Manipur: Naga forum objects to presence of Kuki militant camps in Naga ancestral areas
Naga
Coordination Committee (FNCC) has submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the Governor of Manipur, raising strong objections to the continued presence and proposed relocation of Suspension of Operations (SoO) camps belonging to
Kuki
militant groups in and around Naga ancestral territories.
The committee expressed deep concern that the existence of these camps, as well as the SoO agreement itself, poses a serious threat to communal harmony, constitutional order, and national security in the state.
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The FNCC stated that no SoO camps, whether existing or proposed, should be allowed within Naga-inhabited areas without the knowledge and informed consent of the Naga people. They specifically mentioned the regions of Kharam Vaiphei and Kotlen as part of historically and culturally significant Naga territories.
The committee warned that any attempt to establish camps in these areas would be seen as an act of provocation and aggression, likely to incite communal unrest with consequences that could exceed the violence of May 3, 2023.
Tracing the origins of the SoO agreement, the FNCC noted that it began as a bilateral arrangement on August 1, 2005, and was later formalised into a tripartite agreement in 2008 between the Government of India, the Government of Manipur, and Kuki militant groups, including the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF).
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The FNCC accused Kuki militants of repeatedly violating the terms of the SoO agreement, citing numerous incidents of violence, including kidnappings, arson, assaults, land encroachment, extortion, and attacks on civilians. These incidents, which occurred between March 2023 and July 2025, were described as part of a calculated effort to carry out territorial aggression, ethnic domination, and demographic manipulation.
The committee claimed that the SoO camps have evolved into operational hubs for militant expansion, intimidation, and illegal activities such as poppy cultivation, especially in Naga areas like Makhan and Leikhampokpi. The FNCC lamented that the SoO agreement continues to be renewed annually without accountability, raising serious doubts about the intent behind the process.
The group criticised the state and central governments for what it called dangerous appeasement policies that have only emboldened lawlessness and eroded public trust in democratic governance.
The FNCC declared an indefinite bandh on the movement of Kukis within the foothill regions of Naga-inhabited areas, effective from midnight of July 18. Meiteis, belonging to the erstwhile ruling class, account for 53% of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley.
Naga and Kuki tribes constitute 40% of the population and live in the hill districts.
More than 260 people have been killed, and around 70,000 people from different communities have been rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities since May 3.
Manipur has been under President's Rule since February 13, four days after the resignation of N. Biren Singh from the Chief Minister's post.
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