Kuki-Zo Council condemns killing of two volunteers in Manipur’s Ukhrul district

THe Kuki-Zo Council, a civic personify, on fri condemned the cleanup of ii volunteers who were abducted on Wednesday and found dead on Thursday in the Mapithel hill range of Manipur’s Ukhrul district.Police recovered the bodies of Thenkhogin Baite (42) of Thawai Kuki village in Kamjong district and Thangboimang Khongsai (35) of Shangkai in Ukhrul district. They were found dead following an alleged gunfight between two armed groups belonging to the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities in the jungle of the Mapithel hill range, also known as Thawai Kuki Hill, on Thursday.The council described the killing as “a merciless and inhumane act” against innocent civilians.“The continued violence and discrimination faced by the Kuki-Zo people only strengthen our conviction that our safety and dignity cannot be ensured under the present arrangement in Manipur. Our demand for a Union Territory with legislature is therefore not merely political but essential for the survival and future of the Kuki-Zo people,” KZC stated in the statement.Also read: Manipur: Six injured in protest against census without NRCThe council urged the Government of India to act decisively and hasten the political settlement so that justice, security, and lasting peace may be ensured for the community.The gunfight reportedly took place between 6:30 am and 9 am on Wednesday after the two Kuki villagers were allegedly abducted by unidentified armed groups. During the exchange of fire, a civilian, Lalminthang Haokip (40), sustained a minor bullet injury and was evacuated to a health centre in Kangpokpi district for treatment.In retaliation, 21 civilians belonging to the Tangkhul Naga community who were travelling along the Ukhrul–Imphal road were abducted by some members of the Kuki community at Shangkai village in Ukhrul district. With the intervention of the district administration and civil society organisations, they were safely released on Thursday.Manipur police, in a statement issued on Thursday, said: “In the morning of March 11, huts located at a poppy cultivation site in the Thawai Kuki Hill Range (Mapithel Hill Range) were reportedly burnt and two Kuki poppy cultivators were detained. Thereafter, exchange of gunfire took place between armed miscreants of Tangkhul and Kuki groups, allegedly using sophisticated weapons. During the incident of firing and scuffle, few youths went missing.”Police have registered three FIRs for further investigation, and Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand on Thursday informed the Manipur Legislative Assembly that the case will be handed over to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) for further investigation.