Centre yet to decide on extension of SoO with Kuki groups; Manipur assembly urges not to extend

The Centre is yet to decide on continuing the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant organisations amid demands from political parties and Meitei civil society groups in Manipur not to extend the peace pact with the state's tribal insurgent groups.

The SOO was first signed in 2005 with Kuki militant groups operating in Manipur's hill districts. It has been extended periodically and expired on February 29.

"The central government is still continuing the talks," a source privy to the development said without giving any indication whether the SoO will be extended or not.

The Manipur government, which has been part of the SoO agreement, had in March 2023 announced unilateral withdrawal from the pact with two Kuki-dominated insurgent groups alleging them to be involved in encroaching of forest land. However, at that time the central government did not endorse it.

On Thursday, the Manipur assembly adopted a resolution urging the Centre to completely abrogate the SoO pact with all the Kuki militant groups.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh wrote on X: "The 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on the 2nd day of its 5th session, unanimously resolved to urge the central government to completely abrogate the SoO pact with all the Kuki-Zo militant groups."

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He said this decision comes in the interest of ensuring peace and security in the region.

The 10 Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs of Manipur, including two ministers, has not been attending the assembly session ever since ethnic conflict in Manipur between Kukis and Meiteis started on May 3, 2023.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an influential Meitei civil society organisation, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "urgent need for caution and re-evaluation" of any decision regarding the extension of the SoO agreement with Kuki groups.

In its letter, the COCOMI urged the government to refrain from hastily extending the SoO agreement with the Kuki groups without thorough scrutiny and reassessment and take immediate and decisive action to address SoO "ground rule violations and illegal activities perpetrated by these groups".

Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Since then, at least 219 people have been killed in the continuing violence.

While a section of Kukis have demanded a separate administration or separation from the Manipur government, the Meitei groups are dead against it and warned legislators against any such design and asked them to foil such attempts.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. Rest belong to other communities.

A series of confidence building measures were taken and that include constitution of a judicial inquiry committee, financial aids to the victims and sending additional troops.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited the state for four consecutive days soon after the violence began in his efforts to calm down the warring communities. However, intermittent violence continued.

The government on November 13, 2023 also extended by five years the ban imposed on nine Meitei extremist groups and their associate organisations, which mostly operate in Manipur, for their anti-national activities, and launching fatal attacks on security forces.

On November 29, a peace pact was signed by the government with Imphal valley-based oldest terror outfit United National Liberation Front (UNLF), a group dominated by the majority Meitei community, under which the insurgent faction has agreed to renounce violence.