Lamka: The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) launched a scathing attack on the NSCN-IM and its alleged proxy, the Zeliangrong United Front (Kamson), accusing them of carrying out a “premeditated terror attack” on Leilon Vaiphei village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district and denouncing what it termed a “barbaric attempt” to deny life-saving medical treatment to the injured victims.
The human rights body said three Kuki-Zo youths sustained grievous injuries when armed attackers allegedly targeted Leilon Vaiphei village on the morning of June 15. The attack reportedly began around 6 a.m. and continued for nearly four hours, leaving Genlenmang Vaiphei (18), Lunliandaw Vaiphei (20) and Paogou Lal (18) seriously wounded.
One of the victims suffered a critical abdominal gunshot injury, KOHUR said, adding that the injured youths were initially treated at the Army Hospital in Leimakhong before being shifted under heavy central security escort to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal.
Describing the incident as part of a “relentless and well-documented pattern of aggression” against Kuki-Zo villages, KOHUR squarely blamed the NSCN-IM and ZUF-K for the attack and demanded immediate arrests and prosecution of those responsible.
The organisation also raised serious concerns over allegations that the assault originated from positions near a CRPF post at Konsakhul, calling for an independent and time-bound probe into the claims.
“A civilian population cannot be expected to live in perpetual terror while armed groups operate with apparent freedom and impunity,” the statement said, urging authorities to establish accountability if any security lapses are found.
KOHUR reserved some of its sharpest criticism for events that unfolded after the victims reached RIMS, alleging that an organised crowd gathered outside the hospital to oppose the admission of the injured youths, forcing security personnel to use tear gas to prevent protesters from reaching the patients.
The rights body further alleged that certain organisations, including the All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM), publicly objected to the treatment of the injured and attempted to portray them as militants.
Calling such actions “an affront to humanity,” KOHUR said preventing emergency treatment on ethnic grounds violated constitutional guarantees, medical ethics and international humanitarian principles.
“A hospital is a sanctuary for the wounded, not a battlefield for ethnic hostility. Any attempt to deny treatment to grievously injured teenagers because of their identity crosses every boundary of law and human decency,” the organisation said.
KOHUR demanded an immediate criminal investigation into the attack, protection and uninterrupted medical treatment for the injured youths, action against those who allegedly obstructed healthcare services, and enhanced security for vulnerable Kuki-Zo villages facing recurrent threats.
The organisation said it would formally pursue the matter before the National Human Rights Commission, the Supreme Court and other constitutional and international forums, asserting that the attack and the alleged attempts to deny medical care amounted to a grave assault on the rights and dignity of citizens.
“The Kuki-Zo people are entitled to the protection of the State and to medical care when wounded. Any attack on villages, compounded by efforts to deny treatment to injured youths, is an assault on the conscience of the nation,” KOHUR said.
The Kuki Students’ Organisation, Sadar Hills (KSO-SH) strongly condemned what it described as a “cowardly and barbaric” attack on L. Munlui village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district that left three students critically injured, while also denouncing an alleged attempt by a mob to storm a hospital in Imphal to target the wounded youths.
The student body alleged that the attack on L. Munlui village in Kangchup Geljang Sub-Division was carried out by suspected cadres of NSCN-IM and ZUF, and termed the assault on civilians “an act of terror against innocent youth.”
KSO-Sadar Hills placed on record that all three victims are students and not combatants, urging media organisations and the public to refrain from spreading unverified information regarding their identities or alleged affiliations.
“Targeting wounded patients inside a hospital is inhumane, barbaric and a grave violation of humanitarian principles and medical neutrality,” the student body said.
The student body praised doctors, nurses and hospital authorities for refusing to yield to pressure and for ensuring that medical care continued despite the tense atmosphere.
KSO-Sadar Hills also acknowledged the intervention of security forces, including the CRPF, Army/Assam Rifles and Manipur Police, stating that their swift and coordinated response prevented the situation from escalating into a larger tragedy.
The organisation further thanked the Manipur government, led by Chief Minister Y. Khemchand, Deputy Chief Ministers Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho, for facilitating treatment and ensuring security for the injured students.
Calling for peace and restraint, KSO-SH urged all communities to allow the law to take its course and demanded justice for the victims.
Meanwhile, The Kuki Chiefs’ Association (KCA), Tengnoupal District, strongly condemned what it termed a series of “heinous and inhumane” attacks on Kuki villages in Manipur, alleging that the incidents have left a trail of death, injuries and destruction while deepening fear among vulnerable communities.
The association denounced the June 11 attack on Kultuh Village in Kamjong district and the June 15 assault on Leilon Munlui village in Kangpokpi district, alleging the involvement of cadres belonging to NSCN-IM and ZUF-K.
The chiefs body said the attack on Kultuh Village resulted in the killing of a church pastor and a youth chairman, both described as respected community leaders, while several houses and community properties were damaged during the assault.
Barely days later, another violent incident unfolded at around 6 a.m. on June 15 at Leilon Munlui, situated between Leilon Vaiphei and Konsakhul, where three civilians sustained serious injuries in what the organisation described as an unprovoked attack on innocent villagers.
“Attacks on innocent civilians, religious leaders and community members can never be justified under any circumstance. Such acts are grave violations of human rights and threaten peace, coexistence and the rule of law,” the statement said.
The Kuki Chiefs’ Association urged the Government of India, the Government of Manipur and security agencies to launch an immediate and impartial investigation into both incidents, identify and prosecute those responsible, and strengthen security arrangements in vulnerable and conflict-prone villages.
It further called on authorities to ensure the protection of civilians irrespective of community, ethnicity or religious affiliation, warning that continued attacks on unarmed villagers risk further destabilising already sensitive regions.
The association reiterated its commitment to peace and justice but stressed that accountability for the killings and attacks was essential to restoring public confidence and preventing further violence.
The back-to-back attacks in Kamjong and Kangpokpi districts have intensified concerns among Kuki civil society groups, who have increasingly called for stronger security measures and decisive action against armed groups accused of targeting civilian populations.
