Government to send officials to centre for discussion

Imphal, Oct 9 (UNI) Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh said Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh could lead a team to New Delhi to discuss about the Suspension Of Operations (SOO) with militants.

Mr Singh yesterday said the government wanted to resolve insurgency related problems and restore peace in the state.

He said the government had decided to send a team headed by the Chief Secretary to discuss SOO with the militants.

The Chief Minister also mentioned earlier the army had signed truce with more than a dozen militants groups in which the state government was not involved. The state government had asked the Union Home Ministry to involve it to ensure that the militants, who had inked truce with the government, do not resort to extortion or killing.

A senior police officer would lead the negotiations with about 17 militant groups, mostly Kuki outfits, which have agreed to talk.

Major outfits like Revolutionary People's Front, United National Liberation Front, People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) have, however, refused to talk with the government.

The UNLF had mooted the idea of laying down arms if all the troops were withdrawn from the insurgency dominated state and a plebiscite be done under UN supervision, which was rejected by the government.

UNI