KOHUR, VVEZ Rebuts ‘Naga Army’ Statement, Accuses Tangkhul Leadership of Manufacturing Divisions

The Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) has issued a strong rebuttal to what it described as an “inflammatory and factually distorted” statement allegedly released by the so-called Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim’s eastern flank, popularly referred to as the “Naga Army”, accusing it of spreading historical falsehoods and dangerous narratives that could further inflame tensions in the already volatile hill districts of Manipur.

The Kuki rights body condemned the March 16 statement reportedly signed by A. Raman, asserting that the claims advanced in the document attempt to portray a one-sided narrative by attributing recent violence solely to “Kuki militants” while ignoring what it called the role of Tangkhul elements and the brutal killing of two Kuki civilians.

KOHUR reiterated that the Kuki-Zo community has consistently sought peaceful coexistence with all neighbouring communities, including the Nagas. The organisation rejected what it described as an “arrogant assertion” that Nagas are the sole landowners of the hill areas of the state, stating that such claims erase the centuries-old indigenous presence and historical rights of the Kuki-Zo people across the region.

According to KOHUR, the recent statement misrepresents the sequence of events surrounding the violence near the Mapithel hill range in the Ukhrul district and Kamjong district border areas. The organisation maintained that on March 11 two unarmed Kuki civilians — Thengin Baite of Thawai Kuki village and Thangboimang Khongsai, an internally displaced person — were allegedly abducted by suspected Tangkhul Naga volunteers near the Thawai–Leingangching area.

The victims, KOHUR alleged, were blindfolded, their hands tied behind their backs, brutally assaulted with sharp objects and later shot dead. Their bodies were reportedly recovered from a jungle area the following day. A third Kuki civilian who was reportedly assaulted and shot in the leg survived the attack.
The human rights body stated that the killings occurred despite an existing understanding of non-aggression between communities and described the act as “barbaric and inhumane”.

KOHUR also sought to highlight what it termed as restraint exercised by the Kuki community in the aftermath of the killings. It said that about 21 Tangkhul Naga civilians — including women, children and elderly persons — who were detained by Kuki volunteers along the Imphal–Ukhrul Road in a retaliatory response were released unharmed later the same night following appeals from churches, civil society groups and humanitarian organisations.

The organisation said the release came after intervention by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of Manipur and security forces, adding that none of the detainees were tortured or harmed despite the grief within the community over the killings.

Describing this as a clear example of the Kuki side’s commitment to de-escalation, KOHUR said the Naga Army statement ignored the gesture of goodwill as well as the “mutual nature” of earlier clashes in the Litan area, which it said began with a drunken altercation and later escalated into houses being burnt on both sides rather than a one-sided attack as claimed.

The organisation demanded an immediate and impartial investigation by the National Investigation Agency into the killings, calling for the perpetrators to be identified, arrested and prosecuted without delay.

KOHUR also called for an end to what it described as inflammatory rhetoric, economic blockades and social boycotts, as well as calls urging Naga youth to “rise up and defend” land “to the last”.

Stressing the need to recognise the multi-ethnic reality of the hill districts, the organisation urged all stakeholders to reject what it termed as supremacist land-ownership narratives that could perpetuate cycles of conflict.

At the same time, KOHUR appealed to Kuki-Zo youth and community leaders to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any retaliatory violence, urging the Government of India, the state government and security forces to ensure the protection of civilians and prevent armed groups from dictating territorial or ethnic agendas through violence.

“The Kuki-Zo people seek peace with justice — not submission, and not the erasure of our identity and ancestral rights,” the organisation said, adding that the community remains open to genuine dialogue based on truth and mutual respect.

KOHUR concluded by asserting that lasting peace in the region can only be achieved through accountability and justice for the victims, urging authorities to ensure that those responsible for the killings are brought to book.

Meanwhile, the Village Volunteers Eastern Zone (VVEZ), Kuki-Zo-Gam, has also issued a strong rebuttal to a press statement released by the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak‑Muivah) (NSCN-IM) on March 16, accusing the Tangkhul-led leadership of attempting to misrepresent the ongoing crisis in Manipur and sow discord among tribal communities.

In a sharply worded press statement, the VVEZ dismissed the remarks attributed to a self-styled lieutenant general of the NSCN-IM as “politically motivated” and warned Naga communities not to fall prey to what it described as the organisation’s divisive agenda.

The statement revisited the events of May 3, 2023, when tribals across Manipur had united to protest a controversial recommendation of the Manipur High Court regarding the extension of Scheduled Tribe status to the majority Meitei community. According to the VVEZ, the rally and the developments that followed escalated into widespread violence, which it described as “genocidal acts” against the Kuki community.

The group asserted that the events exposed what it termed a long-standing agenda by sections of the Meitei majority aimed at the systematic marginalisation and annihilation of the Kuki community in Manipur.

Addressing Naga communities directly, the VVEZ pointed out that many Kuki settlements are located in areas adjacent to the Imphal Valley and therefore became the first targets when violence erupted. It cautioned that assuming such hostility would remain confined only to Kukis would be a grave miscalculation.

The organisation also criticised what it described as the ideological narrative of Meiteinism rooted in the concept of Salai Taret, alleging that it promotes the claim that only Meiteis represent the indigenous people of Manipur, thereby sidelining other tribal communities.

In an appeal to Naga tribes, the VVEZ urged them to set aside past misunderstandings and prioritise the protection of ancestral lands and the future of their people. The group further alleged that the Kuki-Naga conflicts of the 1990s were orchestrated under the influence of the NSCN-IM and warned against repeating what it called “the same trap laid by the Tangkhul-dominated leadership” of the organisation.

The statement also touched upon historical migration patterns, claiming that the Tangkhul Nagas had migrated to the hill areas of Manipur from the Somra Tract in present-day Myanmar. Despite this, the VVEZ said the Kuki community had never attempted to brand them as refugees or illegal immigrants, which it said demonstrated a commitment to coexistence and mutual respect among tribal groups.

In one of its most pointed remarks, the VVEZ claimed that internal dynamics within the NSCN-IM appear increasingly fragile, particularly amid concerns about the deteriorating health of the organisation’s chairman, Thuingaleng Muivah. It alleged that the Tangkhul leadership dominating the top hierarchy of the outfit may be attempting to create a common adversary in order to maintain internal cohesion in the event of a leadership vacuum.

“In light of these circumstances, we call upon our fellow Nagas not to fall prey to the political designs of the Tangkhul-led NSCN-IM,” the statement said.

The VVEZ further emphasised that unity among hill tribes was crucial to pursuing what it described as the legitimate aspiration for a separate administrative arrangement from the Meitei-led Manipur government, arguing that such a step was necessary to safeguard ancestral lands, protect tribal communities, and secure a just and peaceful future.

The statement concluded by asserting that the rebuttal had been issued in the interest of truth, unity, and the protection of ancestral land and people.