Deliberate Incursion of Sugnu Police Into Kuki-Zo Village Thingkangphai in Chandel Is a Renewed Assault on Kuki Territory, Says Kuki Inpi Chandel

A Kuki-Zo apex body in Chandel district, Kuki Inpi Chandel, has strongly condemned the “illegal entry” of Sugnu Police Commandos from Kakching district into Thingkangphai village, Chandel district—a peaceful Kuki-Zo dominated area.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Kuki Inpi Chandel declared that such an entry is not an isolated act, but part of a systematic campaign to provoke, delegitimize, and suppress the Kuki-Zo identity.

Stating that this brazen violation has triggered widespread panic and fear among villagers, Kuki Inpi Chandel warned that if such incursions go unchecked, the Kuki-Zo people will no longer remain mute spectators and reserve the right to defend their land, lives, and dignity.

“Let the world recall: these are the same forces implicated in the burning of thousands of Kuki homes in the Sugnu region during May–June 2023. That they now reappear under the veil of ‘operations’ is a calculated intimidation tactic—and a gross betrayal of peacekeeping principles,” the release stated.

Kuki Inpi Chandel also questioned why the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, Chandel, permitted such an incursion, and why the Superintendent of Police, Kakching district, has been allowed to provoke chaos and insecurity in a protected area.

The release asserted that the Superintendent of Police, Kakching, bears direct responsibility for this deliberate disruption of fragile peace.

“We warn: such acts must not be repeated. Any further provocation will be treated as a wilful attack on the Kuki-Zo people,” said Kuki Inpi Chandel.

The Kuki-Zo body further stated that the buffer zone was created to prevent “State-led aggression masquerading as security operations.” Instead, it has become a tool for continued Meitei expansionism, the release added.

By aiding such actions, the state government has forfeited its legitimacy over Kuki lands. It cannot claim moral authority after failing to protect—and in many cases, directly targeting—our people, the release stated.

Kuki Inpi Chandel called upon the central armed forces deployed in the region to ensure such unauthorized entries are prevented at all costs in the future. The body also demanded immediate accountability and urged all relevant authorities to intervene without delay.