Tamu people have demanded authorities to take action against the Meitei armed group for bomb explosions in Tamu, Sagaing Region.
Local people held a peace talk on July 6 at April Mon Hall in Tamu and issued press statement which demanded action against the Meitei armed men based on the Tamu border in Sagaing Region and Ton Zang Township in Chin State.
Sei Gen from Tamu Youth Network said, “Though they are not an armed group fighting with the government like in other States, they are more like the enemy within. In a superficial view, they are not fighting but they are striking from inside so that local people suffer.”
This local peace talk which was organized for the first time in Tamu, Sagaing Region was jointly organized by CSOs in Tamu and was attended by over 50 local people.
Upper House MP Maung Maung Latt from Tamu constituency said, “When I raised a question concerning the Meitei rebel group, the reply made by the Deputy Defence Minister was unsatisfactory as it was evasive, but one significant thing we found was a decline in bomb explosions, shooting and killing in the last two years after raising questions. It seems they were under quite tight control. Previously, explosions, shooting and killing were rampant and committed openly in the town. They shot dead men even in the town limit. The police had to collect these dead bodies from the downtown area of our town and in the main streets.”
Recently a bomb exploded on the premises of a man from Meitei armed group living in Sawbwar 8 Ward in Tamu on June 18.
CCTV footage went viral on social media but the culprit has not yet been arrested so far and also authorities have not yet made any announcement regarding this explosion.
The press statement issued by five Tamu local organizations on the bomb explosion says that seven Meitei armed groups from Manipur, India have settled in Tamu and adjacent villages since 1996.
Apart from Meitei armed groups, other armed groups of Naga and Kuki are also based and operating in the area near Tamu on Indo-Myanmar border.
