KNO-UPF Reject Manipur Government’s Allegations, Reiterate Demand for Separate Administration

The Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) have rejected allegations made by the Government of Manipur regarding violations of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) ground rules, accusing the state government of failing to uphold the same framework and of being complicit in violence against the Kuki community.

In a letter addressed to N. Ashok Kumar, Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Home) and Chairman of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), the KNO-UPF acknowledged receipt of his communication dated August 7, 2026, concerning alleged violations by SoO cadres.

The Kuki groups said the government’s allegations—that cadres had deserted designated camps, entered conflict zones with weapons and participated in attacks—must be viewed alongside what they described as the role of state security forces and armed groups in the violence that began on May 3, 2023.

They questioned how the Government of India reconciles the allegations against KNO-UPF cadres with what they described as a “Manipur Police Commando-led” campaign against the Kuki community. The groups alleged that homes and more than 350 churches were destroyed during the initial weeks of the violence.

Referring to a scheduled MHA-SoO extension meeting on February 29, 2024, the KNO-UPF recalled that the state government had previously raised allegations of SoO ground-rule violations. They said they had, in response, questioned the Government of India over what they described as state-sponsored violence against Kuki civilians.

The Kuki groups further alleged that the Manipur government’s unilateral withdrawal from the tripartite agreement in January 2024 and the subsequent boycott of the February meeting undermined the SoO framework.

The letter also accused the former state government under N. Biren Singh of enabling the looting of state armouries and alleged that large quantities of weapons and ammunition subsequently came into the possession of armed groups. It further alleged that state-aligned actors had blocked highways and restricted the movement of essential supplies to Kuki-inhabited areas.

The KNO-UPF questioned why, despite threats of penal action against its leadership, no similar action had been initiated against individuals and organisations whom they accused of involvement in the violence, including former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, state security personnel, Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun.

The groups also alleged that cadres of a surrendered faction of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF-P) had participated in attacks on Kuki villages alongside Manipur Police Commandos while allegedly wearing police uniforms. They claimed that no cases had been registered against those involved.

According to the KNO-UPF, the SoO ground rules are equally binding on the state security forces and Kuki armed groups. The organisation alleged that the alleged patronage of groups such as Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun by state functionaries constituted violations of the same framework.

The letter further stated that MHA interlocutor A.K. Mishra and Joint Director (North East), Dr. Mandip Tuli, were present in Manipur when the violence erupted in May 2023 and witnessed the situation firsthand, according to the KNO-UPF.

The KNO-UPF called upon the Government of India to initiate an impartial investigation into the violence and prosecute those responsible. It said detailed timeline documentation and video evidence had been enclosed with the communication.

Reiterating its political demand, the organisation said it considers the region’s demographic separation to have already become a physical reality and demanded the establishment of a Separate Administration as a Union Territory with its own legislature, which it said was necessary for the physical and cultural survival of the Kuki people.