Martyred Church leaders were Thadou, not Kuki : TIM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 15 2026: The three Church leaders who were "martyred" in a "targeted ambush" in Kangpokpi on May 13 were Thadou people, not Kukis, and the planned burial of the leaders at the TBA compound in Kangpokpi must not be disturbed by any Kuki group, the Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) has said.

The Church leaders must not be falsely portrayed as Kukis.

They lived their lives proudly as Thadou until their final breath.

Portraying them otherwise adds further pain to the grieving community, said TIM in a statement.

TIM said the entire Thadou community is engulfed in anger, grief, and profound sorrow following the killing of the three Thadou Church leaders, Dr Rev Vumthang Sitlhou, president of the Thadou Baptist Association India (TBAI); Rev Kaigoulun; and Pastor Paogoulen.

The ambush in Kangpokpi killed the three Church and injured five others, who received treatment at Shija Hospital, Imphal.

"Tragically, several individuals and sections of the media have wrongly identified the victims as "Kuki" instead of Thadou, causing further pain and distress to the bereaved Thadou community," TIM said.

Portraying them as Kukis is inaccurate and deeply offensive, whether arising from ignorance, misinformation, or deliberate provocation.

These leaders lived their lives proudly as Thadou until their final breath.

Misidentifying them in death as Kuki, rather than acknowledging their true ethnic identity as Thadou, adds further pain to a grieving community, TIM said.

"We urge all concerned to respect the distinct identity of the Thadou people and to correctly refer to them as Thadou - not Kuki or "Thadou-Kuki." Continued misrepresentation reinforces divisive narratives, it said.

TIM noted that Dr Rev Vumthang was not only a well-known, respected, and visionary Church leader and an advocate for peace, but also a dedicated champion of Thadou identity, unity, and resurgence.

Dr Rev Vumthang spearheaded the translation of the Holy Bible "In Thadou," correcting the earlier version labelled "In Kuki" by Dr Rev T Lunkim, permanent secretary of the Kuki Christian Church (KCC) .

Historically, the first Bible translation into Thadou was undertaken by Ngulhao Thomsong, an early Thadou Christian missionary and literacy pioneer, well before T Lunkim, TIM said.

The leadership of the Thadou Baptist Association (TBA), particularly Dr Rev Vumthang, also envisioned greater unity among Thadou Christians worldwide.

In pursuit of this vision, they initiated the concept of a Global Thadou Christian Congress, scheduled to commence in October this year, with the aim of connecting Thadou Churches beyond Manipur, strengthening Thadou Christian unity, and guiding Thadous who had drifted into the ideological "Kuki" platform-due to years of Kuki radical indoctrination and sustained violent or militant campaigns, TIM said.

"Dr Rev Vumthang's name was listed as a Minister for the so-called "Kuki Zo Flag" hoisting ceremony held at the KCC Community Hall on May 9, 2026 .

Upon learning of this, he clarified that he had neither consented to participate in nor attended the event.

He upheld his dignity and conviction as Thadou, rejecting any misrepresentation," TIM said.

Dr Rev Vumthang and the TBA leadership also worked toward establishing a United Baptist Convention (UBC) comprising the Thadou Baptist Association and several other Baptist bodies, without incorporating the term "Kuki" into the convention's name, as the label remains unacceptable to all communities outside the "Any Kuki Tribes" framework.

Kuki Churches withdrew from the initiative due to disagreements over naming, specifically the omission of "Kuki" .

The attack occurred while they were on their way home towards Kangpokpi after attending a UBC meeting in Churachandpur, TIM said.

The three Thadou leaders who lost their lives in the attack have since been declared "Thadou Martyrs" by Thadou Inpi Manipur.

Their sacrifice, identity, and dignity must be respected by all.

Kuki groups must stop exploiting and politicising this tragedy to further the destructive Kuki agenda and cease interfering in Thadou affairs and identities, TIM said.

"Let it be clearly understood: Thadou is not Kuki.

Thadou is neither under, subordinate to, nor a part of Kuki," TIM asserted.

The planned burial of the three Church leaders at the TBA compound in Kangpokpi must not be disturbed by the Kuki groups who advocate for burial at the Kuki Martyrs' Cemetery, TIM said.

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