Imphal, April 20: Castigating a militant outfit that held six newspaper editors hostage for a night, civil society organisations in Manipur today warned that they would oppose the group if it continued to issue threats to mediapersons or intimidated them further.

A joint meeting of representatives from more than 30 NGOs, including human rights groups, student unions and women?s organisations, today strongly condemned the abduction of six editors of Imphal-based dailies. They demanded that the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) faction headed by City Meitei should withdraw the threats it had issued to the mediapersons.

Mediapersons in Manipur have been in the grip of a fear psychosis after six senior journalists were held hostage through the whole of Sunday night by the City Meitei faction of the KCP. The outfit had summoned them for a news conference.

The outfit released the editors after forcing the dailies to publish a communiqu? issued by the armed group. The editors had earlier ignored the statement.

The All Manipur Working Journalists Union and the Editors Forum, Manipur, jointly convened today?s meeting at the Manipur Press Cub in Imphal. The meeting was convened after all Imphal-based dailies suspended publication of yesterday?s issue and held a protest rally on Tuesday.

In a resolution, the meeting urged all outfits not to interfere in the freedom of the press or intimidate mediapersons in the future.

According to the resolution, the abduction of the six editors was an offence that went ?against society as a whole?. It asserted that journalists and NGOs would jointly face future threats if such moves recur. Speakers at the meeting condemned the steps taken by the militant outfit.