'Brutal killing of peace advocate exposes Kuki militants' threat to unity, peace'
Narco-terrorists should be defeated: COCOMI
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 01 2025: The brutal killing of Thadou leader Nehkam Jomhao has exposed Kuki militants' threat to peace and Manipur's unity, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has said.

"COCOMI has been shaken to its core by the horror and extremity of the murder of Mr Nehkam Jomhao, a respected 59-year-old advocate for peace and influential Chairman of the Thadou Literature Society," it said in a statement condemning the killing of the Thadou leader.

Nehkam Jomhao was brutally tortured and killed on August 30 August at Manja in Karbi Anglong, Assam, suspectedly by members of UKDA and KRA .

Assam police arrested five suspects yesterday in connection with the killing.

"Jomhao was more than a community leader; he embodied hope.

His participation in the "Road to Peace-Covenant of Community Understanding" on 6 August 2025, between Manipur CSOs and Thadou Inpi Manipur, demonstrated his unwavering commitment to unity and reconciliation," COCOMI said.

It then accused Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists of systematically targeting and silencing voices like Jomhao.

Covert narco-terrorist networks are employing violence not only to disrupt peace but to crush the aspirations of those who dare envision a united Manipur-one where communities co-exist without fear, COCOMI said.

"These acts of terror are not isolated; they are calculated suppression of collective will.

They aim to silence those who dare to dream of a peaceful, undivided State.

It is precisely because Jomhao represented this voice of unity that he was made a target reminding us all how radical, narco-driven forces seek to extinguish hope," COCOMI said.

The arrest of the suspects offers some promise, but this must not lull "us" into premature complacency.

This tragedy is a symptom of a more insidious disease, engineered at the highest levels of these terror networks.

"Justice demands that we dismantle the entire machinery from field operatives to strategists and financiers and not let mere individual accountability suffice," it said.

COCOMI also vehemently condemned the Government of India's "continued strategy of appeasement under the guise of peace talks".

It asserted that the Suspension of Operations (SoO) is being misused to afford narco-terrorist factions impunity.

"These arrangements are effectively state-backed shields that enable separatist ambitions and embolden terror while the true architects of conflict remain protected.

This policy of dual standards labelling some terror groups as "negotiable" while ignoring their criminality only deepens mistrust among indigenous communities and erodes the foundations of law and order," COCOMI said.

"Now, more than ever, COCOMI appeals to all peace-loving people of Manipur to stand united against this terror.

We cannot allow these barbaric forces to succeed.

This is a time for solidarity, resilience, and unyielding resolve.

Only through unified action civil society, local communities, and institutional forces in tandem can we defeat these terror units and reclaim the path toward peace," it said.

Let Jomhao's martyrdom ignite a renewed commitment not just to justice, but to a future where Manipur stands as one.

"We must persevere until terror is broken, and the voice of unity prevails," COCOMI said.

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