The warning from the militant group comes as several Kuki-Zo civil society organisations appear to have capitulated into silence, even as political efforts intensify to project a return to normalcy.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, December 16, 2025 — At a time when most Kuki-Zo civil society organisations (CSOs) have fallen conspicuously silent amid the Centre’s renewed push to form a government in Manipur and project an image of returning normalcy, a militant outfit has stepped in with a stark warning to elected representatives.
The United Kuki National Army (UKNA), a non-ceasefire armed group operating in Manipur’s hill districts, has issued what it termed a “final warning” to Kuki-Zo MLAs and ministers, cautioning them against participating in any attempt to form a new government in the state. The group warned that legislators who defy the directive would no longer be permitted to continue in their positions.
In a statement dated December 16, 2025, released by the UKNA’s Department of Information, the outfit accused the Meitei community of conspiring with certain Kuki-Zo representatives through political meetings and alleged pressure tactics. It claimed that such engagements had eroded public trust and warned that any attempt by these legislators to return to their constituencies could invite “severe consequences,” citing deep-rooted ethnic hostility and the prevailing buffer-zone arrangements.
The warning comes amid renewed efforts by the BJP to bridge divisions between Meitei and Kuki-Zo legislators. On December 14, four BJP MLAs from the Kuki-Zo community travelled to Delhi to attend a meeting convened by the party’s central leadership to explore the possibility of government formation. Photographs of these MLAs alongside Meitei counterparts triggered sharp backlash within sections of the tribal community, further intensifying tensions.
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The UKNA urged tribal MLAs to categorically reject any persuasion to join a government, asserting that leaders who prioritise personal comfort or political survival over community interests were committing an act “worse than death.” It also appealed to civil society organisations and community leaders to act with “full determination and courage” in safeguarding what it described as the nation’s interests.
Formed in 2015 and not a signatory to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government, the UKNA has remained outside formal peace processes. The group was in the news recently when security forces gunned down four of its cadres in a November 2025 controversial incident. The groups continues to press for a separate administration, a demand echoed by several Kuki-Zo civil society groups and insurgent organisations in ongoing engagements with the Centre.
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 2025, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh amid prolonged ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities that erupted in May 2023. The unrest has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands.
Earlier this month, tripartite talks were held in Delhi involving the Centre and Kuki-Zo SoO groups, during which the demand for a Union Territory with legislature was reiterated. These talks coincided with BJP-facilitated outreach between Meitei and Kuki-Zo MLAs, seen by many as an attempt to lay the groundwork for political restoration in the state.
