PUCL Tribunal Report Highlights Truth of Manipur Conflict: Kuki-Zo Council

Despite the condemnation raised by certain sections over the PUCL tribunal report, the Kuki Zo Council (KZC) on Monday stated that the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Tribunal report highlights the truth of the Manipur conflict.

In a release issued on Monday, the KZC stated that the landmark tribunal stands as the most comprehensive documentation to date of the tragedy that erupted on May 3, 2023, and continues to scar the people of Manipur even today.

Appreciating the PUCL for its effort and courage in establishing such an independent tribunal to record the voices of victims, survivors, and stakeholders of the conflict, the KZC stated: “At a time when narratives are often distorted or silenced, such third-party fact-finding initiatives provide the nation with an unbiased understanding of the ground reality.”

The KZC encouraged more independent organisations, think tanks, and civil society groups to undertake similar efforts, so that the truth of this conflict can no longer be denied or ignored. It also urged every Indian citizen to carefully read and reflect upon the PUCL report.

“Only by doing so can the people of India grasp the true nature of the ethnic divide between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo, which lies at the heart of this prolonged tragedy. This is not merely a local issue, but a matter of justice, equality, and constitutional rights within the world's largest democracy,” the KZC stated.

The council claimed that the physical divide between the Meiteis in the valley and the Kuki-Zo in the hills is now undeniable and irreversible.

The events since May 2023 have made coexistence under a single administrative framework not only impractical but impossible, the release stated, adding that continuing to force both communities under one administration will only deepen hostility and prolong suffering.

Urging the Government of India to act with moral courage and political clarity, the council stated that the time has come to officially recognise the separation and grant the Kuki-Zo people a separate administration within the Indian Union.

“Only then can peace, dignity, and justice be restored for both communities, and only then can Manipur begin to heal,” the KZC said.

It may be mentioned that on August 20, 2025, the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) released its Independent People's Tribunal on the Ongoing Ethnic Conflict in Manipur, chaired by Justice Kurian Joseph, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India.

Following the release of the tribunal report, MP Leishemba Sanajaoba condemned the report, calling it one-sided, biased, and ungrounded. Former Manipur Human Rights Commission Chairperson Khaidem Mani also stated that the report is biased and lacks transparency.

Khaidem Mani further remarked that the report appeared to have been prepared with a predetermined mindset, rather than reflecting an impartial and balanced assessment of the situation.