Ukhrul, September 4: A coalition of civil society organisations, community leaders and members of the global Meitei diaspora has issued a detailed rebuttal to the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) over its publication “Independent People’s Tribunal on the Ongoing Ethnic Conflict in Manipur.”
The statement, circulated by the Meitei Heritage Society, describes the PUCL document as “riddled with factual errors, lacking ethnographic familiarity, selective in omissions, unilateral and side-taking,” and says it “stands small against its own bygone bright legacies.” It alleges that the tribunal report is “partisan, spreads misinformation, inflames hostilities, and must be unconditionally withdrawn in the interest of public order, solidarity and peace-building.”
While commending PUCL’s earlier human-rights legacy, the group calls the Manipur tribunal report “an epistemic blunder” and “against its own bright legacies,” claiming it “vilifies the Meitei community without evidential congruency.”
The group outlined fifteen excerpts from the PUCL tribunal report, presenting them as clear examples of what it calls factual errors, bias and omissions
1. Data on detection of “foreigners” in Churachandpur is portrayed inaccurately; the table in the PUCL report shows the district among the highest, and eviction records indicate 280 Meitei families affected compared to 59 Kuki families (page 235).
2. Eviction drives are presented as “anti-minority,” overlooking evidence that Meitei households were most impacted (page 20).
3. Illegal poppy cultivation is treated leniently despite official data showing 85 % of 15,496.8 acres under cultivation in Kuki-dominated areas (multiple pages)
4. Chronology of 3 May 2023 is inconsistent; testimonies, FIRs and videos indicate violence began in Churachandpur/Bishnupur before retaliation in Imphal (pages 20, 51).
5. Rumours over the “Anglo Kuki War Memorial Gate” are not dispelled, indirectly legitimising attacks despite the Army Chief’s remarks (report text).
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6. Roles of armed groups under the Suspension of Operations pact are largely absent while Meitei groups such as Arambai Tenggol (111 mentions) and Meitei Leepun (49 mentions) are repeatedly cited – throughout report.
7. Foreign militant and radical religious links are overlooked while the report labels Meitei groups “right-wing” (page 156).
8. Chin-Kuki civil society organisations’ actions are ignored, while Meitei CSOs and Meira Paibi are portrayed negatively; Justice Geeta Mittal Committee and NIA findings are omitted (relevant sections).
9. Chapter 4 presents only Chin-Kuki testimonies, excluding cases such as the Jiribam killings and the murder of two Meitei students (chapter 4).
10. Illegal immigration concerns are dismissed although Cabinet Sub-Committee and security forces documented hundreds of undocumented entrants (page 292).
11. The first reported sexual assault, a May 3 gang-rape of a Meitei woman supported by FIR and medical report, is treated as rumour (gender section).
12. Gender-violence coverage focuses on Kuki women while omitting atrocities against Meitei women and children (chapter text).
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13. GIS property mapping in Imphal is portrayed as selective marking of Kuki households though Notification 1/7/2018-IMC applied to all (survey records).
14. Legal issues still before courts are treated as settled; selective use of testimonies and misunderstanding of Zero-FIR provisions are alleged (legal section).
15. Looting of banks in Axis, MSCB and PNB branches in hill districts is unreported, while national media bias is excused and the report relies on a contested Editors Guild document (media section).
The statement ends with a warning that the PUCL document “cannot stand as an impartial record while perpetuating misinformation and inflaming hostilities.” The group insists that “allowing such a flawed report to circulate risks deepening mistrust and obstructing genuine reconciliation efforts.” It urges PUCL “to withdraw the tribunal findings without delay in order to protect public order, rebuild confidence among affected communities, and create space for a credible, balanced process of peace-building in Manipur.”