IMPHAL, January 23: The residents of Yangoupokpi, a tiny Meitei hamlet on the Myanmar border in the Chandel district under the Tengnoupal police station, have abandoned the village after suspected Naga militants served a warning on the villagers to leave on the threat of the dire consequences. This was disclosed by five of the villagers who have since fled to Imphal, during a press conference held at the branch office of the All Manipur Social Reformation and Development Samaj at Singjamei Kshetri Leikai. According to the villagers, a large group of well-armed UGs, thought to belong to one of...

IMPHAL, January 23: The All Manipur Students' Union, AMSU has strongly objected to the proposal of the extension of ceasefire with the NSCN(IM) to other Naga inhabited areas of the Northeastern region. A memorandum to this effect was sent today to the Prime Minister, the Union Home minister and Chief minister of Manipur by Premananda Yumnam, general secretary. The question of ceasefire jurisdiction has been a bone of contention. Because the NSC (IM) is planning to create a separate state of Nagas comprising large areas of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Earlier these governments had...

IMPHAL, January 23: Movie hall owners and employees are planning to challenge in court chief minister W. Nipamacha Singh's "threat" that his government would not allow cinema halls to screen Manipuri and English films if Hindi films are not screened there. Sources said the chief minister's remark has also irked local cable TV operators. The outlawed People's Liberation Army (PLA) banned all forms of entertainment, including films, music and satellite channels, in the Hindi language in Manipur from September last year. However, the outfit spared teaching of Hindi in educational institutions...

GUWAHATI, January 23: The unlawful activities (prevention) tribunal has asked the United Liberation Front of Asom and the National Democratic Front of Boroland to explain why they should not be declared "unlawful associations" by the Centre. In two separate notifications issued yesterday, the tribunal asked both the rebel groups to show cause as to why the Centre's declaration should not be confirmed by the tribunal. The Centre had referred the notifications to two separate tribunals of Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice Manmohan Sarin of Delhi High Court for adjudicating whether or not there...

GUWAHATI, January 24: Police said on Wednesday they had killed two separatist guerrillas including a key leader in the Northeastern city, Guwahati. Senior police official G.P. Singh told reporters that S.S. Lemba, "defence secretary" of the PREPAK group, and one of his lieutenants were killed in an encounter with police late on Tuesday night. The left-wing People's Revolutionary Army of Kangleipak (PREPAK) is fighting for independence of Manipur. It is one of the several ethnic groups in the mountainous region fighting for political autonomy or independence. Police said three guerrillas...