Imphal, June 03 2010: The United Naga Council (UNC) and the Naga Youth Front (NYF) have strongly condemned the assault on civilians by commandos and IRB at Ukhrul yesterday.

According to a press release issued by the NYF, when the whole of Ukhrul town and its surrounding villages were calm and peaceful during the 72 hours Bandh called by the Naga people against the imposition of District Council Election, commandos and IRB in allegedly inebriated condition assaulted peaceful bandh enforcing volunteers without any provocation.

Hearing the news of assault, women came out with torches which were responded with indiscriminate firing and tear gas shells in the process of which 5 women and 4 men were critically injured.

The pre-planned attempt to create war like situation by using Naga people as shooting practice target is the sole agenda of this communal government of Manipur.

Chakho and Loshou were martyrs had laid down their lives for 'our better tomorrow', it added.

Another press release issued by the UNC said that the violence prone IRB/commandos accosted Naga civilians on the streets of Ukhrul and started raining blows, kicks and rifles butts on the excuse that curfew had been clamped in Ukhrul town, while there was no such notification from the District Administration.

The IRB/Commandos were heavily drunk and were out for action on innocent civilians, it alleged.

The incident was the designed result of the heavy militarization of Naga areas, which has become the campaign strategy of the State Government to address its insecurity on the issue of the rights of the Nagas to live together under a single administration.

The State Govt with its provocatively outspoken Chief Minister and Ministers, who are engaged in protecting the "territorial integrity" of Manipur in Imphal valley by sending more and more of their brutal and violent IRB/commandos into Naga areas must be held solely responsible for all that is happening, the UNC asserted.