EMERGENCY APPEAL!!! Aid for OHF Manipur!! |
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Hundreds killed and thousands injured as homes, villages and churches destroyed in Manipur conflict. |
There is a humanitarian disaster unfolding in Manipur. The situation is dire, and your empathy and assistance is desperately needed.
Ohfi has provided relief to displaced families from the outset of hostilities. Giving shelter, rations and medicines to thousands of people. As the situation goes on there are now acute shortages of water, food and medicine. Also there is growing health risks from overcrowding in places of refuge, like the ohfi school PMA College. We cannot address this situation alone. |
We urgently need your financial support. |
To date, 115 people have been killed, 5,000 injured, more than 175 villages destroyed, 355 churches burned and more than 40,000 people displaced from their homes due to the ethnic and religious violence in Manipur that began on May 3.
Open Home Foundation Manipur's Pastor Athang Touthang, and three family members, narrowly escaped with their lives when their Imphal mission house, vehicles, and church were reduced to ashes. A mob of 500 individuals rampaged through the neighbourhood, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake as they deliberately targeted churches and Christian and Kuki houses. |
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| Athang's burnt out vehicles in Imphal |
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Back in Kangpokpi, where some of the initial violence erupted, the ohf Manipur PMA college is closed and all children have been sent home except for approximately 20 who have no safe place to go. The grounds and classrooms are now sleeping areas for hundreds of refugees. Some guests are long term and others stay for a night or two on their way to other states. |
They are desperate of food, water, clothing and medical supplies…. can you please help? |
Village refugees camping in PMA College grounds, Kangpokpi |
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Village refugees walking overland to escape the conflict |
A Recent News item forwarded by Athang Touthang (ohfi NE India founder):
"Early this morning at around 0400 hrs, Meitei valley based insurgent groups dressed up in Military garb and driving military vehicles, came to Khoken Kuki-Zo village which lies in the boundary between Kangpokpi District and Imphal West district. The villagers believing that security force personnel are going to conduct combing operations, co-operated and moved away to let the security forces perform their duty. Suddenly, the Meitei in military garb attacked the village and injured 2 persons out of which 1 succumbed to his injuries at the time of writing this message.
Army forces who were performing duties nearby, reached the village and engaged in firefight with the Meitei. Their timely arrival avoided a bloodbath as there were women and children in the village." |
Athang also says:
"Praise God we were able to visit at least 4 villages in Saikul areas whose houses are burned down and they are running away to safe nearby villages in Kangpokpi district. We were able to get rice, bags dal, clothing such towels and baby clothes to them.
The most blessing was Mariam was able to provide medicines to 4 villages through open home foundation relief mission. Such great help in time of need and people are crying out for help and assistance. We were able to pray for those displaced persons and people whose heart are broken for healing in Jesus' name." |
What's this conflict about? |
The situation is complex with ethnic, religious, political, historical and land ownership facets.
While the state has a history of discontent, it has been a peaceful place for many years and this sudden eruption of violence has come as a shock to our partners and ohfi leadership there.
There are three major ethnic groups in Manipur; Meitei, Naga and Kuki. The Meitei are valley people and mainly Hindu while the predominately Christian Naga and Kuki are hill people.
The Meitei outnumber the combined population of Naga and Kuki. Despite the valley comprising only about 10% of the state's geographic area, it is densely populated. The valley has enjoyed relative prosperity compared to the hills, owing to its historical and geographical advantages. As a result, the Meitei have reaped the benefits of this prosperity and dominate in economic and power terms. The state Government is controlled by Hindu Meitei and are part of the Bharatiya Janata Party - BJP. (India PM Narendra Modi's Hindu Nationalist party).
Because of this imbalance, the Naga, Kuki and other tribes people were recognised in the Indian Constitution as 'Scheduled Tribes'. This recognition gave various protections to hill country land ownership and reserved targeted places in educational institutes and government work forces.
Some Meitei groups think that this 'preferential' treatment is unfair. There were Court challenges in April and protests from both sides erupted into violence and chaos in early May.
Meitei Christians and Hill Tribe people living in the valley including the state capital of Imphal were targeted and their homes, businesses and Churches destroyed. Groups of Meitei militia groups then moved to the hill areas where Kuki villages are still being pillaged and burned.
Some Meitei people living in Hill areas have been similarly targeted by Kuki peoples and have also been displaced.
The violence has caused thousands of people to be displaced on both sides, with Kuki living on the flat land having to seek safety in the hills or with family and friends in other states and the Meitei having to leave the hill country to return to the valley.
More than 15,000 army personnel have been deployed to the region to establish law and order, but have so far not been successful and violence continues to increase.
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Ohf Kolkata is welcoming Manipur refugees |
Open Home Foundation Kolkata has also helped more than 30 families who have escaped from North East India. Most have arrived with little more than the clothes they are wearing. The ohfi Kolkata team lead by Lun and Ngaiching (who are Kuki people themselves) have been providing a safe place to rest and recover and the Mercy Mission House in Kolkata is bursting at the seams. |
Some refugee stories from the safety of Kolkata |
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"My name is Ronald Haokip, I'm 27 and from Lamka, Manipur. I was there when the violence broke out. The civil unrest, the constant news about tribals being lynched, churches being burnt, and houses being looted and burned down and the terror unfolded still haunts me to this day.
By the grace of God, me and my family are safe from the immediate danger, but my aunt and uncle who settled in Imphal aren't that lucky, since their house was among the houses that the mob burned down." |
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"My name is Helhing Kilong, I am 60 years old and thankful to have made it here to Kolkata, where Lun is providing good care to my children and grandchildren. I have a health problem and I like to stay close a hospital or doctors but since the violence started my doctor can no longer come to our place as he belongs to Meitei community. Also due to this conflict there are more and more casualty in the hospital.
The first few weeks of the uprising were difficult in my village. Every night there were gun shorts all around our area and every day more and more people from around the village came for refuge in our locality and we hosted many families, but since I could not get my medicine, I came to Kolkata for safety and to stay away from chaos unfolding in our place." |
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| "My name is Sarah I am thankful to be safely in Kolkata with my 2 years old daughter Hoiboi. I am a single mum and lived in Churachandpur village.
When the situation worsened, live bullets were flying all around us and some houses and Government offices were burned. It was terrible thing to experience with a kid in your arms. We couldn't go outside from our house for a few weeks due to curfew, road-blocks and unrest in our area. Many houses were burn down by our people in the same way our community houses were burned down.
Many people ran into army camp for protection. My ex-husband and his family live in a different district now and their village is burnt down so they have nowhere to go. I came here to Kolkata where I now feel safe." |
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Lun's own mum, Tingkhoneng Misao, 73, needed rescuing. In her village, the bullets fired by the attackers reached her garden. She has an obsessive disorder and many times she was warned not to go to her garden, but she continued to do so.
She lived with his younger and elder brother who are both on the frontline duty so was left alone at home. In early June, using back roads and crossing other states borders Lun was able to bring her to safety and she is happy to see her grandchildren in Kolkata. |
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Having travelled to both Kolkata and Manipur, I am acutely aware of the environment and what a beautiful place Manipur is in peace times. But how things can change quickly! I am personally in touch with Lun most days (and Athung and Gary whenever they manage to get internet access) and can hear the desperation in their voices.
Ohfi is committed to support their missions and especially the vulnerable children. If you can help us feed, clothe and provide medicines for these people, your support is really appreciated!
May God bless you and look after the people of North East India.
Grant Brenton ohfi Chairperson |
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Open Home Foundation International
PO BOX 31036 Lower Hutt Lower Hutt 5040 CC11061 |
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