Hill Voice, 13 July 2024, Bandarban: 5 more Bawm villagers have been arrested from Ruma in Bandarban district in an anti-Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) operation conducted by joint forces. Yesterday (July 12) when the arrested persons were produced in Bandarban Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, the judge ordered them to send to Bandarban District Jail.

While those arrested by joint forces were labelled as KNF members, the victims were actually innocent villagers, a local source said.

The arrested persons are Lalchan Sang Bawm (48), Lal Siam Thang Bawm (38), Lal Pian Sang Bawm (36), Lalhim Sang Bawm (37) and Song Lian Bawm (25). All of them are said to be residents of Lairunpi Para village of Ruma Sadar Upazila.

It is learnt that the joint forces actually arrested the said villagers on July 8 but falsely spread the word that they had arrested them on Thursday (July 11).

It is to be noted that following the incident of looting banks in Ruma and Thanchi and 14 firearms of law enforcement forces from Ruma by KNF on April 2 and 3, joint forces led by the army started a military operation against KNF from April 7. Despite not being able to show considerable success against the KNF after the operation, the joint forces have so far killed 12 innocent Bawm people including a child and arrested 116 Bawm people including 111 innocent Bawm villagers including pregnant women and children as a result of the operation.