Three civilians were reportedly killed in separate incidents of violence in Ukhrul, Kamjong and Kangpokpi district of Manipur , prompting Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen to condemn the killings and call for thorough and impartial investigations.
In a statement issued on October 10, the deputy chief minister expressed condolences to the bereaved families and appealed to all concerned to exercise restraint and refrain from retaliatory violence.
According to her statement, Domkhonei Touthang, a resident of Chassad village in Kamjong district and mother of five, reportedly died from gunshot injuries on the night of October 9. Michael Ngamminlen Haokip was reportedly killed during violence in Chassad in the early hours of October 10.
In a separate incident, Sandeep Rai, a Gorkhali farmer from Senapati district, was reportedly ambushed at around 6 am on October 10 while travelling towards his farmland at Chepu Yaolen in Ukhrul district.
Nemcha urge the authorities to conduct thorough and impartial investigations and bring those responsible to justice stressing that the protection of every civilian life must remain paramount.
She also appealed for efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the affected areas.
In a release, the Kuki Inpi Manipur, strongly condemned what it described as coordinated attacks on Kuki-Zo civilians in Chassad in Kamjong district, Yaolen in Ukhrul district and the IT Road area of Kangpokpi district.
KIM alleged that armed elements carried out the attacks in collusion with state security personnel, including Tangkhul police personnel and the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB).
The organisation further claimed that Michael Ngamminlen Haokip was killed in an attack involving armed militants and security personnel, while Sandeep Rai was ambushed and killed by armed miscreates.
KIM accused the authorities of partiality in handling security concerns affecting the Kuki-Zo community and called on state and central authorities to ensure accountability and equal enforcement of the law.
Kuki Inpi Manipur also appealed to national and international human rights bodies to take cognisance of what it described as grave violations.
To date, 29 precious Kuki-Zo civilian lives have been brutally cut short, 29 Kuki-Zo villages have been systematically attacked, ransacked, and burned to ashes, and more than 1,500 Kuki-Zo individuals have been violently displaced, robbed of their livelihoods, and forced to live as refugees in their own homeland, the release added.
KIM reminded the central and state authorities that lasting peace cannot be achieved through selective justice, state-backed terror, or the appeasement of militant factions.
The Kuki apex body further stated that the Kuki-Zo community will no longer remain silent in the face of state-sponsored partiality and existential threats. KIM all upon national and international human rights organisations to take immediate cognisance of these grave violations.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
