The Tangkhul CSOs condemned the Oting incident as nothing short of massacre amounting to an act of heinous war crime and demands immediate suspension of the Commanding Officer of the unit
TFM Ukhrul Correspondent
Tangkhul Naga civil society organisations condemned the indiscriminate killing of 15 unarmed civilians at Oting Village, Mon District, Nagaland by the “occupying Indian armed forces”. Terming the incident as nothing short of massacre amounting to an act of heinous war crime, the Tangkhul CSOs demanded immediate suspension of the Commanding Officer of the unit.
The incident was “nothing but an act of heinous war crime in a deliberate abrogation of the ongoing Indo-Naga ceasefire ground rules as in wanton violation of human rights and international humanitarian law,” stated a joint release by Tangkhul Shanao Long (TSL), Tangkhul Naga Wungnao Long (TNWL), Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long (TMNL), and Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL).
The Tangkhul CSOs observed that such incident only reflects the deeper pattern of routine military repression aimed at “terrorising” innocent Naga civilian populace under the existing regime of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and reminded that “a professional military follow international standards for conducting and is responsible for protecting — not harming — the people it serves.”
The Tangkhul CSOs urged that all those armed personnel responsible for such serious human rights violation must be held accountable and demanded immediate suspension of the Commanding Officer of the unit in prosecution thereof; withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 and denotification of the “disturbed area” declaration of the whole state of Nagaland, restoration of sanctity of the Indo-Naga ceasefire ground rules; and timely and honourable conclusion of the ongoing Indo-Naga peace dialogue.
Meanwhile, the Tangkhul CSOs resolved to stand in unflinching solidarity with the families of the innocent victims and demanded that befitting justice be delivered at the earliest as in accordance with the international humanitarian law.
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