Guwahati: The Kuki Civic Action Committee (KCAC) has condemned the reported burning of Sojamphai Kuki village in Manipur’s Tamenglong district, alleging that Naga armed groups, including the NSCN-IM and ZUF-K, were responsible for the incident.

In a statement, the committee described the incident as part of what it termed a continuing pattern of attacks targeting the Kuki-Zo community.

According to the KCAC, 29 Kuki villages, including Sojamphai, have been attacked, looted or burned, while more than 2,000 Kuki civilians have been displaced across several districts. The committee further claimed that 26 Kuki-Zo civilians have been killed since the resurgence of what it described as Kuki-Naga targeted violence.

The KCAC also criticised the Central and state governments, alleging that repeated representations, protests and memorandums seeking security protection had not resulted in an effective mechanism to prevent further attacks.

The committee questioned whether the NSCN-IM and ZUF-K were being “covertly sponsored or tolerated” to pressure the Kuki-Zo community into compromising on its political demands. These are allegations made by the KCAC and were not independently established in the statement.

The organisation said the government has the administrative, military and law-enforcement capacity to contain the violence and called for immediate measures to protect civilians.

KCAC’s demands

The committee called for:

  • Immediate deployment of central security forces in vulnerable Kuki-Zo villages in Tamenglong and adjoining districts.
  • Legal action against those responsible for the alleged attacks.
  • Relief, compensation and rehabilitation for displaced families and those whose homes have been destroyed.
  • Creation of a Union Territory with a legislature for the Kuki-Zo people, which the committee said would provide long-term political security and self-determination.

The KCAC said the Kuki-Zo community had continued to pursue its demands through democratic means and urged the Government of India to take immediate steps to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

The statement was issued by Jacob Lenminthang, Chief Coordinator of the KCAC’s Media and Public Relations Division.