The Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul (WCKCSOs-Ukhrul) alleged a “premeditated and coordinated armed aggression” targeting Kuki-Zo civilians at Mongkot Chepu, while the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO), Ukhrul District issued a strict directive ordering villages under its jurisdiction to erect signages identifying themselves as falling under Kangpokpi district.
The WCKCSOs-Ukhrul said indiscriminate and simultaneous firing was launched at around 10:00 PM on May 24 from multiple directions, including Leingangching near S. Laho Tangkhul village, the vicinity of Litan Police Station, and Lilen Ridge of Sikibung near Sharkaphung Tangkhul village.
The committee asserted that the “synchronized nature, timing, and direction” of the attack clearly pointed to a “calculated strategy to intimidate, uproot, and systematically erase the Kuki-Zo presence in parts of Ukhrul district.”
According to the statement, the violence came after nearly a week of “apparent normalcy,” which the organisation claimed only reinforced fears of a planned and recurring campaign against the Kuki-Zo populace.
The WCKCSOs-Ukhrul further alleged that earlier in the day, at around 4:00 PM, churchgoers returning from worship in Mongkot Chepu came under intermittent firing from the Lilen Ridge area of Sikibung. During the incident, one villager identified as Mr. Ngamkholen Khongsai reportedly sustained injuries to his palm after narrowly escaping being struck by a bullet.
Calling the targeting of “unarmed civilians, particularly worshippers” deeply alarming and reprehensible, the organisation said such incidents demonstrated the deteriorating security situation in the region.
The committee, however, acknowledged the “timely intervention” of the 8 Bihar Regiment, stating that the Army unit’s prompt response helped deter the attack. At the same time, it maintained that the role of security forces remained largely confined to “deterrence and area domination” due to what it described as limited operational mandate.
“The recurring pattern of armed attacks clearly reflects a failure of the Government to provide decisive operational direction and effective preventive mechanisms to curb violence,” the statement said, adding that “mere deployment without adequate mandate has emboldened armed perpetrators to operate with near impunity.”
Demanding stronger action, the WCKCSOs-Ukhrul called for “immediate empowerment” of security forces with a “clear, uncompromising, and decisive operational mandate” to neutralise armed assailants engaged in indiscriminate firing upon civilian settlements.
It further warned that “passive containment is no longer tenable” amid escalating hostilities.
The organisation also reiterated that the Kuki-Zo populace “cannot be faulted for acts undertaken in immediate self-defence,” asserting that protection of life and property against imminent threats remains a “constitutional and natural right” when repeated appeals for security continue to face inadequate response.
Meanwhile, in a separate but significant development, the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO), Ukhrul District, issued an official notice directing all Village Youth Clubs and KSO Units under KSO-Ukhrul and Kamjong jurisdiction to immediately install hoardings and signages at village entry and exit points identifying the villages as falling under Kangpokpi district.
The directive, issued in pursuance of an earlier order by WCKCSOs-Ukhrul dated May 23, mandated that the installations be completed on or before June 1, 2026.
The KSO further announced that teams from KSO-Ukhrul would conduct physical and virtual inspections on June 5 to assess compliance among the respective villages and units.
“All Village Youth Clubs and KSO Units are therefore directed to treat this matter with utmost seriousness and ensure strict compliance within the stipulated timeline,” the notice stated.
The organisation also warned that any unit or youth club failing to comply within the stipulated timeframe would face “appropriate organisational penalty/action” in consultation with WCKCSOs-Ukhrul.
The twin developments come amid heightened tensions and continuing volatility in Manipur’s hill districts, where ethnic fault lines and recurring armed confrontations continue to deepen insecurity and displacement concerns.
