Chairman of the core committee, Joychandra Kongthoujam, who is also president of UCM, told media persons at the head office of AMUCO at Kwakeithel, Imphal West on Thursday that on June 14, 2001 the NSCN-IM and Government of India signed a ceasefire agreement in Bangkok.

The agreement included three words ‘without territorial limit’, raising suspicions on the territorial boundary of Manipur, and leading to a large number of people who came out on streets, agitating and calling for withdrawal of the three words.

During the agitation on June 18, 2001, 18 people were martyred even as the Manipur Assembly building was burnt down and CM bungalow attacked by the agitators, he stated.

After the incident, the three words were withdrawn from the agreement, said the chairman. He appealed to the people to participate in the observation to be conducted at Kekrupat on June 18.

Vice chairman of the core committee, Nando Luwang, who is the president of AMUCO said the core committee was formed on Sunday in order to observe “21st The Great June Uprising, Unity Day”.

He said the observation will show that the people of Manipur still remember the sacrifices and have the same thrill to save the territorial boundary of Manipur.

Nando said that even after the June 18 incident the territorial boundary of Manipur is still in a vulnerable stage and a collective effort is needed to save the territorial boundary. He appealed to all the communities of Manipur to participate in the observation with one-day cease work.