Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 24 2009:
Business activities in the border town Moreh was crippled Friday owing to the suspension of the services of the passenger services of all forms in protest against the torching of a Tata Sumo by suspected PULF militants on April 19 last allegedly for not paying monetary demand served by them.
Associations of all the passengers service vehicles along this route have decided to suspend the service for today decrying the act of the militant group.
Owing to this all kinds of passenger bus services stop plying for the day.
A report received from Moreh town said that due to the non-arrival of the passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, the marketing places in the town as well as at Naphalong on the Myanmar side wore deserted affecting to the border trade.
Mention may be made that a passenger service Tata Sumo was hijacked by the suspected PULF militants from the highway at Thamnapokpi and burnt it down at Uthumpokpi only one kilometer away from the Pallel police outpost on the highway.
The militants also looted money and other belongings of the passengers and driver of the vehicle before leaving the place after burning down the vehicles.
The vehicle has been torched allegedly not meeting Rs five lakhs demanded by the militants group from the Indo-Myanmar Tata Sumo Service Welfare Association.
A joint meeting of the bodies of the bus and taxi services along Imphal-Moreh route has also been called this evening to chalk out further course of agitations on the frequent disturbances to them by the armed militants operating along this route, reports said.