Hill Voice, 22 June 2022, Rangamati: The names of 4 innocent Tripura villagers killed and 2 injured in the brutal firing of armed terrorists of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) known as Bawm Party at Saijam Para of Barthali union in Bilachari upazila of Rangamati.

At around 6:00 pm on Tuesday (June 21), four innocent Tripura villagers including three members of the same family were shot dead and two children were seriously injured by the armed terrorists at Saijam Para of Barthali union adjacent to the border of Rowangchari and Ruma upazilas of Bandarban district. A few more villagers narrowly escaped and were able to report to the surrounding area.

The villagers killed in the attack were- 1. Bichai Chandra Tripura (52), son of Badla Tripura; 2. Subhash Chandra Tripura (23), son of Bichai Chandra Tripura; 3. Bir Kumar Tripura (21), son of Bichai Chandra Tripura and 4. Dhanram Tripura (16), son of Sitaram Tripura.

According to villagers, Bichai Chandra Tripura was beheaded by the terrorists even after he was shot dead on the spot.

On the other hand, the injured children were- 1. Ananta Tripura (4), son of killed Subhash Chandra Tripura and 2. Sumana Tripura (1 year 6 months), son of Subhash Chandra Tripura. The injured children are being treated locally in nearby villages.

According to local sources, an armed group of Bawm Party terrorists came to the house of the indigenous Tripura villagers of Saijam Para village at that time yesterday and fired indiscriminately at the villagers.

It is learnt that some time ago some Bawm, Pangkhoa, Khumi, Marma and Tripura families lived together in Saijam Para. Later the Bawm, Pangkhoa, Khumi and Marma families moved elsewhere. At last there were only five Tripura families living side by side.

A local elder in the area, who did not want to be named, said that without any provocation, the terrorists of the Bawm Party carried out the cowardly killing by firing on the villagers like crazy. He said it was a massacre.

At present, there is panic and anger among the villagers in and around the village.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the Kuki-Chin National Front-KNF, in a status posted on their Facebook account, has claimed responsibility for the killings and even expressed outrage over the massacre. They described the killing as a successful operation by their commando headhunter team.

However, in order to confuse the people and cover up their heinous terrorist activities, it has tried to portray the murdered innocent villagers as members of the so-called JLA forces of PCJSS.

The headline of the KNF status reads: “Successful operation of KNF’s Commando Headhunter Team at the newly established JSS camp at Jaijam Para”.

Thus, with the help of the army and Islamic militants, the people of Chakma, Marma, Tripura and Thanchangya communities have been started to evict them from the imaginary Kuki-Chin state of Bawm Party in 9 upazilas of Bandarban and Rangamati districts.