PREPAK alleges Kuki-Zos enjoy India's patronage-I
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 08 2024: The proscribed PREPAK has alleged that the Kuki-Zos enjoy India's patronage and India has been actively supporting Kuki-Zo militants to confront the revolutionary forces in WESEA (Western South East Asia) region.

A statement issued by PREPAK Interim Council Chairman Aheiba Angom on the occasion of the outfit's 47th raising day (October 9) further alleged that India aims to weaken the revolutionary groups in WESEA by bolstering the Kuki-Zo militants.

India has provided the Kuki-Zo militants with unconditional support, including increasing their numbers and supplying arms and ammunition.

Fearing international criticism for human rights violations and breaches of international law in a direct confrontation, India has discreetly engaged in a proxy war using the Kuki-Zo mercenaries, it alleged.

After the alleged annexation of Kangleipak (Manipur) by India in 1949, the region experienced the height of oppression, resulting in the degradation of its culture, economy, and other facets of life.

This fostered mistrust and discord among the communities of Kangleipak, gradually weakening their unity.

Exploiting this instability, a deliberate strategy was implemented to further divide the people and prevent peaceful coexistence.

As part of this plan, the Chin-Kuki-Zo communities were strategically supported, receiving logistical backing to wage a proxy war against the people's resistance movement, as India could not openly confront the Manipur revolutionary forces.

This campaign began in 1992 with operations led by the Assam Rifles, causing widespread unrest.

The conflict escalated sharply in 2005 and again in 2008, the PREPAK Chairman asserted.

The ongoing crisis in Manipur has reached unprecedented levels, and the reality of external aggression is now widely acknowledged.

Under Article 355 of the Constitution, it is the Central government's responsibility to protect any Indian State from external aggression or internal disturbance.

However, the Central Government has not yet done anything to address the crisis.

As a result, citizens have been compelled to step into the role of Khun Ngakpa (Village Volunteers), risking their lives to protect the State from Kuki-Zo militants who are threatening the lives, property, and dignity of the people.

While these Khun Ngakpas, who are making immense sacrifices for the safety of their communities, are being indiscriminately arrested and jailed, the Kuki-Zo militants, who blatantly violate the laws of the land, are being set free without consequence, Aheiba Angom remarked.

Three civilians were beheaded in their sleep in Kwakta last year, and in September this year, another civilian was shot dead while asleep in his home at Jiribam by Kuki-Zo militants.

In Imphal West, a young married woman was killed in Koutruk due to drone bombings and sniper fire.

Additionally, in Moirang, a civilian lost their life to a long-range rocket/missile fired from approximately 7 km away by Kuki-Zo militants.

These acts violate the International Convention on the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, adopted in 1997 and ratified by India on September 22, 1999.They also fall under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), invoking serious legal consequences, read the Chairman's statement.

According to the SAARC Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism (1987) and the SAARC Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism Act (1997) enacted by India, the Kuki-Zo militant groups responsible for these terrorist acts may be designated as terrorist organizations, leading to a prohibition of all their activities, it asserted.

The political armed opposition groups, which are fighting for the restoration of Manipur's lost sovereignty, adhere to the Geneva Conventions, International Humanitarian Law, and International Human Rights Law.

Despite this, India periodically labels these groups as outlawed and terrorist organizations.

In contrast, the Chin-Kuki-Zo militant groups involved in such activities are not designated as terrorists or outlawed by India, allowing them to operate with impunity, protected by a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, it said.

Kuki-Zo militants' approach mirrors that of the Indian armed forces, engaging in hybrid warfare against the political and military opposition in Kangleipak.

Both the Indian army and Kuki Zo militants share identical political and military objectives with respect to the people of Kangleipak, it continued.

The actions of these Kuki terrorists violate Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to life for citizens who face constant threats of hostage-taking.

By failing to protect civilians, Indian leaders and their Kuki Zo militant counterparts may one day face prosecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for breaches of International Criminal Law, read the Chairman's statement.

The situation in Kangleipak has drawn parallels to prior conflicts in Yugoslavia and Rwanda, raising the possibility of establishing an international tribunal to address war crimes in Manipur, Aheiba Angom remarked.

He said that the people of Kangleipak may now look to the United Nations and the ICC prosecutor to advocate for the establishment of an International Criminal Tribunal to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes in Manipur.

He alleged that India is embroiled in a proxy war in Kangleipak.

The geopolitical landscape in Kangleipak is increasingly shaped by the overlapping interests of India and China, particularly against the backdrop of the proxy war involving India and the Kuki-Zo in Manipur.

The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as a focal point of strategic interest.

Within this context, the US, Japan, Australia, and India have united in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) to counter China's supremacy and claims to 90% of the South China Sea.

By bypassing the Malacca Strait, China's efforts to establish a land route to the Indian Ocean present strategic challenges to both the US and India, read the Chairman's statement.

The US is eyeing the possibility of establishing an air base in this region, which could alert both China and India.

This scenario may become more viable if the Kuki-Chin-Zo peoples realise their aspiration for Zalen'gam, a Christian State that could facilitate a permanent US air base between India and China, thereby influencing the balance of power in the region, it averred.

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