8 Kuki militants surrender to Assam Rifles in Assam

Guwahati, Aug 19 (IANS) Eight militants of the Kuki Tribal Union (KTU) surrendered before Assam Rifles officials at the force's base camp at Sarkari Bagan at Haflong in Assam's Dima Hasao district on Friday, officials said.

Officials said that Assam Rifles troopers motivated the KTU militants, involved in violent activities and forcible collections from people in different northeastern states, to come to the mainstream.

Sources said that the eight surrendered cadres were break-away members of militant group Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) and joined the KTU last year.

"The group operates mainly in Kuki-dominated area of Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam's Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong districts. The tribal militants off-late started collecting 'taxes' (subscriptions) in Kuki tribal inhabited areas of Jiribam and Tamenglong," an intelligence official said.

The militants were closely associated with the NSCN-IM and are receiving training from the Naga militant group.

According to the officials of the Manipur Home Department, over 20 Kuki militant groups operating in Manipur under two conglomerate groups -- United People's Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) -- had signed a tripartite Suspension of Operation agreement with the Manipur and Central governments in 2008. Around 2,000 cadres of various militant outfits including Kuki outfits are living in the 14 designated camps in different parts of Manipur.