Imphal, May 18 (MExN): The United Naga Council (UNC) has strongly condemned the killing of three Thadou church leaders in Manipur and rejected allegations of Naga involvement in the incident, while calling for strict legal action against the perpetrators and stronger measures against Kuki militant groups operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
In a statement issued by its media cell on May 18, the UNC described the May 13 killings as a “cold-blooded murder” and said the deaths had deprived Manipur of “noble warriors of peace and understanding”.
The organisation said Naga civil society organisations and Naga national groups across Nagalim had unequivocally condemned the incident and pledged support to all efforts to ensure justice through due process of law.
The UNC accused certain Kuki groups of spreading allegations against Nagas on social media immediately after the killings. It particularly questioned a condemnation statement issued by Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), which allegedly named the ZUF-Kamson group and the NSCN-IM as perpetrators within two hours of the ambush.
According to the UNC, the KIM statement carried the date May 6, 2026 — seven days before the killings took place — which, it said, raised serious questions over possible prior knowledge of the attack. The council asked KIM to place concrete evidence in the public domain to substantiate its allegations against Naga groups.
The UNC also criticised the response of security forces, including the Army, to the hostage-taking incident that followed the ambush. It said the Army’s 57 Mountain Division headquarters at Leimakhong was located close to Konsakhul and Leilon Vaiphei villages and should have launched immediate operations to rescue the hostages on May 13 itself.
Expressing dissatisfaction over security arrangements in vulnerable Naga areas, the council alleged that the deployment was inadequate and discriminatory in nature.
The organisation urged the state and central governments to immediately disarm and confine Kuki SoO militant groups to their designated camps, alleging their involvement in “lawless activities and violence” against both Meiteis and Nagas. It said that if compliance could not be ensured, the SoO agreement should be abrogated and the militants dealt with under the law.
The UNC also referred to a May 17 statement issued by Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), which highlighted longstanding tensions over the “Kuki” and “Thadou” identities and suggested that some Thadou leaders who opposed the imposition of a broader Kuki identity had faced hostility.
Citing points raised by TIM, the UNC said slain leader Rev Dr Vumthang Sitlhou was known for promoting Thadou identity, translating the Bible into Thadou, establishing Thadou fellowships outside Manipur and publicly rejecting the “Kuki Zo Flag” hoisting programme on May 9, 2026.
The UNC also referred to TIM’s claim that the ambush occurred in an area dominated by Kuki militant groups where infiltration by non-Kuki armed groups was unlikely. It further cited TIM’s allegation that a KRA/KNO “tax collection gate” operated near the ambush site close to an Army-Assam Rifles post.
The council said the available facts suggested the killings were “intra-fold” in nature and not linked to Naga armed groups. It urged people not to spread “lies and unverified allegations” regarding Naga complicity.
“The truth will prevail,” the UNC said, adding that more information regarding the circumstances surrounding the killings was gradually emerging from reliable sources.
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