APVC: Militants want “blood money” only

Shillong, December 30: Even as it rued the killing of thirty-eight people in 2013 by insurgent groups operating in Garo hills, the newly formed A’chik Peace Volunteers Council (APVC) has vowed to bring back peace in the violence ridden Garo hill district.

In a statement issued on Monday, the APVC convener Che Guevara Marak said a group of fifteen youths recently held series of meetings to discuss the plunging law and order scenario in the Garo hills region and the increasing militancy related crimes and unanimously decided to form the APVC with the sole objective of working to bring back peace in the region.

According to Marak the continued killings, extortions, kidnappings and other crimes committed by the different militant outfits operating in the five districts of the region were done to instill fear among the people which would help the militants to carry out its nefarious activities.

Marak said that after detail analysis of the violence perpetrated by the militant groups the APVC has come to a conclusion that the militants in Garo hills have been simply doing business by using fear among the people as its investment. He said, “It is business with the blood of innocents.”

The APVC said, “Creation of terror in the minds of people is their (militants) investment.  The release stated that the militants kill or abduct a trader or a businessman or a civilian and the entire trading community or business community or the civil society dances to their tune.” It said killing innocent people are the militants’ investment, which yields good return with crores of extorted money.

The APVC hey termed the militant groups as criminals and said should be punished according to the law of the land.

Marak also made it clear that the APVC mission is to establish peace in Garo hills and newly formed organization will achieve its objective through appeal and persuasion.

According to the APVC the banned militant outfit – Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), United Achik Liberation Army (UALA), Liberation Achik Elite Force (LAEF), Achik National Volunteers’ Council – Breakaway (ANVC-B) and many other splinter groups have committed heinous crimes in the past years.

Dishing out statistic the APVC release said that in 2013 alone, 38 lives including seven security personnel and thirty-one innocent lives were lost to insurgency related killings.

The statement also pointed out that among the victims of militancy were one assistant pastor, two Nokmas and two government officers.

The statement said a total of 14 traders and coal labourers were abducted for ransom and more than 5 innocents’ sustained injuries in militant attacks besides attacks on petrol pump, MPRO station, numerous trucks, police station, forest range office, DMR gate, MTC bus, markets, and private companies like BSC C&C.

The APVC also alleged that the militants also served demand notice even to church missionaries and a mere meat seller besides extorting crores of hard earned money from civilians.

The APVC vowed to reach out  to every individual who is directly or indirectly assisting the militants.  It said the organization will also approach all the village elders who are providing shelter to the militants, the mothers who are cooking food for them, the persons who are passing information to them, the businessmen who are paying money to them with which they procure weapons and grow stronger, the middlemen who stash their money, the officers who pay to them out of fear, and will appeal to them to stop assisting the militants in their “blood business.”

The APVC said, “We will not rest till peace is restored in the Garo Hills.”- By Our Reporter

2013 Garo Hills Crime Dairy