The Coordinating Committee of Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abrogate the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki armed groups in Manipur which is to expire in 28th February 2024. In a representation to the PM, the Committee claimed that armed members of the Kuki groups have been repeatedly violating the Agreement’s ground rules and were even involved in attacking Indian Army and state police personnel.
COCOMI also criticized the Government of India’s “continued engagement with and legitimization of armed Chin-Kuki narco-terrorist groups” and its inaction regarding “rampant drug trafficking and poppy cultivation by these groups in Manipur,” which it claimed violates the fundamental rights of indigenous Meetei citizens but also risks legitimizing the presence of the Kuki in Manipur.
In its representation, the Committee cited several “important testimony” to support its claim of SoO ground rules violations, such as: members of Kuki armed groups taking part in the 3rd May 2023 rally in Churachandpur; launching attacks on Meetei Villages in Touring; ZRA Cadres openly hoisting Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) flags in the foothills and atop Thangjing Hill in June 2023; concerns raised by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding Indian citizenship of ZRA Chairman Thanglianpau Quite; KRA’s direct involvement in gun attacks in Saikul and Dolaithabi on 16th May 2023; Security Advisor Kuldeep Singh’s statement on 14th May 2023, regarding missing SoO cadres from designated camps, highlights further violations of ground rules.
Somorendro Thokchom, Coordinator, COCOMI, therefore urged the Government of India to exercise extreme caution and refrain from extending the SoO agreement and to take immediate and decisive action against the “ground rule violations and illegal activities” carried out by the groups. Further, he appealed that Centre prioritize the “safety and security of the indigenous people of Manipur above all other considerations in any decision-making process.”