Naga student body rejects Kuki-Zo Council apology, demands arrests over killing of six hostages

The All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has rejected the apology issued by the Kuki-Zo Council over the killing of six Naga civilians abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village, saying it "neither constitutes an apology nor an admission" of the crime and insisting that justice cannot be replaced by public statements.

In a press release issued on June 25, ANSAM said the apology would remain unacceptable until those responsible for the abduction and killing of the six men are identified, arrested and prosecuted. It argued that "justice cannot be supplanted by rhetoric, nor can accountability be substituted by carefully crafted declarations bereft of legal consequence."

The students' body also objected to the use of the term "Katcha Nagas" in the Kuki-Zo Council's statement, describing it as "historically untenable and profoundly offensive". It alleged that the language reflected "a disturbing persistence of prejudice and communal disdain" rather than remorse.

According to ANSAM, the six Naga civilians were abducted, held captive, tortured, mutilated and later killed in what it described as ancestral Naga territory. It maintained that the killings were not only an attack on six individuals but also "a grievous assault upon the dignity, security and collective existence of the Naga people".

Questioning the authority of the Kuki-Zo Council, ANSAM sought clarification on whether the apology had been issued on behalf of those directly involved in the killings or whether the council itself accepted responsibility. It also asked whether the organisation had the mandate to speak for all communities grouped under the Kuki-Zo nomenclature.

The association further questioned whether Zomi organisations formally recognise the Kuki-Zo Council and whether they endorse the apology issued over the killings.

ANSAM also rejected attempts to link Nagas to the killing of three Thadou church leaders, stating that the incident occurred between Kotzim and Kotlen Kuki village areas where, it claimed, Nagas "neither exercise access or influence". It said any allegation of Naga involvement was "baseless" and intended to create communal hostility through misinformation.

Calling for immediate legal action, ANSAM urged both the Manipur government and the Centre to ensure that those responsible for the killings are brought before the law without delay. It also backed the charter of demands submitted by the United Naga Council, saying symbolic gestures cannot replace accountability.

Reaffirming its support for the families of the victims, the association said genuine reconciliation could only come through "truth, accountability, respect for identity, admittance of the historical facts and the uncompromising administration of justice."