UKHRUL: Residents of Laho village (Leingangching) have reported an unprovoked and sustained attack on Naga villages, including Litan, Sharkaphung, and Laho, under Litan Police Station, occurring on Tuesday at around 10:22 PM. Also, the villagers have accused security forces of firing at Naga civilians instead of targeting the source of aggression.
In a press statement issued by Laho village, it was asserted that the Naga villages faced a sustained assault from the direction of Mongkot Chepu Kuki village, involving automatic and sophisticated weaponry, which posed a significant threat to civilian safety and security in the region.
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“This deliberate aggression has caused severe trauma and panic among the civilian population, placing women, children, and the elderly in imminent danger. The situation remains volatile, and community security is severely compromised,” the statement read. It also noted that, instead of neutralizing the aggressors, security forces discharged live ammunition toward Naga civilians who were attempting to defend their homes, with gunfire occurring within village perimeters.
“The use of lethal force against unarmed civilians and the discharge of firearms in inhabited areas are blatant violations of constitutional protections, established rules of engagement, and international humanitarian norms. Such actions are unacceptable, escalate hostilities, and irreparably undermine public trust in state institutions that are supposed to protect lives,” the statement continued.
In response to this incident, the villagers have issued the following ‘non-negotiable’ demands:
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1. Immediate and Total Cessation of Hostilities: All armed actors must cease firing in or near civilian areas without exception, effective immediately.
2. Independent Judicial Inquiry: An independent, time-bound, and transparent investigation into the incident of May 26, 2026, must be established. This inquiry should examine both the initial attack and the reported actions of security personnel, with full powers to summon evidence and witnesses. The findings must be made public.
3. Neutral Peacekeeping Intervention: Impartial, adequately resourced peacekeeping forces should be deployed, with a clear mandate to protect all civilian populations in Leingangching, Litan, and Sharkaphung villages. The current security arrangements have failed to ensure civilian safety.
4. Full Accountability and Prosecution: Any individual, including state security personnel, found to have unlawfully fired upon civilians or within village limits must be immediately suspended from duty and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Command responsibility must be enforced.
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Furthermore, the press note emphasized that the sanctity of civilian life is inviolable and must not be compromised. “The state and central governments bear primary responsibility for maintaining law and order and protecting all citizens impartially,” it stated, urging urgent and decisive intervention by the Government of Manipur, the Union Government, the National Human Rights Commission, and all relevant human rights organizations. “The people of Leingangching, Litan, and Sharkaphung villages demand justice, protection, and an end to impunity,” it concluded.