The Manipur Indigenous Alliance (MIA) has demanded an immediate overhaul of the government’s policy, abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement and initiation of legal proceedings to declare Kuki militant organisations unlawful following the killing of four Tangkhul civilians in an ambush near New Heaven along the Imphal–Ukhrul Road on November 13.
Condemning the attack, MIA said seven civilians had been killed in a series of repeated ambushes allegedly carried out by Kuki militants along the highway. The latest victims included a mother and her son, besides two siblings, highlighting the growing vulnerability of ordinary civilians travelling along the route.
In a statement, the alliance questioned the government’s ability to protect civilian lives, arguing that repeated condemnations of such attacks, without decisive action, had failed to restore security or public confidence.
MIA alleged that the government’s approach, marked by political appeasement and the absence of effective enforcement measures, had allowed the security situation to deteriorate. It maintained that expressions of concern and routine assurances could not replace decisive governance and the enforcement of law.
The alliance called for the immediate abrogation of the SoO agreement, initiation of legal proceedings to declare Kuki militant organisations unlawful, and disarmament and prosecution of armed cadres. It also demanded effective security arrangements and accountability for the protection of civilians.
Asserting that peace could not be achieved through appeasement and inaction, MIA said the protection of civilian lives, territorial integrity of Manipur and supremacy of the Constitution must remain non-negotiable.
It further maintained that no political arrangement should take precedence over public security and the rule of law, urging the government to move beyond statements of condemnation and take concrete measures to restore law and order in the state.
