HMAR MASSACRE
Press Realease:
Hmar Students Association
10th April, 2003
Imphal
The Hmar Students Association vehemently blame the Dimasa militant, Dima Halem Daoga (DHD) and the Government of India and Assam who are presently engaged in ceasefire and peace talk between them for the violence perpetuated to the Hmars of North Cachar Hills and Cachar districts of Assam. Though minor incidents had occurred to the Hmar people since the late 1980 onwards and, the Hmars being a small minority have suffered in silence. Recently, the Dimasas, without considering the feelings of other minority tribes of NC Hills demand and resolved to change the name of North Cachar Hills district to ‘Dima Halali’. All other tribes of North Cachar Hills including the Zeme-Naga, Kuki, Biete, Hrangkhols, etc. opposed this and submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Assam during the beginning of the year. Since then the Dimasa militants have been burning villages and killing innocent villagers of all tribes living in the demand area so that they are left alone in the district and do what they please.
The Hmar have born the blunt of the Dimasa militant atrocities. As of today 56 men, women and children had already been killed. Many are still missing and could not be traced. Even babies and children are not spared. The women were rape before killing and in case of two women of Jurkhal village, their private part were disfigured and left at another village, to create more misunderstanding. Most of the death body found bore marks of torture; they are lynched or hang upside down and beaten to death. The Dimasa militant has also burnt 18 Hmar villages in Cachar and 16 villages in North Cachar Hills and left more than 5000 Hmar as refugees. Before burning village the militant desecrated places of worship, they cooked and eat the foods brought as offering to God inside the places of worship. They also made the people bow down before them and told them that they were greater than the Hmar God as He cannot protect them even inside the places of worship.
The Government of Assam is turning a blind eye to the Hmar people pleas and holds the Hmar of Manipur and Mizoram responsible for the violence. The government blames the Hmar for its own failure of talks with the militant and refused to protect the Hmar village, resulting in continued burning of village even yesterday and the day before. On the other hand the government not only give protection but also supply food and medicine to Dimasa villages. The government discriminate its citizen openly by paying compensation to Dimasa victims while refusing to acknowledge the Hmar victims. The biasness of the government will not bring any positive outcome result.
The following is the sequence of events compiled by the Hmar Student Association, which true and correct to our knowledge.
February 24. 2003 – NSCN(IM) kidnapped three DHD activist. It was wrongly reported that the Hmars are the one who did this. The Hmar denies any involvement, which is true and now clear now for everyone to see.
March 2, 2003 – Hnachangzawl village in NC Hills is invaded and burnt down. Lalringum Zate, Khuma Changsan, Lalruotfel Ngente, Asem Hrangkhol are killed.
March 3, 2003 – 4 young men kidnapped at Harangazau village. They still could not be trace out even today.
March 5, 2003 – Harangazao and its adjoining Hmar villages are attacked, their houses burnt and the people threatened to leave their villages. All the villagers left their own villages and moved to Hmarkhawlien in Cachar and Vairengte in Mizoram.
March 5, 2003 – Buolmuol and Muolthazawl village in NC Hills was attacked by armed Dimasa militants forcing more than 1000 Hmars to flee their homes to Hmarkhawlien in Cachar and Vairengte in Mizoram. Some of them proceeded to Shillong in Meghalaya and Manipur.
March 16, 2003 – Boro Muolkawi village in NCHills was attacked by armed Dimasa militants. They entered a Church, filled by people on Sunday service. They, cooked the rice-offering inside the Church telling them that, “They are mightier than their God and that they should bow down before them and worship. 9 male church goers are taken away at gun-point, and set free after 5 days after severe inhuman tortured.
March 24, 2003 – Tuitha village, Cachar. All villagers rounded up and tortured. All children and women fled their homes.
March 25, 2003 – Muoldam villages in NC Hills was attacked and burnt. All male members of the village were rounded up and tortured and threatened either to flee their village or faced dire consequence.
March 26, 2003 – Baroidisa village was attacked. The villagers were tortured, threatened and their houses burnt down.
March 28, 2003 – Tlangmawi village in Cachar was attacked. Three persons – Lalrokhum, Tlangthangluoi and Muonga are taken away and release after severely torturing them.
April 2, 2003 – Dekarchan village attacked by armed militants.
April 3, 2003 – Gwahati – Halflong night bus was looted. Thangkai of Sumpizang was killed on the spot.
April 4, 2003 : Six Kuki and Hmar villagers were dragged down from a train coming from Lumding between Hatikhali and Mopa hills stations and their whereabouts are still unknown.
April 5, 2003 – Jurkhal village in NC Hills was attacked. 5 members of a family bore the most inhuman treatment. A father and his two sons were hanged upside-down till they died. Two young women were kidnapped, raped tortured and killed. Wooden object is inserted on their ‘private parts’. Their lifeless body was left alone at Langting village.
April 6, 2003 – The house of V.L. Ringa, a Pastor near Muolhoi was burnt down.
April 9, 2003 – Mahur-Saron, Retzawl, Umrangsuo, Boro Mulokawi villages are attacked. More than 100 houses reduced to ashes. One young men was burnt and died in hospital. Another body was reported to be lying near the village.
April 9, 2003 – Umrangsuo village in NC Hills was attacked and burnt down. One young baby-boy burnt to death
Total villages burnt down so far:
NC Hills – 18
Cachar – 16
Death or Missing – 56
Total refugees in Shillong, Hmarkhawlien, Vairengte and Manipur – 5000 +
Joseph R. Hmar
President
Hmar Students’ Association
Imphal Joint Headquarters, Manipur