KSO Ukhrul Leads Mass Demonstration, Demands Release Of Kuki-Zo Hostages; Slams Govt 'Silence' Over Alleged Atrocities in Kamjong and Ukhrul

Hundreds of protesters under the banner of the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO), Ukhrul District, on Wednesday staged a sit-in demonstration at Shangkai Village, escalating pressure on the authorities over the alleged kidnapping of Kuki-Zo civilians, non-implementation of the March 19 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and what the organisation described as “systematic atrocities” against the Kuki-Zo people in Manipur's Kamjong and Ukhrul districts.

The protest, organised in collaboration with the Kuki Women Union (KWU) under the aegis of WCKCSOs-Ukhrul, drew participation from students, school staff, village authorities, civil society groups and members of the public in what organisers described as a collective stand “for justice, peace, and protection of human rights.”

The KSO accused the administration of failing to implement the March 19 MoU, alleging that the delay had directly pushed the Kuki student community into a deepening crisis.

The organisation also alleged that three Kuki-Zo students and eleven other Kuki-Zo men had been abducted by SDSA and NSCN (IM), accusing the authorities of failing to ensure the safety and constitutional rights of Kuki-Zo civilians in the affected districts.

Addressing the gathering, KSO Ukhrul Vice-President Mercy delivered an emotionally charged speech, declaring that the protest was not born out of weakness but out of exhaustion from “injustice, silence, and suffering.”

“The failure to implement the 19 March MoU is not merely a political delay — it is a betrayal of trust, a betrayal of peace, and a betrayal of the Kuki-Zo people,” she said.

Referring to the alleged abductions, Mercy stated that the missing individuals were “not just names on a list” but “our children, our brothers, our people.”

“Their suffering is our suffering. Their fear is our fear,” she told the crowd.

The KSO leader questioned the continued silence over the alleged targeting of Kuki-Zo civilians.

“How long must the Kuki-Zo people bleed before justice speaks? How long must we live under threats, intimidation, and violence simply because of our identity?” she asked.

The protest site reverberated with slogans demanding immediate release of the missing civilians, implementation of the MoU, and an end to alleged atrocities in the hill districts.

Mercy asserted that the Kuki-Zo people were “not asking for sympathy” but demanding “justice, dignity, security, and rightful existence.”

“Our movement is peaceful, but our determination is unbreakable. We refuse to be silenced. We refuse to live in fear. We refuse to let injustice become normal,” she declared.

The demonstration comes amid growing unrest in Kuki-dominated areas, where civil society organisations have intensified agitation over alleged insecurity, administrative inaction and the continued disappearance of Kuki-Zo civilians.

Protesters warned that continued silence and failure to address their demands could further deepen mistrust and unrest in the already volatile hill districts.