Head Office: Naisingpara Relief Camp, P.O. Gachirampara, Tripura (N)-799271

2 December 2009

PRESS RELEASE

MBDPF condemns use of violence

Agartala: The Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF), the representative body of the Brus displaced from Mizoram, has taken note of the statement of the Mizoram NGOs’ Coordination Committee that the “Brus will not be repatriated until and unless they shun violence and militant activities against the Mizos”.

“We condemn without any reservation all forms of violence whether committed by a Bru or a Mizo or a member of any other community” – stated Mr Elvis Chorkhy, President of MBDPF.

The MBDPF reiterates that it has never engaged in violence and consistently condemned the use of violence in any form by any individual or organisation. The MBDPF therefore immediately condemned the killing of a Mizo youth, Zarzokima on November 13th and urged the government to investigate and punish the culprits. The MBDPF further stated that its President Elvis Chorky himself was held hostage for 22 days in June 2007 by the armed groups.

The MBDPF appealed to the Mizoram NGOs’ Coordination Committee which includes the Young Mizo Association (YMA) and Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and other civil society organizations to unequivocally condemn the use of violence by any group or community. We fervently appeal to these civil society organizations to condemn violence against the Brus that was unleashed following the murder of Zarzokima. At least 465 houses belonging to the Brus were burnt down in 11 villages. It caused destruction of properties, displacement of thousands of Brus and exodus of over 2000 Brus to Tripura.

The MBDPF states that “criminals are criminals and they have no religion or ethnicity”. The criminals whether belonging to Bru or Mizo community must be singled out and be prosecuted in accordance with the law of the land.

However, no community whether Bru, Mizo or any other group should be held responsible for criminal acts of individuals who must be punished in accordance with the law. [Ends]

For further information please contact Mr Elvis Chorkhy at 0-8802205204.

Source: Musings of a Chakma blog and Chanchinthar.com

Reacting to allegations by Delhi-based Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACRH) that the Mizoram government was behind the recent communal outburst triggered by the murder of a Mizo youth, he said ACRH officials are most welcome to come to Mizoram and see the facts by themselves.

“They should come and see the relief works being undertaken by the government, the church and the NGOs in the communal violence hit areas,” he said.

Picture/Photo of Mizoram map showing Brus or Reang concentrated areas

Related News: Sinlung.com (kindly keep the image credits intact like we do).

“The ethnic violence erupted after the militants shot dead an 18-year-old Mizo youth at Bungthuam village, near the Tripura border, in southern Mizoram on Friday,” the official told reporters. The youth was shot dead when he and his friends were collecting pig fodder in a forest area. The two gunmen fled the spot soon after the incident. A little known militant outfit- Bru National Army (BNA) – claimed responsibility for the gunning down of the youth. Condemning the killing, several political parties and the influential Young Mizo Association (YMA) in separate statements have demanded that those behind the killing be arrested and punished.

Warning the troublemakers, Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana said those who disrupt peace would be firmly dealt with and brought to book. District authorities in southern Assam and northern Tripura held meetings with local leaders and Reang tribals to maintain peace in the mixed populated areas. “Both civil and police administrations in northern Tripura are on alert to prevent any eventuality following the ethnic violence and exodus of Reang tribals from Mizoram,” said north Tripura district magistrate Samarjit Bhowmik.

“Senior civil and police officials since Saturday have been camping in the villages adjacent to Mizoram,” Bhowmik told IANS by phone.

Over 35,000 Reang (locally called Bru) tribal refugees have been living in six north Tripura camps since 1997 after they fled Mizoram following ethnic clashes with the majority Mizos. The tripartite meeting held in Aizawl on November 4 between representatives of the Central Government and Mizoram Government and tribal refugees failed to resolve the 12-year deadlock to repatriate 35,000 Reang migrants from Tripura to Mizoram. “Both the Centre and the Mizoram Government rejected our major demands. We will not return to our homes unless our vital demands are fulfilled,” said Elvis Chorkhy, who led the seven-member refugee delegation at the meeting. “We will boycott the repatriation process as both the Mizoram Government and the Centre are not sincere about conceding our long pending demands.”

(Photo Map of Mizoram/Tripura Brus (Reang) - The green spots show the Refugee camps inside Tripura near Mizoram border, the Red Spots show the violent affected areas inside Mizoram in the two districts of Mamit and Kolasib. The Map is not to be scaled).

Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF), a body of the Reang tribal refugees, has sent fax messages to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Mizoram Chief Minister Lalthanhawla, urging them to stop the ethnic violence in Mizoram. “The tribal refugees on Sunday organized protest rallies in their six camps in north Tripura to protest the mob attacks and burning down of houses belonging to Reang tribals in Mizoram,” said Chorkhy, who is the president of MBDPF. (IANS)