Aizawl, Aug 21: The North East Students' Organisation (NESO) vice chairman Lalmuanpuia Punte has condemned outright the opening of fire by security forces at a peaceful church meeting on Sunday at Churachandpur where one person was killed and five others seriously injured.

In a press release issued in Aizawl today, Punte said NESO is deeply concerned and finds it hard to understand why security forces had opened fire at a congregation of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Churanchandpur on August 20 while a sacrament service was being conducted.

Reports from Manipur said the chairman of the Evangelical Youth Fellowship chairman and son of the church's pastor, Thawng Khaw Lian was killed in the gunfire while five others sustained critical injuries from security force's fire.

The release said India's true nature and attitude towards the North East is clearly seen by the incident where security forces had not hesitated to open fire on a peaceful church congregation and that this incident occurred because of the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act which allowed the army to act arbitrarily.

The release further pointed out that NESO had been fighting for the removal of this Act because it suppresses secularism of the people of North East India.

The press release pointed out incidents of gurdwaras and churches coming under attack because the Act was enforced in certain places and charged the Central government of practising discrimination of religion.

Demanding that justice be carried out, the release said the persons responsible for Sunday's firing incident should be given appropriate punishment.

"If justice is not carried out, delayed or attempts at it fizzle out, NESO will be forced to understand that the Government of India has no concern about the rights and even lives of the innocent citizens of the North East," the press statement said.

The five persons injured in the security forces' firing have been identified as Niangzaching (22), a young married woman, Songkhanlun (16), Khamkhanlal (16) and Thangmuanlal (22).

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