Imphal, August 26: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has strongly rejected the recently released Independent People’s Tribunal (IPT) report of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), alleging that it is “biased, misleading and politically engineered” one to vilify the Meitei community while legitimising separatist agendas of Chin-Kuki armed groups.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, COCOMI said the 694-page report, prepared under the chairmanship of former Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph, was “deliberately structured to appease separatist aspirations” and contained selective omissions and fabrications.
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COCOMI alleged that the report misrepresented the Meitei Scheduled Tribe (ST) demand, spread false narratives on the outbreak of violence, and presented a one-sided portrayal of victims. It also accused the tribunal of ignoring the role of Kuki-Chin armed groups despite public admissions by their leaders, while repeatedly naming Meitei groups such as Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun.
COCOMI further criticised the report for omitting key incidents, including the May 3 Torbung-Kangvai clashes “where Meitei homes” were allegedly first torched, the “Jakuradhop massacre” in Jiribam, and cases of enforced disappearances. It said the tribunal endorsed “separatist narratives,” justified poppy cultivation, and made “false historical claims” that demonised the Meitei community.
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Announcing its next steps, COCOMI said it will conduct a public review of the report to expose its “falsehoods and omissions” and pursue legal action against PUCL and tribunal members for “defamatory and unfounded statements.” It also vowed to mobilise civil society, intellectuals and legal experts to safeguard Manipur’s unity and integrity.
“The PUCL-IPT report has no legitimacy and no credibility. It does not serve the cause of peace, justice or reconciliation. Instead, it emboldens narco-terrorist groups and weakens national security,” the statement read.
COCOMI concluded that Manipur does not need “propaganda masquerading as human rights” but rather “truth, fairness and collective resolve to restore peace, integrity and unity.”
(Newmai News Network)
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