[Onthebarricades] ARUNACHAL PRADESH: Protesters blockade roads over fake "encounter killing"

[Andy]

Fake encounter: 
More villagers join protest despite Arunachal plea

>From our Reporter
TINSUKIA, May 13: Adamant on their demand that the chief minister and the governor visit them, agitating villagers protesting the Army's staged encounter in Tinsukia district refused to disperse for the seventh consecutive day today, stalling movement on the national highways.
While more villagers poured in at the protest site at Rupai in Doomdooma, the Arunachal Pradesh government, reeling under shortage of essential commodities, urged the villagers to restore communication on the national highway.
In an official communiqué, the deputy commissioner of Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh said the blockade launched by the protesters has hit the supply of essential commodities, including oil, medicine and kerosene, to over 2 lakh people in six districts of the hill state.
"The protesters should allow the stranded passengers and foodstuff to reach Arunachal Pradesh," the DC said, adding that if the blockade continued, it might create 'havoc' in the places.
Civil societies of Arunachal have also expressed concern over the continued blockade of the national highways connecting Asom.
Road communication to the secluded Sadiya sub- 
The public of Sadiya ha d submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, seeking measures to restore communication to the subdivision.
Security personnel yesterday erected barricades outside the tea town of Doomdooma, preventing the protesters from entering the township. 
On Friday, Doomdooma witnessed an impromptu bandh in the wake of the protest.
Shortage of essential commodities was also reported from various places in the district like Kakopathar, Dirak and other interior places in view of the blockade.
The protesters demanded that the Chief Minister and Governor visit them and hear their grievances, else they would continue the stir.
Meanwhile pledging support to the agitation, the ULFA yesterday warned that if the Army does not stop its atrocitientifying himself as 'commander' of the ULFA's 'C Company' Jiten Dutta told the media, "This is not the first time the Army has butchered an innocent. 
The men in uniform have been meting out atrocities to the innocent in the name of anti-insurgency operations off and on."
He also hailed the protest launched by the villagers, terming it as a manifestation of the resentment among the people against the 'atrocities' of the Army.
This is the third incident of fake whiff on the Army operating in the state in 15 months.
The killings of Moni Gogoi and Ajit Mahanta by the Army in January this year and February last year respectively also saw similar protests. 
Two Army officers were court marshalled for staging an encounter in the Ajit Mahanta's case.



__,_._,___ 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070521/a2060019/attachment.html>