Mob sets houses afire, forces open fire as Manipur remains on edge

The miscreants started arson at the main market of Moreh, bordering Myanmar, around 8 am, an official said

A group of armed miscreants ransacked 15-16 abandoned houses and set them on fire in Moreh town of ethnic strife-torn Manipur on Wednesday, following which a gun battle broke out between the armed mobs and security forces, officials familiar with the matter said.

At least 150 people have been killed and nearly 50,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3 (AFP)

The miscreants started arson at the main market of Moreh, bordering Myanmar, around 8 am, an official said. Most houses and shops in the town area have been abandoned since May 3 and May 4 — the first two days of the violence, the official added, requesting anonymity.

“The personnel of Manipur police, Border Security Force and Assam Rifles were conducting area domination exercise in the morning,” the official said. “A group of armed miscreants were ransacking and setting the abandoned houses on fire, following which the forces rushed there to intervene.”

Even as the forces managed to stop the first group from burning the houses, more such groups — around 500-600 miscreants — came from different directions and refused to leave the area, officials said.

“The forces responded in a calibrated manner. Shots were fired in the air to ensure that the armed miscreants did not continue to arson or rob the abandoned shops and houses here. No person from the three [security] forces is injured,” the official cited above said, adding that the miscreants dispersed at around 1 pm.

Till late on Wednesday evening, there was heavy security in the area to ensure miscreants did not return.

Late on Wednesday night, the Manipur Police in a tweet said the armed miscreants also torched the forest guest house at Moreh.

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The incident came hours after two buses used by security forces to transport security personnel were set on fire by a mob in Kangpokpi district around 6.30pm on Tuesday. One of the buses was driven by Md Tomba and the other by Md Rashid. Their buses were utilised by central security personnel deployed in Kangpokpi area, people familiar with the matter said.

The incident occurred when a group of people stopped the buses coming from Dimapur at Saparmeina on Tuesday evening and insisted they would check if any member of the other community were on board. Taking advantage of the situation, some miscreants set the buses on fire, a police officer said.

Manipur Police on Wednesday night said that nine people, including a minor, have been arrested for their involvement in burning the two buses and attacking police personnel at Sapermeina in Kangpokpi.

Police also said that three civilians sustained injuries in a firing by armed miscreants in Heikol, Phougakchao Ikhai area on Tuesday. Security forces had “retaliated and repelled the armed miscreants”, police added.

At least 150 people have been killed and nearly 50,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state between numerically dominant Meitei community — which forms 53% of the state population and mostly inhabit Imphal Valley — and tribal Kukis, who live primarily in the hill districts.

Violent clashes broke out after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meanwhile, Manipur Police in a statement said that efforts were on to nab more accused in the May 4 incident of three women being stripped, one of them sexually assaulted and their two male members murdered. A video of the incident surfaced last week, sparking nationwide outrage.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said construction of temporary houses at Sajiwa in Imphal and Yaithibi Loukol in Thoubal district is nearing completion.

“Very soon, families from relief camps will be able to move into these homes. The state government is taking up all possible measures to rehabilitate the people affected by the recent violence, both in the hills and the valley,” Singh tweeted.

The chief minister had last month said his government would build 3,000-4,000 pre-fabricated houses to accommodate people who had to flee their houses because of ethnic strife in the state.