Another Kuki Village in Kamjong District Burned Down by NSCN-IM and SNA; Kuki Inpi Demands Probe
The two groups allegedly set fire to Phaimol, a Kuki village situated along the Indo-Myanmar border in Kamjong district.
In what the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) described as an act of terror against a Kuki settlement in Manipur, another Kuki village in Kamjong district was burned down by the Tangkhul-led NSCN-IM and the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA), an armed group operating from Myanmar, early this morning. The two groups allegedly set fire to Phaimol, a Kuki village situated along the Indo-Myanmar border in Kamjong district.
Reacting to the incident, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribes, unequivocally condemned what it described as the latest act of terror, in which Phaimol was reduced to ashes by armed cadres of the Tangkhul-led NSCN-IM and the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA).
The latest attack is yet another addition to what KIM described as a systematic campaign of violence and destruction targeting Kuki villages in the Tangkhul-dominated hill districts of Manipur, the Kuki Inpi said in a statement issued today.
KIM said the incident was particularly alarming because the village had reportedly been under the protection of the Assam Rifles, whose personnel vacated the post only a day before the alleged arson took place. The timing, it said, raises serious concerns regarding security arrangements in vulnerable villages and necessitates an immediate and transparent inquiry into the circumstances that enabled the attack.
KIM further stated that this is by no means an isolated incident. According to the organisation, the following Kuki villages have been set ablaze during 2026:
These repeated attacks reveal a disturbing and sustained pattern of violence against Kuki habitations. The continued destruction of villages cannot be dismissed as sporadic law-and-order incidents but reflects an alarming security failure demanding urgent intervention, KIM said.
Kuki Inpi Manipur further questioned how NSCN-IM cadres, despite being under a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India, are allegedly repeatedly involved in attacks on civilian villages without meaningful action being taken. Such incidents, it said, undermine public confidence in the peace process and embolden those who resort to violence.
The Kuki Inpi also said the repeated involvement of the SNA highlights a grave national security concern. Cross-border terrorism cannot be treated merely as a local law-and-order issue, it said, urging the Government of India to strengthen border management measures and engage with the Government of Myanmar to ensure that Indian territory is not repeatedly targeted by armed groups operating from across the border.
Kuki Inpi Manipur urged the Union Government, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of Manipur, and all security agencies to act decisively before more innocent lives and villages are lost.
The Kuki apex body also called upon the Government of India and the Government of Manipur to initiate immediate and decisive action to address these security failures and ensure the protection of citizens.
"Every citizen deserves equal protection under the Constitution, and those responsible for terrorising civilian populations must be held fully accountable," KIM added.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128