Former 'underground' leaders allege nexus with CM

Aizawl, Apr 2 (UNI) Two former 'underground' leaders have confessed that they had campaigned for Chief Minister Zoramthanga during the 2003 assembly elections.

Zo Re-unification Organisation(Burma Front) leader Zo Thawn, addressing a press gathering here on March 31, alleged that the chief minister promised them political and military support in their struggle for democracy in Myanmar, but he failed to keep his promise.

''We agreed to campaign for the chief minister against a promise of support in our struggle for democracy in Burma. However, after he came to power, he betrayed us,'' Mr Zo Thawn said.

Five leaders of the Manipur-based Zomi Re-unification Organisation approached the Myanmar-based ZRO leaders in Champhai on November 10, 2003, following an agreement with Mr Zoramthanga in Kolkata, asking for their support in the electoral campaign, he said.

''We were promised 40 guns, apart from political support in return,'' Mr Zo Thawn said, adding that the chief minister gave him Rs 2 lakh as campaign expenditure.

On the night of November 14,2003, ZRO had a closed-door all-party meeting at the ZRO leader's flat where the opposition party leaders were forced to sign a bond that they would vote for Mr Zoramthanga.

Mr Zo Thawn further revealed that apart from them, Manipur-based Zomi Revolutionary Army's 193 and 201 battalions were also engaged in the campaign, which the SIB Champhai Officer-in-Charge was also aware of it but did not file a report.

''The reason we took part in the election campaign was the chief minister's promise of support in our struggle to end military tyranny in Burma. Now, Mr Zoramthanga has failed to keep his promise,'' Zo Thawn stated.

UNI