Kuki body decries arrest of accused
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 19 2025: The Kuki Organisation For Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) has condemned what it termed as arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention of Thangminlen Mate, the spokesperson of Kuki Inpi, Tengnoupal, at Ngopa village in Aizawl, Mizoram while he was in transit with his family to Churachandpur district.

In a statement, KOHUR Information and Publicity Department said, "This act constitutes gross violation of his fundamental rights under Article 21 of the constitution of India and personal liberty".

The KOHUR press statement alleged that the arrest exemplifies a growing pattern of targeted coercion and criminalisation of legitimate Kuki civil society actors under the pretext of legal processes thereby raising serious concern about the abuse of state power to intimidate, silence and delegitimise community representatives functioning within democratic and constitutional framework.

Expressing serious disapproval for the arrest of Thangminlen Mate, the KOHUR posed as to why authorities concerned are adopting a policy of apathy and inaction against militant elements such as the Arambai Tenggol, whose leaders, including Koroun-ganba, who were named in the investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for grave offences including illegal possession of looted state armouries and collusion with armed state forces.

"These individuals have not only evaded prosecution but continue to mobilise mass rallies replete with incendiary hate speech, including explicit calls for the ethnic cleansing of the Kuki population," asserted the KOHUR, adding that in-spite of clear breach of law and public order, no prosecutorial action has been initiated.

The KOHUR, while calling for Mate's unconditional release and an independent, impartial review of all such detention to ensure compliance with constitution safeguards and international human rights obligation, asserted that the arrest of Thangminlen Mate must be viewed not as an isolated occurrence but as a part of a broader campaign to institutionalised discrimination, persecution and systematic silencing of Kuki voices.

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