The Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, vehemently condemned what it described as a “coordinated and indiscriminate armed assault” on Mongkot Chepu village in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, accusing the government of remaining “administratively paralysed” while vulnerable Kuki-Zo civilians continue to face repeated attacks.
Drawing attention of the state Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Security Advisor, Ukhrul Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, the committee alleged that the civilian settlement of Mongkot Chepu came under a sustained armed attack on the evening of May 26 from multiple directions.
The organisation claimed that armed positions operating from the vicinity of Litan Sareikhong-Tangkhul Police Station and the Sikibung-Lilen Ridge launched the assault beginning around 6:48 PM, and alleged that the attack continued for over four hours with the use of mortars and other “sophisticated weapons” until approximately 11:08 PM.
Calling the assault a grave security failure, the committee said the repeated targeting of Mongkot Chepu reflects a “dangerous pattern of emboldened aggression” and exposes the vulnerability of Kuki-Zo habitations located in the fringe areas of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.
“This is not the first attack on Mongkot Chepu,” the statement said, while questioning how long civilians would be expected to survive under “recurring siege” amid what it termed ineffective security arrangements.
The organisation further alleged that the continued silence of both the Government of Manipur and the Centre has deepened fear and insecurity among Kuki-Zo residents, warning that public confidence in the neutrality and credibility of the State risks severe erosion if decisive intervention is not undertaken immediately.
The committee said the government must either guarantee minimum security to vulnerable civilians or “state so with honesty and facilitate effective alternative arrangements,” asserting that governance “cannot remain mute in the face of organised violence.”
The statement also warned that if the current situation persists, the government may ultimately be remembered not for protecting citizens but for merely “distributing ballistic vests and helmets to endangered civilians instead of securing their constitutional right to life and safety.”
The Kuki CSO Working Committee demanded immediate and unambiguous operational action to secure vulnerable civilian settlements and prevent further escalation in the region.
