SUMMARY

The region of north-east India, surrounded by Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar (Burma), is a compound of different ethnicities (Dimasa, Hmar, Karbi, Zeme, etc.) and a mosaic of religious affiliations. After the independence from the British Empire in 1947, ethnic sentiments rose amongst the tribes in the Northeast. Regions such as Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura have become arenas of ethnic tension and conflicts due to similar demands regarding the claims of land. The British colonialism was perceived as an encroachment as taxes and administrative fees were imposed on the various tribes. For a long time, language has been the paramount mean of distinction between the ethnicities in the region. What followed subsequently was the emergence of armed resistance among various ethnic groups after the independence.

One of many tribal conflicts in the area is the rivalry between the Hmar and Dimasa tribes. In the context of this conflict, the rivalry between the HPC (Hmar People’s Convention) and DHD (Dima Haolam Daoga) has escalated into indiscriminate violence against civilians from the other ethnic group. The conflict is based on the issue of territorial supremacy.

HPC first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2003, when the one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached on 31 March that year when the police found 28 dead bodies of abducted Dimasa tribal villagers.