Indian northeast rebels torture Chin villagers

Indian northeast rebels torture Chin villagers
Chin villagers in northern Chin state, Burma are being terrorized and tortured by insurgent groups from Manipur state in northeast India operating on Burmese soil, it is learnt...

Chin villagers in northern Chin state, Burma are being terrorized and tortured by insurgent groups from Manipur state in northeast India operating on Burmese soil, it is learnt.

In the first week of October cadres of the Manipur rebel group entered Maulpi village in Tonzang Township, Chin state and asked the village council's chairman and school principal to provide them with chicken and pork, according to Min Thang from Zomi Human Rights Network.

The chairman and the school principal refused to offer livestock to the rebels from northeast India. The irate Manipuri cadres assaulted the duo.

"The rebels beat them up (chairman and principal) because they refused to hand over chicken and pork," said Min Thang from ZHRN.

Manipuri armed groups have been using Chin territories as a safe haven and move around freely with the blessings of the Burmese military junta authorities, villagers from Maulpi said.

A villager from Dizang village in Tonzang Township was also assaulted by Manipuri rebels in September.

"We are concerned about the deteriorating situation in the Manipuri rebel inhabited villages in Tongzang," added Min Thang.

In June, Manipuri armed groups financed Kyat 300,000 per household to villagers in Phaisat village in Tonzang and then the rebels forcibly asked the villagers to evacuate.

"Now, the village (Phaisat) is nearly deserted," Min Thang added.

There were around 40 households comprising 100 people in Phaisat village.

According to villagers, the northeast Indian rebels have cultivated around 400 acres of poppy in the forest of Cikha town and Tonzang Township.