austraLasia
1269
Playing fields bloodbath in
Garo Hills: 2 Don Bosco students killed
SHILLONG:
1st October 2005 -- The Garo Hills region erupted in
violence yesterday when police opened fire on demonstrators
protesting against planned educational reforms which have created
divisions within the Khasi tribe. According to a reliable
source, two students from Don Bosco College in Tura, one of the two
centres where police opened fire, were critically injured and later
died.
Reports coming from the region are still
confused. The Shillong Times indicates that four people were
killed at Tura and at Williamnagar, another five. The 'Times'
reports that police opened fire indiscriminately on thousands of
people who had gathered at two playing fields, the Chandmari
playground and the Rongrenggiri school field at Williamnagar.
In the first instance the police had tried to arrest the general
secretary of a local group, the Federation for A'chik Freedom.
This led to clashes between police and a group of students. In
the second instance, police and students clashed over denial of
permission to hold a march from the playing field. It is not
clear just how students attending the Don Bosco College came to be in
the area, and whether they were simply onlookers, but the Shillong
Times indicates that some of the victims were not part of the group
who were protesting.
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