AMUCO rules out talks with SoO groups
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 23 2025: The All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) has ruled out any talk or negotiation with Kuki-Zo militant leaders who are parties to the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement.

The Ministry of Home Affairs invited certain Meitei CSOs including AMUCO for talks on the current crisis but the talks did not materialise.

With the Ministry of Home Affairs acting as a mere third party or mediator devoid of any authority, there is no point in participating in any talk initiated by the Ministry, said AMUCO president Nando Luwang.

In the meantime, MHA officials had verbally invited AMUCO and FOCS for further talks on May 27 and it is not sure yet whether the talks scheduled on May 27 would be participated by Kuki-Zo groups or not.

Talking with The Sangai Express, AMUCO president Nando Luwang questioned whether the MHA officials are facilitating the dialogue between Meitei CSOs and Kuki-Zo CSOs as a mere third party or some authority.

Together with MHA officials, Meitei CSOs and Kuki-Zo CSOs held talks on the Manipur crisis on April 5, 2025 and the Meitei CSOs agreed to the six points proposed by MHA.

The Meitei CSOs agreed to the proposal not in the interest of Meiteis, not in the interest of Kukis but in the collective interest of Manipur, Nando said.

Just because the Kuki-Zo rejected the proposal, the Ministry of Home Affairs has not acted on any of the six points.

For example, the Ministry of Home Affairs has given up all attempts to ensure free movement on highways just because Kukis are opposed to it, he pointed out.

He said that some of the points would be hard to implement if both sides do not agree.

He then questioned the MHA's failure to open the National Highway (Imphal-Dimapur highway) even though blocking National Highways violates the Constitution of India and there is a directive of the Supreme Court against blocking National Highways.

Representatives of the Kuki-Zo CSOs who took part in the April 5 talks made it clear that they would hold a meeting of their own and any further negotiation to resolve the crisis would be done at the level of the militant groups under SoO agreement.

"If we must negotiate with the militant leaders, it would amount to giving undue recognition to the SoO groups.

We have been demanding abrogation of the SoO agreement", Nando said.

"Moreover, every proposal we table at the proposed May 27 meeting would be rejected by Kuki-Zo groups for they have already rejected the six-point proposal tabled at the April 5 meeting", he said.

Instead of sitting idle without taking any action just because Kukis are not agreeable, the MHA must act as per the country's law but the MHA is unable or unwilling to take any action, the AMUCO president asserted.

"AMUCO believes in dialogue to resolve any crisis but we will not participate in the dialogue scheduled on May 27", Nando said.

FOCS too is in favour of holding talks but it does not recognise SoO agreement.

"If the talks come to the stage of negotiation with representatives of SoO militant groups, we must first consult with our senior leaders", said its president BM Yaima.

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