPUR, MAY 19 (MExN): The United Naga Council (UNC) on May 19 demanded that the “whereabouts and condition” of six missing Naga civilians allegedly abducted on May 13 at Leilon Vaiphei village be “immediately” revealed and called for their “unconditional release without delay.”
In a press statement, the UNC alleged that 18 Naga civilians, “including women and a minor child,” were abducted while travelling between Konsakhul village and Leimakhong area on May 13.
According to the statement, “12 female including an infant” were released on May 14, but the “whereabouts and safety” of the remaining six male hostages “remains unknown till date.”
The UNC identified the missing persons as “Rev. Dr. Manu Thiumai, Pastor of Leimakhong Baptist Church; Pastor Kenpibou of Juna West (Harup), Phenrilung Chawang, Dilip Thiumai, Phenroungwi Thiumai and Kaliwangbou Abonmai.”
The UNC criticised the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) for reportedly denying knowledge of the six unreleased hostages. It stated that it was “unbelievable” that despite “living witness on the scene” and “overwhelming eyewitness accounts,” KIM claimed the six persons were “not in Kuki custody.”
“The entire incident was witnessed by surviving victims and co-passengers who witnessed the 6 male hostages being violently dragged out of vehicles in front of their wives, children and fellow civilians,” the statement alleged.
The UNC further claimed that KIM’s denial was “not merely suspicious but a deliberate attempt to shield the perpetrators and cover up the truth.” It also accused KIM of “calculated misinformation” and said its conduct “confirms complicity in the hostage taking.”
Calling for immediate action, the UNC stated: “If they are alive, they must be released unconditionally and without delay. If they have been killed, their mortal remains must be handed over immediately to their families so that they may be given a dignified Christian burial according to their faith and traditions.”
The statement also referred to the abduction of “2 Salesian brothers at Saparmeina village under Saparmeina Police Station” and alleged that the incidents were “strongly indicative of premeditated attacks.”
