Kuki body condemns ex-UNLF leader’s remarks, reiterates demand for separate administration

The Kuki Human Rights Council (KHRC) on December 30 strongly condemned remarks made by former United National Liberation Front (UNLF) leader Ningthemcha Sanayaima, also known as RK Meghen, terming them “deceitful and inflammatory” and accusing him of misrepresenting facts related to the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur.
In a statement, the KHRC said it was “deeply outraged” by Meghen’s comments delivered during the 169th birth anniversary of Bir Tikendrajit at Berimura in Tripura, alleging that the remarks sought to shift blame onto the Kuki community and downplay atrocities committed against them during the conflict.
The council alleged that the violence in Manipur amounted to “brutal ethnic cleansing” of the Kuki minority and claimed that the unrest was driven by what it described as state-sponsored actions and armed Meitei extremist groups, including UNLF, PLA, Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun.
Rejecting any portrayal of Kukis as aggressors, the KHRC said such narratives constituted a “gross distortion of truth” and were deeply disrespectful to victims. The council claimed that since the outbreak of violence, more than 260 people have been killed, large swathes of ancestral land destroyed, and properties worth thousands of crores of rupees reduced to ashes.
Highlighting the humanitarian impact of the conflict, the KHRC said women, children and elderly persons have suffered severe trauma, calling the situation “inhumane” and deserving of urgent national and international attention.
The council asserted that relations between the Meitei and Kuki communities had been irreparably damaged and said future peace could only be ensured through clearly defined territorial boundaries and administrative separation.
Reiterating its long-standing position, the KHRC stated that the demand for a separate Kuki state or Union Territory had become “non-negotiable,” and called for all those responsible for what it termed acts of genocide to be brought to justice.
While urging restraint from provocative rhetoric, the council said its pursuit of justice, dignity and self-determination for the Kuki people would continue unabated.