In a press statement issued on Wednesday (Reference No. 04/KIM/PR/25-50), KIM alleged that security personnel entered Leilon Vaiphei village and imposed what it described as a military-style lockdown, carrying out house-to-house searches and subjecting residents — including women, children, students and the elderly — to intimidation and verbal abuse.
According to KIM, the operations were conducted at a time when the village was still reeling from the aftermath of an armed attack on June 15, in which three Kuki-Zo youths sustained critical injuries and continue to receive medical treatment.
“The people of Leilon Vaiphei were victims in need of protection, yet they were treated as suspects,” KIM said, calling the security response insensitive and unjustified. The organisation described the operations as “a grave insult to the suffering” of the affected villagers.
KIM further questioned why, according to its allegations, forceful operations were being carried out in Kuki-Zo areas that had recently suffered attacks, while areas where cadres of the NSCN-IM and its alleged proxy groups were believed to be active had not been subjected to similar action. The organisation demanded immediate steps to identify and apprehend those responsible for the June 15 attack and called for an end to what it termed the collective punishment and harassment of civilians.
Today in Leilon Vaiphei incident, when COBRA Team, CRPF, and BSF came and arrested Kuki village volunteers who guard their ancestral villages from NSCN-IM, ZUF-K, Kamson Group, Myanmar Meitei Militants, Shan National Army, and Junta Military, the Kuki women tried to stop the… pic.twitter.com/AYw7MrVi8t
— Mighty Warrior Kuki (@Kamginthan40473) June 17, 2026
June 15 Firing Incident
The statement follows a reported firing incident that occurred at around 6 a.m. on June 15 near Leilon Vaiphei/Leilon Munlui village, a Kuki settlement situated between Leilon Vaiphei and the Naga village of Konsakhul in Kangpokpi district.
Three Kuki-Zo youths were injured in the incident:
- Genlenmang Vaiphei (18)
- Lunliandaw Vaiphei (20)
- Paogoulal Chongloi (18)
Kuki organisations, including KIM and the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), have alleged that the attack involved gunfire and possible explosive devices used by cadres of the NSCN-IM and its alleged proxy outfit, the Zeliangrong United Front-Kamson faction (ZUF-K). These allegations have not been independently verified, and no official attribution has been made by security agencies.
The injured youths were initially treated at the Army Hospital in Leimakhong before being shifted under heavy security escort to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal for specialised care. Their admission triggered protests by sections of Meitei and Naga groups, who alleged that the youths were militants. Security personnel used tear gas and other crowd-control measures to disperse demonstrators attempting to enter the hospital premises.
READ: Manipur Shocker: Gunshot Victims Moved Out of RIMS Under Threat of Mob Action
The three patients were subsequently transferred from RIMS under tight security, a move that drew wider attention and raised concerns over the ability of healthcare institutions to function independently amid escalating ethnic tensions.
The latest controversy unfolds against the backdrop of growing tensions in Kangpokpi district and the wider ethnic conflict in Manipur.
In May 2026, six Naga civilians were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village, allegedly by Kuki armed groups. Their bodies were recovered in early June following extensive search operations involving security forces.
Naga organisations, including the Konsakhul Village Authority, have condemned attacks on civilians while also pointing to previous incidents they attribute to Kuki militants and expressing concerns over what they perceive as inconsistencies in security responses.
Kuki organisations, meanwhile, maintain that security forces have acted disproportionately against Kuki-Zo civilians while showing leniency towards groups allegedly linked to the NSCN-IM.
KIM’s Demands
In its statement, KIM reiterated four key demands:
- The people of Leilon Vaiphei must be recognised as victims, not criminals;
- Security operations should not amount to collective punishment of civilians;
- The government must act impartially against all perpetrators and ensure equal protection for every community; and
- Immediate justice must be delivered for the three injured youths and the affected villagers.
KIM warned that lasting peace in Manipur cannot be achieved through what it described as “selective action, intimidation, or double standards.”
