Outlaw Kuki SoO militant groups
- 31st August 2025 :: Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) -

Thadou Leader Nehkam Jomhao

Thadou Inpi Condemns Kuki Terrorism and Demands Justice for the Murder of Thadou Leader Nehkam Jomhao; Outlaw Kuki SoO militant groups

Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), the apex body of the Thadou tribal community in Manipur, today condemns in the strongest possible terms the brutal and cowardly murder of Mr. Nehkam Jomhao, a respected Thadou leader and Chairman of the Thadou Literary Society, Assam. Mr. Jomhao, 59, was savagely killed on the night of August 30 by armed Kuki militants in a clear act of targeted violence aimed at silencing the Thadou community.

According to reliable sources, Mr. Jomhao was attacked at his home in Manja village in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district. He was beaten to death, his body mutilated, and then thrown into a river, where it has yet to be recovered. This barbaric act was perpetrated by armed cadres from two Kuki militant groups, the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) and the United Kukigam Defence Army (UKDA), and was masterminded by UKDA chief Janglen Kipgen and KRA chief Janglun Hansing.

We have received harrowing reports that Mr. Jomhao was tortured inside his home by suspected KRA cadres, members of a group under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. Unable to endure the torture, he fled to a neighbor's house for help. The attackers pursued him and struck him with a dao (machete) at the back of his head, causing a massive haemorrhage. They continued their assault, brutally beating him until his death.

The presence of KRA and UKDA camps directly within Manja village under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement is a serious breach of peace. By settling militants in a civilian population area, the government's policy has created a climate of danger and instability.

It is believed that some of the assailants, including the cadre who used the machete, travelled from Manipur and Nagaland with the specific intent to murder Mr. Jomhao. This fact establishes a clear and undeniable link, confirming that this brutal act is an extension of the ongoing violence in Manipur. The village itself has devolved into a hub for illegal activities, including drug smuggling, attracting criminal elements from outside the region and further highlighting the urgent need for government intervention to dismantle these militant camps and restore safety.

Mr. Jomhao’s murder is not an isolated incident. It is the tragic culmination of a series of threats he received from Kuki groups, including the Kuki National Assembly and Kuki militants. These threats were a direct result of his courageous participation in the August 6 "Road to Peace" meeting in Imphal, where he advocated for understanding between the Thadou and Meitei communities. He was targeted and killed simply for being Thadou, a leader who stood for peace, not conflict.

This brutal act of Kuki aggression on Thadou underscores the fundamental distinction between the Thadou and Kuki peoples. The Thadou Convention 2024 affirmed this distinct identity, stating that Thadous are not Kuki and will not accept the imposition of that term. The Thadou people are now on a path toward complete liberation from Kuki domination.

The cowardly and barbaric act is a senseless tragedy that strikes at the very heart of our community. It is a sorrowful echo of the past, as his own brother was a victim of the same violence perpetrated by Kuki militants during the 1992-1993 Kuki violence on Thadous in Assam. Pu Nehkam gave his life for his people, becoming a martyr in the fight for peace and to preserve Thadou heritage.

This heinous act highlights the grave threat posed by Kuki militant groups, many of which are operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government. Despite repeated pleas from Thadou bodies for protection, the government has failed to take decisive action against these perpetrators. This inaction has emboldened these groups to continue their violent and criminal behavior with impunity, creating a climate of terror and hatred.

A History of Imposed Identity and Violence

This horrific act of violence is part of a broader, more troubling pattern of Kuki aggression against the Thadou community.

For too long, Thadous have been subjected to widespread violence, persecution, abuse, death threats, social shaming, and boycotts, all tactics of coercive control and intimidation. The violent and radical actions of Kuki groups demonstrate that a Kuki supremacist ideology is a primary driver of conflicts in the region, posing a fundamental threat to peace and coexistence.

Kukis must respect the rights of Thadous and other ethnic groups to maintain their distinct identity without the threat of violence. History has shown the danger of this behavior. The 1997-1998 Kuki-Zomi violence was resolved by a peace agreement that explicitly protected the right to self-identify. Signed on October 1, 1998, the agreement stipulated that "Every individual or group of persons shall be at liberty to call themselves by any name, and the nomenclature KUKI and ZOMI shall not in any way be imposed upon any person or group against his/their will at any point of time."

Just as Kukis want to identify as Kuki, not Thadou or another tribe, they must extend that same respect to Thadous and other tribes. The continued imposition of a "Kuki" identity on the Thadou people, combined with escalating violence, is a direct assault on the Thadou community and other communities and threatens to trigger another ethnic conflict in Manipur and Assam. The Government of India must intervene immediately to restrain Kuki extremist groups and prevent further violence.

An Urgent Call for Action

In light of this escalating violence, TIM appeals directly to the Government of India and the state governments of Assam and Manipur to take immediate and decisive action, as it could spiral out of control and lead to another ethnic conflict.

We demand the following:

1. Immediately Abrogate the SoO agreement with the Kuki militant groups of Assam and Manipur and declare them as outlawed terrorist organizations. These groups have proven they are not interested in peace and their actions represent a clear threat to national security and community harmony.

2. Launch a thorough and swift investigation into the murder of Mr. Nehkam Jomhao and bring all perpetrators, including the mastermind commanders, to justice.

3. For the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to immediately take over the investigation. Given the clear links to the ongoing conflict in Manipur and the involvement of militant groups, this case is a matter of national security that requires the NIA's expertise.

4. Protect Thadou communities and individuals from further violence and intimidation. The Thadou people can no longer live under the constant threat of the "rule of the gun."

The murder of Nehkam Jomhao is a grim reminder of the danger of radical Kuki extremism and violence perpetrated by Kuki extremist groups. Their actions, which include inciting hatred, murder, beheading, and celebrating the murder of innocent people such as Mr. Jamhao, demonstrate a complete disregard for human life and a supremacist ideology that poses a fundamental threat to regional peace.

We want the world to know that the Thadou people have a long history as a peaceful society, but this peace has been systematically shattered. The rise of Kuki radical ideology in the 1970s, followed by Kuki militancy in the late 1980s, ushered in an era of violence, toxic identity-based politics, and severe human rights violations against the Thadou community. This aggression continues to threaten our people and regional stability.

Pu Nehkam Jomhao sacrificed his life standing up to protect Thadou heritage and advocating for peace. His courage will not be in vain. His legacy will inspire generations of Thadou people to conti nue the fight for their rights, their identity, and a peaceful future.

We call on the whole of Indian society and the global community to stand with the Thadou people, condemn this act of terrorism, and demand justice for Nehkam Jomhao.

(Manggou Thadou)
Joint General Secretary
Thadou Inpi Manipur