May clash spurs SoO groups to join SA chorus
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 23 2024: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is reportedly reviewing the ground rules applicable to Kuki-Zo insurgent groups in Manipur, which are under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement signed with the Indian government since 2008 .

This review comes amidst renewed tensions and violence in the state, which have prompted a reassessment of security measures and political arrangements.

According to a report published by The Hindu, in the days leading up to the violence, the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, including the United Peoples' Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), had reached a significant political settlement with the MHA.

After several rounds of negotiations, these groups agreed to a self-governance model in the form of a Territorial Council for the Kuki-Zo people within the state of Manipur.

This agreement, though not known to thee common people, was seen as a major step toward resolving the decades-old conflict in the region.

However, the situation dramatically changed following the outbreak of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023 .

The violence began after a tribal solidarity-march organised by the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) to protest a High Court ruling on the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demand for the Meitei community turned violent in Churachandpur district.

The unrest quickly escalated, with Kuki groups targeting Meetei houses and residents in Torbung and Kangvai areas.

The violence spread to Moreh and Kangpokpi by sunset, where Kuki residents outnumbered the Meetei, and eventually reached the valley areas later that night.

In the immediate after math of the violence, the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups revised their political demands, calling for a "separate administration" for the Kuki-Zo people, rather than the initially agreed-upon Territorial Council.

This change in stance was initiated by a joint statement from the 10 Kuki MLAs, who first raised the demand for separate administration post violence within a couple of days of the outbreak of violence.

It was followed by similar demands from various Kuki civil and student organisations, including Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), which had been formed shortly before the crisis.

Meanwhile, the MHA has proposed relocating the SoO camps farther into the hill districts, away from the valley districts that are predominantly inhabited by Meetei people and home to all the ethnic tribes of the state.

This proposal was discussed during a security review meeting held on June 17, chaired by union home minister Amit Shah and attended by state government officials, notably without the presence of chief minister N Biren.

Meetei groups have been advocating for removal of these camps, viewing them as a potential source of tension and violence.

CM Biren had called for abrogation of the tripartite pact, which has been periodically extended over the past two decades.

Reflecting the state's discontent with the ongoing SoO agreement, the state government refused to send a representative to a meeting called by MHA on February 29 to extend the SoO pact with the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, leaving the agreement in a state of uncertainty.

Since August 19, three rounds of meetings have been held between representatives of the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups and MHA adviser (Northeast) AK Mishra, along with officials from the Intelligence Bureau.

These meetings have focused on reviewing the ground rules for the insurgent groups, although political demands for separate administration have reportedly not been discussed.

Under the existing peace pact, cadres of the SoO groups are required to stay in designated camps, with their weapons and ammunition accounted for and regularly checked by a monitoring agency appointed by the state government.

Approximately 2,200 cadres from these groups currently reside in 14 designated camps spread across the hill districts of Manipur.

The ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023 has resulted in at least 224 deaths and displaced more than 60,000 people over the past 15 months.

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