Politics / Manipur

IMPHAL, April 4 – Formed three years ago with an objective to bring all the Kuki underground outfits operating in this border and volatile state into one common platform, the United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) has once again appealed to all kuki groups to come forward to achieve its common goal. “Our main motto is Kilungkhat Galjo in our local tongue which signifies re-unification among the Kuki outfits under one common agenda” says S S Haokip, Commander in-Chief of the UKLF.

There are around five Kuki underground outfits in Manipur even though the Kuki population is comparatively lesser...

DIMAPUR, April 2 — The Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland has also joined the bandwagon of several of those organizations pleading the early and safe release of the German national from the clutches of its abductors in Manipur. While condemning the abduction of a German social worker, Heinrich Wolfgang, working for financial management service foundation as peace trainer in Manipur by a Kuki armed group the NSCN-IM appealed to the abductors for his safe and unconditional release in the best interest of peace and justice for all at the earliest.

The German...

Dimapur, April 1: Condemning the abduction of German social worker Heinrich Wolfgang by Kuki militants in Manipur, the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) today appealed to the abductors for his safe and unconditional release at the earliest in the interest of peace and justice for all.

The German national, working for the Financial Management Service Foundation as peace trainer, was abducted by militants of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) on March 23 near Maphou dam area in Imphal East district.

Though it was initially believed that the abduction was carried out for ransom...

Imphal, March 29: The Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), abductor of Bonn-based social worker Heinrich Wolfgang, is keeping its doors open for negotiation despite its announcement yesterday that the aid worker would remain in captivity till such time as the integrity of his NGO, Evangelicher Entwicklungs Dienst, was established.

A team of NGOs continued negotiations for Wolfgang’s safe release for the fifth day today at an undisclosed place. No breakthrough could be made during the fourth round of talks yesterday. The team left the state capital early in the morning today to resume negotiations.

A...

IMPHAL, March 29— Underground Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) today confirmed that it had kidnapped the German national Heinrich Wolfgang from Maphou area in Thoubal district of Manipur on March 23 last but denied it was for ransom.

“The life of the foreigner would be at risk if security forces mounted up search operations for Wolfgang who had been abducted to draw the attention of some NGOs who were discriminating against Kukis in the distribution of funds,” a KLA statement said.”

The KLA did not kidnap Wolfgang for ransom. Some NGOs had misinformed the media, that the KLA had abducted Wolfgang...

Imphal, March 28: The Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) today owned up to the abduction of Bonn-based social worker Heinrich Wolfgang and said his fate depended on the outcome of a “weeklong investigation” by its cadre into the motive behind German funding of development projects in Manipur.

A spokesman for the militant outfit said Wolfgang would remain in captivity till such time the integrity of his NGO, Evangelicher Entwicklungs Dienst, was established.

The statement was issued even as a team of representatives of local NGOs and the Church was preparing to resume negotiations with the abductors...

IMPHAL, March 26— Suspected Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) militants have kidnapped a German national from Maphou Dam area in Thoubal district, about 20 km east of here and demanded a huge ransom, official sources said today, reports PTI. The militants abducted Heinrich Wolfgang from Maphou area on March 23 when he was on a visit along with a German woman identified as Edda Kirlies to inspect activities of an NGO, the sources said. The two Germans and the NGO officials were stopped by armed militants when they were approaching Maphou Dam area. Wolfgang was whisked away to an unknown destination...

March 24: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s call for a merger of all Naga-inhabited contiguous areas under a single administrative roof has once again ruffled the feathers of the three neighbouring Congress-ruled states.

Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have reacted sharply to the NDA-friendly Nagaland chief minister’s remarks on “Greater Nagaland”, saying that such a demand was unacceptable to them. They were of the opinion that the statement could only add to the “confusion”.

During his visit to New Delhi last week, Rio had suggested to the Centre that all Naga-inhabited contiguous...

IMPHAL, March 21 — Former speaker of the lok sabha and general secretary of the nationalist Congress Party (ncp) Purno A Sangma has given the green signal to end the internal conflict in the ncp state unit. He also said that a central observers team will be sent to Manipur within this month to sort out the ongoing row between two factions of the party in the wake of it’s “controversial” state unit office bearer election that lead to the locking of the NCP state unit office here since February.

The indication to send party observers was conveyed to N Radhakanta,a leader of the NCP who fought...

Imphal, March 20: Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh’s promise to rehabilitate surrendered militants has failed to the cheer up the majority of the former rebels. Fed up with a “series of unfulfilled promises” many of them are now weighing various options, including returning to life in the jungles.

Ibobi had announced in the just-concluded budget session of the Assembly that surrendered militants would be given priority in the recruitment of the proposed 3rd India Reserve Battalion.

However, the surrendered militants have claimed that such promises are not new. “Three phases of...