Double Standards in Focus: While Arambai Tenggol members walk free, Kuki-Zo detainees remain in custody. Tribal leaders now demand accountability, equitable justice, and the immediate withdrawal of the “insurgent” tag from their institutions.
BY PC Bureau
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) have issued scathing responses to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) following the recent arrests of three Kuki-Zo individuals in connection with the January 17, 2024 Moreh ambush, which killed two police commandos in Tengnoupal district.
Kuki Inpi Manipur condemned the labeling of Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal (KIT) as an “insurgent group,” calling the claim baseless, inflammatory, and damaging to indigenous governance institutions.
“The branding of such a time-honored and revered institution as an insurgent group by the NIA reflects grave ignorance, irresponsibility, and an alarming mischaracterisation of indigenous institutions,” said Janghaolun Haokip, Secretary of Information & Publicity, KIM.
READ: Manipur’s Dangerous Double Standard: A Tale of Three Protests
KIM emphasized that KIT is a federating body of the Kuki Inpi—the apex traditional institution of the Kuki people—mandated to uphold peace, customary law, and cultural preservation. It called for an immediate withdrawal of the “insurgent” tag and warned that continued institutional vilification would provoke “just and determined resistance” from a community already reeling from prolonged violence and displacement since May 2023.
Kuki-Zo Council demand the immediate and unconditional release of all Kuki-Zo individuals detained by the NIA and CBI in connection with the #ManipurViolence @NIA_India @India_NHRC @MIB_India @HMOIndia @ANI @PTI_News @CBIHeadquarters @Spearcorps @official_dgar @IndiaTodayNE… pic.twitter.com/SR3h72ykT3
— Sumkawn (@Sumkawn) June 10, 2025
Kuki-Zo Council: “NIA and CBI Must Stop Targeted Arrests”
In a separate but aligned press statement, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) further escalated the condemnation, accusing central agencies of arbitrary, biased, and politically motivated arrests.
“The Kuki-Zo people did not choose this war,” the KZC said, referencing the ethnic violence that erupted on May 3, 2023. “Our villages were burned, our homes destroyed, and our people killed. The Kuki-Zo were left with no choice but to defend themselves.”
The KZC outlined four key reasons why the arrests are unacceptable:
- Unresolved Conflict – No ceasefire or political resolution exists between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo, making ongoing arrests unjustified.
- Lack of Political Solution – The political aspirations of the Kuki-Zo remain unaddressed.
- Selective Law Enforcement – Arms looted in Imphal by Meitei groups remain unrecovered, while Kuki-Zo members are selectively targeted.
- No Accountability for the Mastermind – Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, allegedly caught on tape admitting to orchestrating the conflict, has faced no action.
READ: Opinion: Gunfire in Imphal, Silence on Air: The Media’s Damning Blindspot
The Council also condemned the CBI’s unconditional release of 12 Arambai Tenggol members, while Kuki-Zo detainees remain in custody, calling it a “double standard in law enforcement.”
“Our patience is not limitless. If this injustice continues, the Kuki-Zo Council will not remain a passive spectator,” the statement warned.
Background: Arrests, Protests, and Growing Unrest
The controversy follows the arrests of:
- Thangminlen Mate (allegedly affiliated with KIT), on May 19, 2025, in Silchar, Assam
- Kamginthang Gangte (alleged KNA member)
- Hentinthang Kipgen, alias Thangneo Kipgen (linked to the Village Volunteers group), on June 6, 2025, in Manipur
All three are accused of involvement in the Moreh ambush. Their arrests triggered immediate backlash: civil society organisations (CSOs) in Tengnoupal and Moreh launched a shutdown and rallies on June 6–7, decrying what they described as an attempt to criminalise tribal self-governance.
The responses from both KIM and KZC reflect a deepening crisis of trust between tribal communities and central agencies. With no political resolution in sight, continued arrests, institutional mislabeling, and perceived double standards threaten to escalate tensions further.
Both organisations are demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all Kuki-Zo individuals detained by the NIA and CBI, warning that justice cannot be one-sided if peace is to return to Manipur.
