COCOMI condemns drone bombing, misuse of ambulance
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 02 2024: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has strongly condemned the drone bombing and misuse of an ambulance by armed Kuki militants to attack civilians in Koutruk village, terming such actions as serious war crimes and inhumane acts.

Using an ambulance to infiltrate Meetei villages by Kuki militants under the pretence of providing essential emergency services is gross violation of humanitarian principles, COCOMI said.

In a press communique, COCOMI stated that the incident occurred on Sunday in Koutruk village of Imphal West district, where an ambulance from Leimakhong area, known to house one of the largest army camps, was used by Kuki militants to gain access to the village.

The attack resulted in the death of a 31-year-old mother, injury-to her daughter, and nine other village volunteers.

COCOMI described the act as a blatant misuse of humanitarian service vehicle underscoring severe lack of moral and ethical integrity among the perpetrators.

In a disturbing development, a video surfaced of a woman in the background praising the attackers and celebrating the death of the young mother and injury of her child, which COCOMI criticised as display of inhumane and unethical behaviour.

It also noted that Kuki Inpi, a prominent Kuki organisation, quickly issued a statement that appeared to have been pre-emptively drafted before the actual incident took place.

The timing of their press release coincided suspiciously with the attack, suggesting that the incident was premeditated.

COCOMI accused Kuki Inpi of misleading the public through a disinformation campaign aimed at deceiving people about the true nature of the attack.

Some national and local media outlets were initially misled by Kuki Inpi's press release but later corrected their reports after uncovering the truth behind the false narratives, it added.

Manipur Police have confirmed that several highly sophisticated drones were used by Kuki militants during the attack on Koutruk villages.

Following the attack, some national media outlets withdrew their earlier reports from various platforms after realising deceptive nature of the narratives being circulated by Kuki militants.

COCOMI warned that relying solely on the press releases of groups like Kuki lnpi, without verifying the content, is dangerous and could lead to spread of misinformation.

COCOMI also pointed out that this is not the first time Kuki Inpi has spread false and fabricated narratives.

It cited the example of the so-called Moirang Treaty of Brotherhood between the Meetei and Kuki, which Kuki Inpi allegedly used to justify their presence in the area.

However, historical records from the Royal Chronicles of the Meetei Kings indicated that this was not a treaty but conveyance to the Kukis to serve under the King's command to guard the boundary.

COCOMI accused Kuki Inpi of continuously propagating falsehood, with their recent press release crossing the bounds of humanity.

COCOMI has demanded immediate action against those responsible for the attack, whose identities have been revealed through social media, including the ambulance's registration numberJt warned that if the state government fails to take appropriate action, public trust in the current administration could erode, potentially leading to extreme measures being taken to avenge the death of the mother and the injuries suffered by her daughter.

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