The Hmar Students’ Association, Churachandpur Joint Headquarters in a release alleged that about sixty strong MAP personnel armed with sophisticated weapons unlawfully intruded into a remote village in Manipur rounding up and threatening the villagers to kill them if they step up. In the surprise military operation one HC Malsawmkima who belonged to HPC (D) militant was allegedly killed after the militant surrendered himself to MAP. “We vehemently condemned the unlawful intrusion of Mizoram Armed Police (MAP) into Tieulien Village, in Churachandpur of Manipur on May 8, 2015 and rounding up the villagers and threatening them with their lives”, the release said.
The MAP has claimed that HC Malsawmkima who was allegedly known to be the 28 March ambush mastermind was killed in an encounter in the early hours of May 8, 2015 at Tieulien Village, Churachandpur, Manipur.
The eye witnessed residents of Tieulien village however, rubbished the MAP’s claim and the circumstances in which Mr. Malsawmkima was killed.
According to the Villagers, about sixty strong MAP personal arrived early in the morning of 8 May, 2015, encircled the village and forcefully rounded up the villagers. One of the two Hmar Peoples Convention (Democratic) cadres who were hiding there at Tieulien Village ran away for safety. HC Malsawmkima who was hiding in a low leveled trench was apprehended by MAP after the former surrendered himself to the latter. There was no resistance from HC Malsawmkima. Subsequently, the police personnel tied him with rope and was brutally tortured and shot at point blank range, the villagers were quoted as saying by the student body.
The student body claimed that the MAP could have arrested the militant as per the existing law of the land instead of murdering him in a staged extra-judicial killing.
Given the highly suspicion circumstances of the ‘Tieulien encounter’ and the testimonies of the local residents challenging the police version, the HSA demanded that the genuine and an altered autopsy reports (PM) be released immediately, and that the Mizoram government institute an immediate independent inquiry to file FIRs against the police personnel involved in the killing.
HSA also calls upon all civil, democratic organizations and individuals to protest against this fake encounter, and that there should be no more illegal intrusion of the MAP into the Hmar villages of Manipur.
The student body further makes a plea that the Government of Mizoram make a genuine effort to find a lasting solution to the HPC (D)’s legitimate claim for their political and constitutional rights.
