KHRC demands political solution over arrests
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, August 12 2025: The Kuki Human Rights Council (KHRC) has strongly condemned the Government of India's handling of the ongoing Manipur conflict, accusing it of human rights violations and "selective justice" in the arrest of suspects.

In a statement, KHRC leaders alleged that the central government's response has been biased, disproportionately targeting members of the Kuki community while ignoring the root causes of the violence that erupted on May 3, 2023 .

The Council claimed that the conflict was triggered by a "calculated campaign" linked to land acquisition by the Meetei community, which led to large-scale violence against Kukis.

KHRC particularly denounced the arrest of Thanglienlal Hmar and others in connection with the killings of three Meetei women and three children in Jiribam district, calling the move "selective, condemnable, and unjust" .

It demanded their immediate and unconditional release, stating that justice must not be reduced to arrests without addressing the political realities driving the unrest.

"The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in collaboration with security forces, has acted with bias, deliberately targeting a single community," the statement said.

"What Manipur needs is not selective arrests, but a genuine political solution between the warring communities," it added.

The Council appealed to the public to rally behind the cause of justice and a negotiated settlement before any peace accord is signed or the free movement of people is restored.

"Justice must be comprehensive and political, not cosmetic and punitive, " KHRC asserted in the joint statement.

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