IMPHAL: Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a conglomerate of civil society organisations based in the valley in Manipur, while strongly reacting the recent press note issued by Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), said that the Kuki body was “attempting to discredit the statement of COCOMI regarding the terrorist attacks in Kamjong district is deeply unfortunate, misleading, and detached from the ground realities faced by the people residing along the Indo-Myanmar border”.
COCOMI said today that the incidents that unfolded in the border villages of Kamjong district were not imaginary narratives or politically manufactured claims, but direct acts of armed aggression carried out by heavily armed groups operating from across the international border in Myanmar. “When local representatives, including the sitting MLA of the affected region, openly acknowledged the involvement of Kuki National Army (KNA-Burma) and allied armed elements, any attempt to dilute or deny the seriousness of the situation only exposes the selective blindness and political agenda of organizations trying to shield such activities under the guise of activism”, COCOMI said.
“It is also pertinent to note that even the statement issued by the PRO and spokesperson, Ministry of Defence Ref. No. PR/058/KOH/2026 regarding the rescue operation of a Naga woman villager from Namlee and another KNA(B) operatives namely Lal Thag John aged 38 years was also apprehended along with weapons and ammunitions from Churachandpur and later handed to the local police clearly acknowledged that the presence of cross border narco-terrorist groups have infiltrated and several attack and related hostilities were allegedly carried out by the KNA(B) faction operating from across the Indo-Myanmar border”, it also said, adding, “This further corroborates the consistent testimonies of local villagers, civil society organisations, and elected representatives who have described the incident not as a mere communal clash, but as an organised act of cross-border armed aggression”. Therefore, COCOMI said “attempts by KOHUR to distort or selectively suppress these facts” only expose their continued pattern of shielding and whitewashing violent elements instead of standing for genuine human rights and justice.
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COCOMI then said its statement merely articulated the grave security concerns emerging from repeated cross-border infiltration, armed incursions, and coordinated attacks affecting Indian citizens residing in the border areas of Manipur. Labelling these concerns as “communal” or attempting to trivialize them is an insult to the affected villagers who have continuously lived under fear and insecurity due to unchecked militant movements along the porous international boundary, COCOMI added.
COCOMI then said KOHUR must understand that raising alarm against cross-border armed aggression cannot be equated with hatred against any community. The issue at hand is national security, territorial integrity, and the protection of civilians from foreign-origin armed groups who have increasingly exploited the instability in Myanmar to expand their operations into Indian territory, it further added.
“It is also disturbing that pseudo human rights groups like KOHUR selectively invoke the language of human rights only when it suits their narrative, while remaining conspicuously silent on the repeated attacks, intimidation, extortion, displacement, and violence faced by indigenous communities in the border regions”, alleged COCOMI. Human rights cannot become a shield for armed aggression or a tool to whitewash extremist activities, it also said.
“Instead of attacking COCOMI for voicing legitimate concerns, responsible civil society organizations should collectively demand stronger border security along the Indo-Myanmar frontier and immediate neutralization of foreign-origin armed incursions”, COCOMI said. It further said responsible civil society organizations should also demand protection and rehabilitation of affected civilians and transparent investigation into cross-border militant activities threatening India’s sovereignty.
COCOMI said the people of Manipur deserve peace, security, and truth, not propaganda designed to confuse realities and protect violent actors operating under political or ethnic cover. At a time when the territorial integrity and internal security of the nation are being challenged, denialism and narrative manipulation will only deepen public mistrust and further destabilize the region, it also added. COCOMI then said the truth cannot be erased merely through press statements.
COCOMI also accused KOHUR and similar organizations of consistently failing to condemn several horrific acts of violence and terrorism carried out against innocent civilians in Manipur. “They remained silent during the brutal Jiribam massacre where six women and children were killed in cold blood. They did not meaningfully speak against the recent terrorist attacks in Tronglaobi where even infants became victims of merciless violence”, it further alleged, adding, “Likewise, there has been no serious condemnation from their side regarding the recent attack at T. Kamson in Ukhrul district where two innocent Tangkhul civilians lost their lives”.
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COCOMI then said “such selective outrage seriously undermines” the credibility of any organization claiming to stand for justice, peace, and human rights. It also said human rights cannot be conditional, selective, or politically convenient. The pain and suffering of victims cannot be measured based on ethnicity, political alignment, or ideological convenience, it added.
COCOMI reiterated that the people of Manipur can clearly see who consistently speaks for peace, security, and protection of civilians, and who chooses silence whenever armed violence is committed by groups they are unwilling to confront.
“History will remember not only those who committed violence, but also those who remained silent in the face of it,” it concluded.