Centre urged not to renew 'flawed' SoO agreement
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 03 2025: Four organisations representing diverse communities in Manipur have jointly submitted a memorandum to Union Home minister Amit Shah, urging the Government of India not to arbitrarily renew the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement signed with armed militant groups which had persistently violated ground rules and whose armed militants started violence in Manipur on May 3, 2023, in Churachandpur.

These armed groups protected by the SoO agreement are gravely undermining safety and security of all communities in the state of Manipur, the CSOs alleged.

The memorandum, signed by Indigenous Peoples' Forum Manipur, Thadou Inpi Manipur, Meitei Alliance, and Foothills Naga Coordination Committee, stated that the SoO agreement has been repeatedly violated by armed groups under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF).

They alleged that these groups were not only involved in the outbreak of violence in Churachandpur on May 3,2023, and the torching of homes in Torbung and Kangvai, but continue to pose a threat to peace and security.

The organisations pointed out that Indian army first entered into a bilateral SoO arrangement with KNO and UPF on August 1, 2005, which was formalised into tripartite agreement on August 22, 2008, involving the Government of India, the Government of Manipur, and the respective militant groups.

The agreement, however, has been renewed annually despite repeated violations of both the preamble and ground rules, the memorandum stated.

According to the memorandum, the preamble of the SoO agreement makes it clear that the signatory groups are required to completely abjure violence and refrain from any unlawful activities including killings, injuries, kidnappings, ambushes, extortion, intimidation, public display of arms, and imposition of 'taxes' or 'fines'.

The primary objective is to maintain law and order, which is a responsibility constitutionally assigned to the state under the State List of the Indian Constitution.

The memorandum highlighted a critical structural flaw in the framework of the SoO Agreement: the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), which is tasked with overseeing implementation and recommending action against violations, includes representatives from the very militant groups accused of perpetrating violence.

This creates a clear conflict of interest, they pointed out in the representation.

While the agreement states that the Manipur government can terminate the arrangement and use force if the groups are found in violation, such a recommendation must come from the JMG, where KNO and UPF themselves are participants.

The JMG is headed by the principal secretary or commissioner (Home) of Manipur and includes representatives from the state police, ministry of home affairs, central paramilitary forces, Indian Army and the underground groups.

Due to this design, the Manipur government is unable to take effective action, the organisations claimed.

They argued that the SoO framework should empower the state government to maintain law and order without relying on recommendations from parties with vested interests in the outcome.

The memorandum observed that the elected state government of Manipur had already abrogated the SoO agreement with Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) in March 2023, and had officially recommended against their extension in January 2024 .

Since the agreement is a tripartite pact, their continuation without state government's consent would be a violation of the terms, the groups reasoned.

To restore peace in the state, the CSOs put forward a set of recommendations.

They urged the Union government to either abrogate the SoO agreement as recommended by the last elected state government or facilitate the formation of a popular government or re-election in the state so that an elected administration can legitimately decide on the agreements' renewal.

They further demanded that if the SoO agreement is to be renewed, their structure and framework must be holistically reviewed to ensure effective implementation.

An independent and neutral arbitrator should be established to address conflicts of interest under constitutional provisions, the memorandum stated.

The groups also called for the prosecution of armed militants involved in violence, insisting that any signatory or member of KNO or UPF found directly or indirectly connected to such acts must not be shielded under the SoO framework.

They stressed that the SoO agreement should function as a mechanism for non-violence, not as a protector of violence.

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