Appeals Union Home Minister not to renew SoO agreement
- 07th June, 2025 :: The Meitei Alliance -

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The Meitei Alliance expresses grave concern over the continued inaction by the Government of India in addressing the serious threats posed by Kuki armed groups who operated under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreements.

Despite posing a clear danger to peace, human lives, property, security, free movement, developmental efforts, community progress, and the territorial integrity of Manipur, no stringent measures have been taken to hold these groups accountable.

The recent seizure of over 50,000 combat uniforms linked to KNF in Bangladesh is of great concern. The scale of the seizure suggests potential plans that can destabilise the Northeastern region, possibly involving external actors, and thus poses a significant security threat to India.

Since the initiation of the So0 agreement in 2008, these militant groups had exploited the arrangement as a shield for engaging in acts oftener. Under the very watch of the Central Security Forces, they committed repeated and blatant violations of the SoO ground rules, amounting to terrorism.

These violations included:

(a) Causing a direct threat to the territorial integrity of Manipur,

(b) Indulging in the path of violence and violent or unlawful activities like killing, injuries, kidnappings, ambush, extortions, intimidations, canying of arms in public and imposing of 'tax' or `fines,' or offensive operations like ambush, raid, sniping and attack leading to death/ injury/ damage or loss of property against the security forces, other groups and the public,

(c) Cadres individually or as a group acquiring additional aims, ammunition, or military equipment, and also carrying out fresh recruitment of cadres or raising additional military/civil outfits/ front organisations or trying to run their sovereign government,

(d) Constructing memorials, hoisting flags or carrying out parades of armed cadres, and moving in uniform, with or without arms, in public and operating anywhere wherever they could operate in the state,

(e) Indulging in blockade of roads and surface communication in general and undertaking activities that disturbed the functioning of local and state Government and economic or development activities as well as essential services, and

(f) Extending support or assistance or having nexus with other militant groups in Manipur and Myanmar.

These armed groups, which have been the primary instigators and escalators of violence in Manipur since May 3, 2023, have used the SoO as a cover to pursue a vested agenda, that directly or indirectly contributed to:

(a) Infiltration into Indian soil by large-scale illegal immigrants from Myanmar who unscrupulously became Indian Scheduled Tribe, grabbed opportunities of India's affirmative actions, bought land, founded settler colonies, and played important roles in ethnic demographic imbalance, deforestation and destruction of the harmonious ecosystem,

(b) Illicit cross-border drug business and the spread of the menace drug addiction in Manipur and other parts of India,

(c) Invitation of foreign armed groups or cadres for additional manpower and training, injecting foreign funds and import of warlike arms, ammunition, and equipment, which are combined to exemplify their collusive sphere of influence by foreign elements that pose a threat to the internal security and geo-strategic interest of India,

(d) Creating an atmosphere of communal violence, wide-spread disturbances, ethnic militarisation of hitherto innocent citizens, obstructing the functioning of the governments, attack on the principles of the Constitution, democracy, justice, fraternity, and laws and institutions of the land. Realising the seriousness of the matter, the Government of Manipur in March 2023 announced abrogation of SoO with two Kuki armed groups.

In January 2024, taking serious note of Kuki armed groups' role in Manipur violence, the Government of Manipur sent a recommendation demanding no further extension of the SoO.

The Meitei Alliance hereby reiterates its memorandum submitted to the Honourable Union Home Minister of India, dated February 20, 2024 (Ref. No. 20240220 Memo), and respectfully urges your esteemed office to refrain from resigning the Suspension of Operation Agreement with the Kuki armed groups.

To renew the agreement would be to reward impunity, legitimise armed violence, and further destabilise Manipur and the Northeastern region.

We appeal to the Union Government to uphold the Constitution, protect national security, and stand by the people of Manipur by formally ending this failed framework Yours sincerely,

Media Coordinator
Meitei Alliance

Founded in November 2023, is an alliance of Meitei diaspora associations in India (Association of Manipuri
Diaspora– Pune; Chennai Manipuri Forum; Delhi Meetei Co-ordinating Committee, Hyderabad Manipuri Society; Manipuri
Diaspora Association- Chandigarh; Manipuri Diaspora, Assam; Manipuri in Kolkata; Meitei Association – Mumbai; Meitei
Association in Sikkim; Meitei Heritage Society, Delhi; Manipuri Meitei Association Bengaluru; Mumbai Manipuri
Solidarity Group; Society for Meitei’s Chamber of Commerce, Assam; Takhel Leima Tengbang Lup; Tripura Meitei
Association), in Australia (Meitei Community in Australia) and UK, Europe, Canada, USA, and Nicaragua.