(Top): Congress leaders at the 93rd birth anniversary of ex-CM Moirang Koireng and (bottom) a section of the public.
IMPHAL, Dec 19: The fourth round of tripartite talks between representatives of State Government, Central security forces and Kuki militant groups under Suspension of Operation (SoO) pact was held today at 1st Bn MR complex here.
The meeting of the Joint Monitoring Group with UPF and KNO/KNA was held separately but at the same venue.
The meeting chaired by Principal Secretary (Home) DS Poonia was also attended by State Police IG (Intelligence), officials of Assam Rifles, CRPF and BSF. The UPF was represented by 12 functionaries.
Five leaders of KNO/KNA participated in the other meeting.
Although it is said that the SoO pact is tripartite and that the peace talk is between State and Central Governments and the Kuki militant groups, no official of the Union Ministry attended today’s twin meeting.
According to sources, Director (North East) RR Jha of the Union Home Ministry was supposed to join the peace talk but failed to turn up.
The recent spree of abduction of Government offi- cials by UG groups including those under SoO pact figured prominently in both the meetings.
State Government officials and AR officials issued stringent instructions to leaders of both UPF and KNO/KNA to desist from any activity that goes against the mutually accepted ground rules.
To this, UPF and KNO/KNA leaders clarified their positions.
Nevertheless, it is repor-ted that the twin peace talk went on smoothly without any hitch.
Even as the matter regarding issuance of identity cards to cadres of the two conglomerates of Kuki UG groups was discussed threadbare during the meetings, the matter was post- poned to the next round of talk as both the KNO/KNA and UPF leaders could not furnish exact list and details of their cadres.
The meeting also failed to bring a mutual understanding between the ne- gotiating sides on the location of designated camps.
Yet, it is reported that the twin issue of identity cards and designated camps will be resolved in the next round of meeting.
Although, identity cards of party cadres could not be issued yet, some top leaders of both UPF and KNO/KNA have already been issued identity cards by the Government.
The twin meeting with the SoO signatories came after a meeting of the Unified Command (Command Headquarters) was held yesterday with Chief Minister Okram Ibobi in the chair.
The meeting attended by representatives of Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, Police and Intelligence deliberated on the recent spate of abduction of Government officials by different UG groups for ransom. The meeting also studied possible involvement of UG groups which are under SoO pact in the abduction cases.
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