Lamka, Jun 19: The rape allegation of Hmar women at Tipaimukh sub-division appears to be taking another twist as Human Rights Alert and Hmar Women Association, both a party in investigating the incident continuing to refute each others' claims.

Hmar Women Association, Hmarram Region today termed the June 3 news report on Human Rights Alert statement as another vain attempt to travialise the serious crime committed on the Hmar people of Tipaimukh area.

'Challenging and contesting our peoples suffering is a big disgrace when we are confronting the biggest exploitation, discrimination and denial by the State Government as well as the perpetrators with which HRA is colluding with.

It is a shame on the part of HRA to do what it has been doing.

It is only burying its credibility at the altar of lies and cowardice' said the statement.

Alleging that Hmars and the larger society do not need a dubious organization flying around the world in the guise of representing the victimized and marginalized and protecting 'Human Rights,' HWA demanded a clarification from HRA and its Executive Director, Babloo Loitongbam of its position on the issue.

'If he is standing on behalf of the perpetrators of the crime, so be it.

And if he claims to be standing on behalf of the innocent victims, we request him to back off immediately' added the statement signed by Hluni, Secretary HWA apparently addressed to the HRA Executive Director.

The statement further accused HRA of distorting the truth by digressing from its earlier stand only to doubt its own verdict and save its image.

After telling the media that 'rape did occur in Tipaimukh' at a press conference in March 13 2006, 'why does HRA have to contest the truth again?' questioned the statement.

Once again turning down the HRA call for cross examination of the rape victims, it wondered why HRA leave room for such claim when it could have done all that it felt needed and required when the Executive Director visited the rape victims.

'There is no need for such actors to try to represent or intervene in our hardest times' declared the statement.

'There is no real truth or half truth with regards the present issue.

The truth is our sisters and women were not only molested and raped, our peoples are displaced, tortured, maimed and killed by landmines by the same perpetrators, the UNLF and KCP' states the Hmar Women Assn's statement even as it clarified that mentioning UNLF and KCP as perpetrators doesn't mean they were accusing the organization as a whole but only some unwanted elements within the organization that perpetrate it.

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