The Committee on Tribal Unity ( CoTU) accuses local militant outfits of targeting forces and warns of risks without AFSPA.
BY PC Bureau
September 25, 2025 — The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), a Kuki-Zo civil body, has demanded the reimposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Manipur’s Imphal Valley following the killing of two personnel of the 33 Assam Rifles in Bishnupur district earlier this month.
In a statement issued on Thursday, CoTU welcomed the arrest of those accused in the September 19 murder of Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Ranjit Kashyap at Nambol Sabal Leikai, a locality in a denotified AFSPA area. The group said the incident underscored the risks faced by security forces in the valley and highlighted the need for “special legal protection” under AFSPA.
READ: UNC Joins Kuki Tribes in Rejecting Manipur Land Law
The statement accused valley-based militant organisations, including the PLA, UNLF, PREPAK, MPLA, and Arambai Tenggol, of being behind violent incidents targeting security personnel. It added that without AFSPA in place across all 19 police station jurisdictions of the valley, efforts to counter “secessionist threats” would remain inadequate.
Earlier this week, CoTU had called a 72-hour economic blockade demanding accountability and stronger security measures in the aftermath of the killings. The blockade, announced for September 22, was lifted the same day after government officials assured swift action. On September 24, Manipur Police confirmed the arrest of a member of the banned PLA in connection with the attack.
READ: Mockery of Law and Order’: Militant Groups Vow to Monitor Imphal Hospitals
While appreciating the police for the arrests, CoTU said it was now “high time” the government revisited its decision to lift AFSPA from the valley. “Without AFSPA, security forces are left vulnerable, and deterrence against secessionist violence cannot be effectively maintained,” the statement noted.
The demand comes amid an ongoing debate over the necessity of AFSPA in Manipur, where its partial withdrawal from the valley in 2022 was seen as a step toward normalisation. Thursday’s statement, however, reflects renewed fears among Kuki-Zo groups about escalating militant violence and the safety of security personnel.
