Unions resent false arrests

LONGDING, Sep 16: The Wancho Students’ Union and the Longding District Students’ Union have expressed strong resentment at what they described as “the blunder mistake” of the security forces by apprehending innocent cardamom traders of Longding district on 15 September.
Kohima-based Defence PRO Col C Konwer had informed late on Saturday night that security forces apprehended “five over-ground workers (OGW) of the NSCN (K) during an operation on 15 September.”
They were identified as Palai Wangsa, Bankpoh Lukham, Langphua Lukham, Akbar Sheikh and Imtijaj Rehman.
“The five persons who were falsely accused as over-ground workers of the NSCN (K) during an operation were actually cardamom traders and are now released after proper documentation,” the unions stated in a press release on Sunday.
Expressing concern over the false accusation, WSU president Pongngoi Joham said, “Such acts would instead hinder the economic activities of our area in near future. False accusation and tagging innocent people as terrorists or OGWs is not the right way to demonstrate the bravery.”
The unions demanded an assurance from the security forces that innocent people of the district would not be falsely harassed henceforth.