Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured that the Centre would ensure the implementation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups in Manipur’s hill areas, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has said.
According to the agreement, the insurgent groups are to remain in designated camps with weapons behind lock and key.
Chief Minister Singh on Monday alleged that the Kuki rebel outfits violated ground rules of the SoO pact and instigated violence.
The Home Minister said the Centre will provide maximum support to implement ground rules applicable to SoO groups and also asked me to explain to the valley people to maintain peace,” The Hindu quoted the Manipur CM as saying.
He said that out of the 10 hill districts, violence was reported only in three districts of Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal and Churachandpur and in three districts of the valley.
According to The Hindu, a defence source, however, said the SoO camps were regularly checked, and all weapons, except two were found to be intact during inspection in the past two months.
The ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur, which first irrupted on May 3, had claimed at least 131 lives and displaced around 60,000 people.
While the Army has been deployed in the hills, the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) is deployed in the buffer zones bordering the hills and the valley and Manipur police commandos are posted in the valley.