UKHRUL: The Kuki Inpi Manipur has strongly condemned what it alleges as a series of attacks on Kuki-Zo civilians in Chassad in Kamjong district, Yaolen in Ukhrul district and the IT Road area in Kangpokpi district, accusing NSCN-IM and NSCN-Eastern Flank elements of carrying out the attacks in collusion with state security forces.
In a statement, the Kuki Inpi Manipur expressed grief and outrage over the reported killings of civilians, including Domkhonei Touthang, Michael Ngamminlen Haokip and Sandeep Rai.
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According to the KIM, Domkhonei Touthang was shot by personnel of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) while participating in a peaceful protest. It further alleged that Michael Ngamminlen Haokip was killed in a coordinated assault involving NSCN-IM militants and Tangkhul state security personnel, while Sandeep Rai, a Nepali individual, was allegedly ambushed and killed by NSCN-Eastern Flank elements.
The apex Kuki civil body in Manipur accused armed groups and state security personnel of targeting the Kuki-Zo community, alleging that the impartial enforcement of law and order had been undermined. It also questioned the response of the authorities to the alleged activities of armed groups in the affected areas.
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The Kuki Inpi stated that despite efforts by Kuki-Zo leaders to restore peace, normalcy and communal harmony, the community continued to face violence and displacement.
Citing its figures, the organisation claimed that 29 Kuki-Zo civilians had been killed, 29 Kuki-Zo villages attacked and damaged or burnt, and more than 1,500 people displaced from their homes and livelihoods.
Calling on the Central and state governments to ensure accountability and impartial justice, the Kuki Inpi maintained that lasting peace could not be achieved through what it described as selective justice or the appeasement of armed groups.
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It also appealed to national and international human rights organisations to take immediate cognisance of the alleged violations and urged the authorities to address the security concerns of the Kuki-Zo community.
