Protests erupted in Manipur’s border town of Moreh on Wednesday after two Indians were killed in Myanmar a day earlier, The Telegraph reported.
The two Indians, M Iyernar and P Mohan, had gone to the Tamu town in Myanmar on Tuesday to attend a birthday party, the newspaper quoted unidentified sources as saying. They were allegedly shot dead by members of the Pyu Shaw Htee, a group supported by Myanmar’s military junta.
Major General Zaw Min Tun, a spokesperson for Myanmar’s military, claimed that the two Indians were killed by terrorists, The Irrawaddy reported. The spokesperson also told the country’s military-controlled media outlet MRTV news that the bodies were sent to a hospital, and then buried as no one claimed them.
On Wednesday morning, residents of Moreh held a protest in front of the local police station, and then took out a rally. The demonstrators demanded that the bodies of Iyernar and Mohan be returned.
A resident of the town said that the Hill Tribal Council, an apex body of local civil society organisations, gave a memorandum to Chief Minister N Biren Singh asking him to take steps to ensure the return of the bodies on humanitarian grounds, according to The Telegraph.
The council said that the victims were the sole breadwinners of their families, and demanded that the state government should pay compensation to the families.
An unidentified police official told the newspaper that Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which bans the assembly of four or more persons, has been imposed in Moreh, but the situation is peaceful.
“No communication could be established with the Myanmar side,” the official said. “The state government has been informed of the development.”
Authorities have deployed additional forces in Moreh in order to maintain law and order.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!