KIM, COTU condemn attack on Kuki-Zo villages
Source: Chronicle News Service
Kpi, June 29 2023:
Expressing resentment against repeated branding of Kuki-Zo village volunteers as militants, Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) said persistent attacks on Kuki-Zo people and torching of villages in the peripheral Kuki-Zo areas have long posed a serious threat to safety and security of the community.
According to KIM information and publicity secretary Janghaolun Haokip, more than 106 Kuki-Zo people have been killed while 201 villages with over 5,000 houses burnt and 355 Churches have been destroyed so far.
More than 41,425 Kuki-Zo people have been subjected to internal displacement in the ongoing violence, he said.
Since the beginning of the crisis, Kuki-Zo people have only defended their lives and villages and many people of the community have fallen victims to attack by the Meiteis, he said.
While stating that unscrupulous narrative accusing the Kuki-Zo militants of attacking Meitei villages is totally out of question and disturbing, Janghaolun implored the Central government as well as the state and national media to look into the causes of Kuki-Zo community who have helplessly fallen victim to Meitei extremism and chauvinism.
The KIM leader also made it clear that Kuki-Zo village volunteers are courageously defending their lands along with asserting it is not the Kuki SoO groups but the Meiteis who have been attacking Kuki villages.
Meanwhile, Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi general secretary Lamminlun Singsit condemned the attack on Kuki-Zo villages and drew attention of the Centre.
He said that heavily armed miscreants suspected to be from the valley attacked L Tangnaum, formerly known as Haraothel and L Munlai Kuki-Zo villages in Kang-'pokpi district early Thursday morning.
At least one person was reported killed and two others injured in the attacks while two houses were torched at Mission Veng near Leimakhong by Meira Paibi activists.
Clarifying that it was the Meiteis who attacked Ku-ki-Zo village and the Kukis were defending themselves, the CoTU leader said all the incidents happened in Kuki-Zo villages.
Drawing the attention of the Central government, the CoTU leader said that separate administration for the Kuki-Zo is the only solution to end the ongoing violence.