Guwahati: The Indigenous People’s Forum, Manipur (IPFM) and the Delhi Meetei Coordination Committee (DMCC) on Tuesday demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of all remaining suspects in the killing of six Naga civilians and called for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups.
In a joint statement, the organisations expressed solidarity with the families of the six Naga civilians whose mutilated bodies were recovered near Leilon Vaiphei on June 10. They said the incident had been further aggravated by the Kuki Zo Council chairman’s reported acknowledgement that the killings were “a grave mistake” by members of the community.
The organisations alleged that more than a month had passed since the incident, but the principal perpetrators remained at large despite suspects having been identified.
“We stand in unwavering solidarity with Naga and Meetei bereaved families, demanding that the Central government and Manipur government ensure swift arrest and prosecution of all remaining suspects,” the statement said.
The two organisations also alleged that while 14 Kuki individuals were released by the Naga community on humanitarian grounds, six Naga hostages were tortured and killed. They further claimed that survivors reported the victims had been forced to consume unknown meat and that Naga women captives were suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The statement also referred to the abduction and killing of Meetei civilians in Jiribam, including women and an eight-month-old infant, alleging targeted attacks on unarmed civilians and students.
Calling for the immediate withdrawal of the SoO agreement, IPFM and DMCC alleged that the arrangement, signed in August 2005, had failed to achieve its objective of restoring peace.
“The agreement has become a license for abduction, extortion, and targeted killings. Armed SoO cadres have engaged in systematic intimidation of commercial drivers on NH37, cross-border terrorism, arms smuggling, and large-scale narcotics trafficking, threatening to transform Manipur into a hub akin to the Golden Triangle,” the statement said.
The organisations further alleged that SoO cadres frequently left designated camps without consequences and cited the confrontation at Iren Ngai village, where they claimed 30-40 heavily armed cadres advanced towards an unarmed village, issued death threats and vandalised property in the presence of security forces without intervention.
Referring to the ethnic violence that began on May 3, 2023, the organisations claimed that more than 260 people had lost their lives and over 60,000 had been displaced. They also alleged unequal enforcement by security forces, claiming that Meetei and Naga groups had faced stricter action while Kuki militant groups continued to receive protection under the SoO arrangement.
The statement also referred to the arson at Kanto Sabal in Imphal West on July 11, alleging that at least six Meetei houses, including that of former footballer Laitonjam Sanathoi, were set ablaze by “Kuki miscreants” during a protest march. The organisations questioned the response of security forces, claiming the incident occurred within 50-100 metres of military establishments. They further alleged that security personnel prevented Meetei and Naga villagers from extinguishing the fires by using lathi charge and tear gas.
The organisations also criticised what they described as the response of the Central and Manipur governments to the ongoing ethnic conflict, alleging inaction against Kuki militant groups despite intelligence inputs, selective disarmament operations and failure to dismantle militant camps operating from across the Myanmar border.
While acknowledging that Kuki-Zo civilians had also suffered during the conflict, the organisations said the Kuki Zo Council chairman’s reported statement that the killing of the six Naga civilians was “neither authorised nor endorsed” was insufficient without concrete action against those responsible.
The organisations also opposed the demand for a separate administration in the form of a Union Territory with Legislature, stating that such a move would divide Manipur and raise concerns over the future of Meetei and Naga communities.
Among their demands, IPFM and DMCC sought the immediate abrogation of the SoO agreement with all Kuki militant groups, impartial operations by central security forces to recover illegal arms from all communities, immediate action against KNFP chairman Thangboi Kipgen, the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen on moral grounds because of the alleged familial connection mentioned in the statement, and the swift arrest and prosecution of all remaining suspects in the killing of the six Naga civilians.