Imphal, March 07: Categorically stating that an internal inquiry conducted by the UNLF has found the rape allegations levelled against it as false, the outfit in a statement today put forward four points for consideration.

To get to the bottom of the matter and find out the truth, the outfit said that the matter may be probed by a united body of the different civil society organisations, to interrogate the supposedly "rape victims" as well as the cadres of the MPA/KCP who are accused of committing the rape or to produce both the parties before the media so that a trial may be conducted and to take the help of medical science to confirm the allegations of rape.

If any MPA cadre is found guilty during the course of the investigation then fitting action, like the death penalty which was awarded to a guilty cadre at Sajik some time back, would be given, said UNLF.

On the other hand if the MPA cadres are found innocent then the NGOs which had spread the report of the rape should agree that the story was cooked up with the malafide intention of tarnishing the image of the UNLF, said the statement and asked the civil society and NGOs to spell out how they can help in this matter.

Making known its principles and ideologies, the statement said that UNLF is an organisation which has always accorded the highest regard to women folk and it is along this principle that a cadre of the MPA was awarded the death penalty at Sajik some time back for outraging the modesty of a woman.

Taking note of the story published in the newspapers about the alleged rape of a large number of women at Parbung by UNLF cadres (as alleged by some NGOs) on January 16, the outfit said that the story came like a bolt from the blue.

However the outfit acknowledged the NGOs for coming out in the open to defend the honour of women.

As soon as the story hit the newspapers, UNLF started an internal inquiry, said the statement and added that since the inquiry entailed summoning the MPA cadres from the battlefield and recording their statements it took some time to come out with the statement.

Stating that the inquiry has been finalised, UNLF said that it has become clear that some NGOs are out to tarnish the image of the outfit without verifying the facts of the story.

Giving a detailed report on the inquiry report, the outfit said that the late 2nd Lt Meiranba and a platoon of the MPA along with 12 cadres of the KCP have been staying at Parbung for long.

On January 6 while Meiranba along with another cadre were returning after making a call from a PCO were way laid by 12 HPC (D) cadres.

There was no instant confrontation as some of them knew each other.

However in a sudden turn around, the HPC (D) cadres, forgetting the long years of friendship and ties with the UNLF, turned their guns towards the MPA cadres and tried to open fire.

In self defence the MPA cadres retaliated killing two HPC (D) cadres.

The MPA cadres also recovered two weapons.

Even after this incident, the MPA and KCP cadres continued to stay at Parbung because of the cordial ties with the local people.

UNLF is against all sort of fratricidal killings and as such wanted to renew the old ties of friendship with the HPC (D).

With this in mind, the village authority of Lunthunlien (a stronghold of the HPC D) were asked to come to Parbung on January 16 to talk things over.

However the villagers did not turn up till 8 pm on the said day and accordingly, Meiranba along with 6 other MPA cadres and 12 KCP cadres went to Lungthunlien in a hired vehicle.

At about midnight the team reached Lungthunlien and the villagers were called out to the village ground to talk things over.

The proceedings of the talk is recorded, added the outfit.

Far from molesting or raping the girls, the MPA and KCP cadres did not even touch them, asserted the outfit.

However some Army informers were beaten up, said the statement.

They were beaten not because they are Hmar people but because they hobnobbed with the enemy, reasoned the outfit.

The MPA then returned to Parbung before day break.

On the charges levelled against the outfit, UNLF said that their cadres were accused of assaulting and beating up the people of Lungthunlien for the whole day and sexually molested 10 girls after picking them out.

This piece of information was not received from the spot but came from the Sinlung Indigenous People's Human Rights Organisation led by one David Buhril which is based either at Shillong or Delhi, said the statement.

The internal inquiry of the UNLF has found out that the MPA and KCP men did not stay the whole day at Lungthunlien but returned before daybreak after spending 3/4 hours there.

The question at the moment is who is David Buhril, said the outfit and further questioned whether he really exists.

The outfit also asked with whom Buhril is tied up with.

It is highly suspicious that either David Buhril is a tool of an Indian agency or an Indian agent working under a pseudonym.

Moreover it is also not reasonable to say that just because some villagers were thrashed by the UNLF about 500 have fled to Mizoram to take refuge there, said the outfit.

UNLF said that it has received information that in order to cook up the rape and torture story, the HPC (D) cadres forced the villagers to flee to Mizoram and added that the shadow of an Indian intelligence behind the whole facade looms large.

The rape and torture story was cooked up so that the ties and bond that the MPA cadres had developed with the local people is broken, said the statement.

Moreover it was also an attempt to internationally tarnish the image of the UNLF.

Another loophole in the charge levelled against the UNLF is the conflicting reports submitted by NGOs.

While some say seven women have been raped another puts the number at 25 while yet another puts the total at 21.This is proof that the NGOs have not taken the trouble to verify the accusations, said UNLF.

In other words, some of these NGOs are using the Hmar people as their political tool, said UNLF.

Such tactics amount to raping the Hmar community repeatedly, said the outfit and questioned whether the Hmar community can allow themselves to be used by some elements.

This is a question of conscience.

On the other hand though there have been accusations galore against the MPA cadres, none have spoken of the need to verify the charges.

A conspiracy theory cannot be written off, said the outfit and added that none of the news of the rape have come from Churachandpur.

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