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Guwahati: Authorities will arm 500 villagers with semiautomatic rifles in a remote northeastern state to protect themselves from separatist rebel groups that have targeted civilians and attacked isolated villages, officials said on Sunday.
The state government of Manipur's decision to enlist civilians as "special police officers" in its longtime battle against insurgents follows attacks that sparked outrage in two jungle villages and left four people dead, including two teenage girls. But the new strategy has drawn criticism from local rights groups who argue that arming villagers could increase violence in the area.
Self-defence
"The move will encourage bloodshed in Manipur among people of the same ethnic origin," said a statement by a coalition of civil society groups called the United Committee Manipur. Officials countered that the villagers requested the weapons to defend themselves.
Manipur, which borders Myanmar, is wracked with insurgents from at least 17 rebel groups who have fought for decades for independent homelands in the region, often demanding money and support from villagers and threatening or killing civilians seen as loyal to the state. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the past 10 years.
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