IT News
Imphal, Sept 2:
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has strongly condemned the aerial bombing carried out by Kuki militants using drones in Manipur, labeling it a serious war crime.
According to COCOMI, the armed immigrant Kuki groups used an ambulance under the guise of essential emergency services to infiltrate Meitei villages, resulting in the death of a 31-year-old mother and injuries to her daughter and nine other village volunteers in Koutruk, Imphal West District, on September 1st, 2024. The ambulance was reportedly traced back to the Leimakhong area, known for housing one of the largest army camps in the region.
COCOMI issued a statement accusing the Kuki militants, whom they referred to as “narco-terrorists,” of grossly violating the sanctity of a humanitarian service vehicle. They described the attack as an inhumane crime that demonstrated a complete lack of moral and ethical integrity. COCOMI also highlighted a disturbing incident where a woman was heard in the background praising the actions of these militants and celebrating the death of the young mother and the injury of her minor child.
The organization further criticized the Kuki Inpi, accusing them of launching a disinformation campaign. COCOMI claimed that Kuki Inpi had issued a press release that appeared to have been preemptively drafted before the actual incident, as it was released suspiciously close to the time of the attack. This, according to COCOMI, suggested that the incident was premeditated. They accused Kuki Inpi of misleading the public and deceiving some national and local media outlets, which initially published the misleading narrative but later corrected their reports after uncovering the truth.
Manipur Police have confirmed that several highly sophisticated drones were used by Kuki militants to carry out the attack on Koutruk village. COCOMI noted that some national media outlets withdrew their reports from various platforms after realizing the deceptive nature of the press release issued by Kuki Inpi, which they accused of spreading false and fabricated narratives. The organization emphasized the dangers of relying on unverified press releases, particularly those from what they described as the “most deceitful group in the region.”
COCOMI also pointed to past instances where Kuki Inpi allegedly propagated false narratives, such as the so-called Moirang Treaty of Brotherhood between the Meitei and Kuki. They asserted that historical records from the royal chronicles of the Meitei Kings refuted this narrative, clarifying that it was not a treaty but a request to serve under the King’s command to guard the boundary. COCOMI accused Kuki Inpi of consistently spreading lies, with the most recent press release being a particularly egregious example.
The organization demanded immediate action against those responsible for the attack, stating that their identities had been revealed through social media, including the registration number of the ambulance used in the incident. COCOMI warned that if the state government fails to take appropriate action, public trust in the current administration could deteriorate, potentially leading to extreme measures being taken by the public in response to the mother’s death and her daughter’s injuries.
