The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has clarified that its chairman’s recent apology over the killing of six Naga civilians should not be construed as an admission that the Kuki-Zo community was responsible for the crime.
In a statement issued on Friday, the council said Chairman Henlienthang Thanglet’s remarks had been misinterpreted as an acceptance of collective responsibility. It maintained that the apology was offered purely on humanitarian and moral grounds as an expression of sympathy to the bereaved families.
The clarification followed Thanglet’s June 25 press conference in Churachandpur, where he apologised on behalf of the Kuki-Zo people, described the killings as a “grave mistake” and condemned the incident.
The six Naga civilians were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district on May 13. Their bodies were recovered on June 10 near a Kuki-Zo village, a day after the release of 14 Kuki hostages abducted in Senapati district.
Rejecting any suggestion of institutional involvement, the KZC said no Kuki-Zo political, social or community body had authorised or supported the killings. It maintained that the perpetrators remain unidentified and called for an impartial and credible investigation to establish accountability.
The council also urged authorities to investigate all incidents of violence during the ongoing ethnic conflict, including killings of Kuki-Zo civilians, destruction of villages, attacks on churches and the murder of religious leaders, asserting that lasting peace cannot be achieved through selective justice.
The clarification drew divergent reactions. The All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) rejected the apology as unacceptable, while the Zomi Students’ Federation General Headquarters distanced itself from the KZC, stating that it neither recognises nor endorses the organisation and objecting to its claim of representing multiple communities, including the Zomis.