Kangpokpi Erupts in Coffin Protest Amid Shutdown, Demands Government Action Over 13 Kuki-Zo Killings and 11 Torched Villages

Amid a district-wide total shutdown, hundreds of Kuki-Zo mourners and protesters placed the coffin of slain villager Haogin Lhouvum alongside the National Highway 2 in the heart of  Kangpokpi town on Thursday, demanding justice, accountability, and immediate security intervention following his killing at Lasan village in neighbouring Tamenglong district on June 9.

The emotionally charged coffin protest, organised under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) in collaboration with Kuki civil society organisations, brought normal life to a standstill as demonstrators gathered along the National Highway, where the victim's coffin was placed for several hours during a sit-in protest and condolence programme.

Lhouvum's body was brought from the district hospital morgue amid cries for justice, with protesters accusing the government of failing to protect vulnerable Kuki-Zo villages despite repeated warnings and escalating violence in the region.

The protest coincided with a complete shutdown imposed by Kuki CSOs across Kangpokpi district from midnight on June 10. All educational institutions, commercial establishments, and vehicular movement remained suspended, except for emergency services and security personnel.

Speaking on the sidelines of the protest, Kuki CSOs Kangpokpi spokesperson Janghaolun Haokip questioned the role of security forces stationed at Makui village, alleging that they failed to prevent the June 9 attack on Lasan village despite being located barely five kilometres away.

"It is deeply disturbing that a broad daylight attack could take place so close to a security deployment. Serious questions arise as to whether these forces are meant only to protect one particular village while neighbouring Kuki-Zo settlements are left exposed to violence," he said.

The Kuki organisations strongly condemned what they described as the government's "grave failure" to ensure the safety and security of Kuki-Zo civilians, alleging that official inaction has contributed to a growing cycle of attacks on their community.

They claimed that at least 13 Kuki-Zo civilians, including three pastors, have been killed in a series of attacks allegedly carried out by Tangkhul militant groups in recent months. The organisations further alleged that 11 Kuki-Zo villages have been torched, including Kultuh village in Kamjong district, where two villagers, including a church deacon and a youth leader, were killed earlier on Thursday pre-dawn attack.

Haokip warned that the people of Kangpokpi would continue democratic agitations until the government takes meaningful action against those responsible for the killings and addresses the deteriorating security situation in Kuki-Zo areas.

"The Government of India and the Government of Manipur must recognise that Kuki-Zo lives matter. We deserve equal protection, equal dignity, and equal treatment as citizens of this country. The continued perception of partiality and bias against our people must end immediately," he asserted.

The Kuki CSOs placed four key demands before the government: immediate deployment of security forces at Lasan and Thenjang villages; deployment of security personnel in all identified vulnerable Kuki-Zo areas; a time-bound judicial inquiry into the killings of 13 Kuki-Zo civilians, including three pastors; and the immediate arrest of the Makui village chief, village authority members, and village guards in connection with the incidents.

The protest concluded amid heightened tensions and growing public anger, with community leaders warning that further democratic movements would be intensified if authorities fail to respond decisively to their demands.