No to Kuki supremacists : Thadou tribe TSA
- Thadou Community International formed -
- 04th August 2024 : Thadou Students' Association (TSA-GHQ) -

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Under the aegis of the Thadou Students’ Association (TSA-GHQ), a meeting was held between TSA-GHQ and a host of other Thadou champions from nine different countries around the world, including the USA, United Kingdom, Norway, Australia, India, Myanmar, Singapore, Macau, and Malaysia on August 3, 2024.

During the over 8 hour-long marathon meeting, “Thadou Community International” (TCI) was formed, with Kapchungnung Tado and Chongboi Haokip unanimously elected as Convenors and 30 other participants of the meeting as executive members for a tenure of one year.

Several critical issues and the future of Thadou people were discussed as the Thadou champions share the same vision for Thadou resurgence and share concerns regarding the situation of Thadou people around the world, particularly in India’s Manipur, where Thadous are facing widespread persecution, brutality and violation of their civil and human rights from different quarters. TCI will endeavour to represent the voice of the suppressed and silenced Thadous.

Main objectives of the Thadou Community International are:

1. To safeguard and promote the civil and human rights of Thadou tribe, its distinct identity, heritage, history, culture and the overall Thadou interests; and to carry out awareness programs accordingly.

2. To address serious concerns over widespread violation of civil and human rights of Thadou people by anti-Thadou elements, particularly Kuki supremacists; and to raise the issue with relevant authorities and organisations, including state actors and non-state actors.

3. To support Thadou organisations and leaders of Thadou organisations who bravely stand up and work tirelessly and selflessly for protection of Thadou people and Thadou interests.

4. To promote and strengthen Thadou communities across the globe and foster positive relationships with other kindred communities within the Chin/Zo people and beyond.

5. To promote upliftment of socio-economic, educational and the over-all development of Thadou people.

The above objectives are based on acknowledgement of the following facts, circumstances and evidence-based assessments:

1. Thadou is a distinct tribe and people with their own distinct identity, language and culture and great history spanning thousands of years and they have always been known as Thadou with no prefix or suffix since the beginning of their history itself till now.

2. At some point other people may have called Thadous with different names, such as Khongjai (not the same as Khongsai) by the Meiteis or Kuki by the media or some other people, however that does not change the fact that we are Thadou and we should be called Thadou respectfully. Referring to us as otherwise, that too with a derogatory name, is hurtful and, we feel, is offensive, disrespectful and in fact racist. It is of noteworthy that our kindred tribes under the indigenous name Zomi or Mizo in India have never accepted or identified themselves as Kuki.

3. Thadou is not Kuki but a distinct tribe. The fake Kuki tribe was fraudulently created and listed as a separate tribe in the list of scheduled tribes of Manipur in 2003 with a population of 28,342 as per the 2011 Manipur census under the name ‘Any Kuki Tribes’ for their own personal wealth creation and political control. We support the proposition that this AKT needs to be deleted before it is too late to secure the collective interests of all the Indigenous/native people of Manipur, including the original 29 scheduled tribes under the 1956 Orders.

4. Kuki is a colonial terminology, first used loosely by the British colonisers from what is believed to be a Bengali reference to the migratory ‘Cuckoo’/’Cucci’ bird or ‘Coolie’ (generally meaning slave/labourer/porter), originally to refer to some unspecified groups of primitive people, not necessarily of the same people, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.

5. Amidst the ongoing tragic ethnic violence in Manipur that broke out on May 3, 2023, the Thadou tribe continues to face constant and increasing threats to its identity, unity and interests from various quarters, particularly Kuki supremacist groups and individuals, including armed Kuki militants and their frontal organisations disguising as Kuki civil society organisations.

6. Thadous have been forced to reject their own ethnic and cultural identity while being forced to proclaim as being Kuki and to support Kuki, and those who don't toe the line have been abused, persecuted, cancelled, tortured and assaulted, for an example the despicable arson attack on the family home of the unwavering Thadou leader Michael Lamjathang Haokip few days after the outbreak of Manipur violence on May 3, 2023 and assassination attempt on his life in late April last year in Churachandpur, Manipur.

7. With no, or lack of, protection from state actors or government authorities, there have been countless instances, on an ongoing basis, of Thadous living in fear and are afraid of even saying they are Thadou or participating in Thadou organisations or activities due to fear of reprisals from Kuki supremacist forces. The rampant and ongoing violation and abuse of human rights perpetrated on Thadous by the anti-Thadou Kuki supremacists is too widespread to ignore or to remain silent about.

8. Over many years there have been well-organised and concerted campaigns carried out actively and aggressively by Kuki supremacist groups and individuals against Thadou and as a result many people, including from Thadou community, have been brainwashed, indoctrinated and incited to hate Thadou and to engage in widespread anti-Thadou violent rhetoric, misinformation campaigns and actual act of violence against leaders and members of Thadou community.

9. Thadous have been facing widespread and escalating brutality, coercive control and abuse from Kuki supremacists and they (Thadous) have been forced to say or enter their tribe name as Kuki or ‘any Kuki tribes’ instead of Thadou under duress and all kinds of threats and intimidation tactics. Having been caught up, Thadous have been the biggest innocent silent victim in the ongoing Manipur violence, and yet they are being mocked ‘you get killed as Kuki anyway’ regardless of their ethnic identity.

10. Thadou tribe is one of the indigenous/native people of Manipur, India, where they have been recorded as Thadou in all censuses since the first census of India in 1881 till date, and also in Myanmar where they are recognised as native ethnic people under Chin umbrella and have their own ethnic population code # 427. Mention maybe made that even Meitei (Meithei; Kathe) and Naga are included under the Chin ethnic group in Myanmar, but Kuki is not recognised in Myanmar.

Thadous are deeply passionate about our sense of our identity as it gives profound meaning to our everyday life and future, and therefore Thadous will not compromise on our identity, but will fight for justice and freedom and seek non-violent and peaceful resolutions on the basis of mutual respect, understanding and equality.

Kapchungnung Tado (Chicago, USA)
Convenor

Chongboi Haokip (London, UK)
Convenor