The Konyak Union has issued a renewed and unequivocal warning to the proscribed group United Liberation Front of Asom – Independent (ULFA-I), demanding an immediate halt to all activities within Konyak jurisdiction.
Reiterating its earlier appeal issued on April 27, 2021, the Union stated, “The Konyak Union reiterates its firm stance and issues a renewed and stern warning to the proscribed group ULFA (I) to immediately cease all forms of activity within Konyak jurisdiction.” The warning comes amid credible reports indicating that ULFA (I) operatives continue to be active in Mon district.
“Despite the public appeal and strong cautionary note… regarding the group’s involvement in abduction and extortion activities in Assam, using Mon district as safe haven or strategic hideout,” the Union noted, …“ULFA (I) operatives continue to remain active in the area.” Describing this as a “blatant disregard” for its earlier warning, the Union declared that it “will no longer remain a mute spectator.”
The statement further cautioned “all factions and individuals engaged in anti-social or disruptive activities to desist immediately,” adding that “the Konyak Union shall not be held accountable for any consequences that may arise from decisive action taken against such perpetrators.”
In addition to addressing ULFA (I) and other disruptive elements, the Konyak Union also issued a strong appeal to Indian Security Forces operating in the region. “The Konyak Union urges the Indian Security Forces to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from harassing innocent public and daily wage earners under the mere suspicion of being associated with underground activities without credible evidence,” it said, expressing concern that such actions may be “driven by ulterior motives of appeasing superiors or seeking promotions and rewards.”
Raising serious humanitarian concerns, the Union highlighted that many innocent civilians, when falsely implicated, are forced to sell their “ancestral lands, homes, cultivated fields, and other vital properties just to secure their release” through bail and legal proceedings. It appealed to the security forces and concerned authorities to avoid booking citizens under “harsh legal provisions without thorough and proper verification.”
In a strong reminder of past tragedies, the Konyak Union recalled the Oting massacre of 2021, calling it “the genocide… resulting from the negligence of security forces,” and warned that the memory remains “fresh in the collective memory of the Konyak people.”