The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), apex body of the Kuki tribes, issued a “final and non-negotiable ultimatum” on Wednesday demanding the safe release of all Kuki hostages detained in Senapati district and Ireng Naga by 5:00 AM on 15th May 2026.
In a statement released from its secretariat in Lamka, KIM said the continued detention of more than 25 Kuki individuals in Senapati district and another 6 persons at Ireng Naga had become “utterly unacceptable, inhuman, and barbaric.” The body noted that the situation persists even as the Kuki-Zo people are mourning the recent killing of church leaders, described as “emissaries of peace and reconciliation.”
“The continued captivity of innocent civilians under such circumstances is not only a gross violation of human dignity and democratic norms, but also a deliberate provocation at a time of immense grief,” the statement read. KIM said such acts “expose the complete breakdown of humanity, accountability, and moral responsibility among those involved.”
The ultimatum warned that failure to release the hostages safely and unharmed within the deadline would render the concerned civil society organisations and responsible actors in Senapati district “fully and solely responsible for any eventuality arising thereafter.” It added that any escalation of tension or deterioration of law and order would be “the direct consequence of their actions and deliberate refusal to act with humanity and responsibility.”
Stating that the Kuki-Zo people had exercised “extraordinary restraint despite relentless persecution, killings, intimidation, and targeted aggression,” KIM said “the patience of a grieving people must never be mistaken for weakness.”
The body urged all concerned parties to “act immediately before the situation reaches an irreversible and uncontrollable stage.”
