Amnesty calls for safe release of Paul Leo

IMPHAL, April 20: The Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of the president of United Naga Council (UNC), an apex body of the Naga community in Manipur, Paul Leo who was abducted by suspected Kuki militants on Tuesday. According to an Amnesty International press release which was made available to the press here, taking KS Paul Leo as their hostage by armed Kuki group on his way to Imphal is a violation of International Humanitarian Law. The statement also said that the abduction incident took place only a few days after the massacre of at least seven people belonging to Kuki tribe near Keithelmanbi area in Senapati district on April 12 by a suspected combined group of NSCN(IM) and KRA. Hostage-taking and killing of civilians are violations of International Humanitarian Law by all armed groups operating in the region should be ceased immediately, it stated. It also noted that international violence between Nagas and Kukis residing in the state has claimed hundreds of lives in the recent years.