The Kuki students’ body demanded an NIA or CBI probe into the killings, large-scale security operations, and action against groups accused of abductions and communal violence.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, May 18, 2026 — The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) Delhi & NCR has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking urgent Central Government intervention in the ongoing violence and security crisis in Manipur, following the killing of three Kuki-Zo church leaders and the alleged abduction of 14 Kuki-Zo men.
In the memorandum dated May 16, 2026 (Ref. No. KSOD/26/Memo-04), addressed to the Prime Minister at Seva Teerth in New Delhi, the student body described the May 13 killings as part of what it termed a “continuing pattern of violence, intimidation, extortion, ethnic targeting, and territorial aggression” allegedly carried out by the NSCN-IM and its proxy groups since 1992.
The memorandum identified the slain church leaders as Rev. Dr. Vumthang Sitlhou, Rev. Kaigoulun Lhouvum, and Rev. Paogoulun Sitlhou. It stated that the victims were unarmed civilians engaged in religious and humanitarian work and alleged that several others were injured in the ambush.
According to the organisation, the incident reflected a “complete breakdown of law and order in the hill regions of Manipur.”
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The KSO memorandum also referred to alleged attacks on Kuki-Zo villages, including Haijang, Gampal, K. Songlung, Litan, Mullam, and Lanchah.
It further alleged that illegal timber and drug trade activities in areas such as Namlee, Wanglee, and Choro were sustaining militant networks operating in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.
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Criticism of Manipur Police
The organisation sharply criticised the Manipur Police, alleging “incompetence and complicity” in several incidents linked to the ongoing conflict.
The memorandum referred to the looting of police armouries by armed groups during the 2023 ethnic violence, the public parading of two Kuki-Zo women at B. Phainom, and the recent alleged abduction of 14 Kuki-Zo men from police custody in Senapati.
According to the KSO, the men were allegedly taken away by members of the Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA) “in the presence of the Officer-in-Charge of Senapati Police Station.”
Key Demands to the Centre
The memorandum listed 11 demands before the Government of India, including:
- Immediate abrogation of the ceasefire agreement with the NSCN-IM
- Safe release and recovery of the 14 abducted Kuki-Zo men
- Large-scale combing operations in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts
- Crackdown on alleged illegal timber and drug trade centres
- An NIA or CBI investigation into the killing of the pastors
- Action against those allegedly obstructing security operations
- A ban on organisations accused of involvement in abductions and communal incitement
- Rehabilitation and compensation for victims and displaced families
- A probe into alleged police complicity in the abduction case
- Immediate implementation of a Separate Administration or Union Territory with Legislature for the Kuki-Zo people
The memorandum also called for the constitution of a High-Level Central Team to survey and restore lands allegedly occupied from Kuki-Zo villages since 1992.
Political Warning and Appeal
Concluding the memorandum, the KSO stated that the Kuki-Zo community had remained loyal to the Union of India and warned that continued inaction on what it described as the community’s “genuine grievances and democratic demands” could have political consequences in the 2027 Manipur Assembly elections.
The memorandum was signed by Nengneiting, President of KSO Delhi & NCR, and General Secretary Ngamkhotjnthang.
As of Monday evening, there had been no official response from the Prime Minister’s Office or the Union Government.
The situation across Manipur’s hill districts remains tense following the May 13 killings and the subsequent reports of abductions, shutdowns, and escalating tensions between Kuki-Zo and Naga groups.
