Imphal, March 31: Hmar Students Association (HSA), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) and Zomi Students' Federation (ZSF) while taking serious note on the issues of rapes, tortures, and other inhuman activities allegedly perpetrated by non-tribal UGs, once again questioned Threatened Indigenous Peoples Society (TIPS) on setting up a fact finding committee.

In a joint press statement the four students body said "If TIPS were really interested they should have gone to those affected areas long ago, we will never allow to contest the truth".

While appreciating the desperate attempt of TIPS to look into the rape case of 21 Hmar women in Tipaimukh the bodies make it straight and clear again saying that there is no confusion over the already established truth.

The statement asserted further that it would have been better if TIPS visited the areas to study the fact of serious issues of landmines, Tortures, refugees and not only rape case.

A fact finding team comprising of Hmar student Association (HSA), Rongmei Lu Phuam (RLP), Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), Human Right Alert (HRA) and Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) conducted a six day study at the affected areas of Churchandpur and Mizoram from March 5, it added.

The 'Fact finding Team'in their press briefing on March 23, this month at Imphal had spoken out the truth, besides these bodies, the Sinlung Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Organisation (SIPHRO), Hmar Inpui, Hmar Women Organisation (HWA), Churchandpur District Students Union (CDSU), various Church organisations, civil society representatives from Manipur and Mizoram and media have already gone to witness the same, stated the joint statement.

According to the four bodies, "TIPS main intention was seen more on the negating part as was seen in its press statement, urging TIPS to play an impartial role," the report of the rape had been filed after a gap of two months, there is still rooms for doubt and discrepancies on the actual number of rape victims".

The statement jointly signed by HSA, MZP, KSO and ZSF said that it is unfortunate on the part of TIPS to doubt the truth on the mass rape and also to the point of adding unnecessary communal colour, which is needless and uncalled for.

On the question of late report of the rape incident, the bodies stated that the affected areas has no law, order and governance which is further deteriorated by the reign of terror unleashed by non-tribal UGs.

Apart from the absence of media coverage, there were no police stations, no transport system, no government machineries making it more deprived and marginalised, it said.

Regarding the number of rape victims the HSA, MZPM, KSO, Churachandpur and ZSF indicate the number at 21 so far.

"The number is still expected to increase.

However, some of the victims are married with children and family", it stated.

The student bodies asked the concern organisations why thousands of Hmar villagers fled to Mizoram instead of CCpur, and why all the fact finding teams and even Lok Sabha MP Mani Charenamai had to go through Aizawl to reach the "fear ridden villages of Manipur".

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