NSCN kidnaps 14 youths from Arunachal's Tirap district

Itanagar, Nov 30 (UNI) At least 14 youths have reportedly been kidnapped from Ninu village under Wakka circle of Arunachal's Tirap district during this month by the NSCN(IM), as part of its ongoing recruitment drive.

The district administration is, however, not sure whether the youths had been kidnapped or they voluntarily joined the outfit.

Tirap district Deputy Commissioner Ankur Garg told UNI today that people from the district, having relatives in Myanmar and Nagaland, often travel to those places and return after several days and so the picture was not yet clear.

However, according to highly placed sources, a local man of Ninu Village, suspected to be an NSCN(IM) cadre, has reportedly recruited 16 youths from the village, besides two from Longsom, three from Bera and one from Konsa in the district, with a target to recruit 50 youths from Khonsa, Longding and Kanubari circles.

Moreover, they are also resorting to extortion and have employed some locals for the purpose, the sources claimed, adding these were violation of the ceasefire ground rules.

There were also reports that the ULFA and Khaplang faction of the NSCN were conducting joint training for 30 newly recruited ULFA cadres in Mahadevpur, Pongchau and Bordumsa circles of Lohit Tirap and Changlang districts to prepare for a possible Army crackdown in Assam and Nagaland.

Tirap, located along the Myanmar border, has long been a safe corridor for the ULFA and other underground elements to cross over to Myanmar.

This had prompted Governor Gen (Retd) J J Singh to visit Khonsa, the headquarters of Tirap district, three days after taking over his office to send a louder message that as a former Army Chief he means business.

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