Imphal: The Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) have rejected media reports claiming that a newly revised Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement was recently signed between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Manipur government and Kuki-Zo groups.
In a joint statement, the two organisations said no fresh agreement has been signed and no discussions or formal meetings on a revised pact have taken place since the existing SoO arrangement was extended on September 4, 2025.
The KNO and UPF urged the public and media organisations to exercise caution while reporting on the issue and rely on official statements issued by the concerned parties rather than unverified reports.
The organisations also addressed the continuing debate over the reference to Manipur’s territorial integrity in the SoO framework.
According to the KNO and UPF, the tripartite SoO agreement was first signed in 2008 between the Centre, the Manipur government and the KNO-UPF. They claimed that the reference to territorial integrity was included in the preamble at the insistence of the state government at the time.
The two groups maintained that the clause had no practical legal implications before the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur on May 3, 2023, describing it as a political measure intended to address concerns within the majority community.
The KNO and UPF further asserted that any interpretation of territorial integrity that is detached from the constitutional framework of the Indian Union would have no legal basis.
At the same time, the groups reiterated that their demand for a Territorial Council remains within the broader constitutional and administrative framework and does not, according to them, conflict with the territorial integrity of the region.