Manipur: Talks between the breakaway Pambei Group and government pose 'death trap', says UNLF

The United National Liberation Front (UNLF) of Manipur, the state's oldest valley-based armed group, has accused the Indian government of betrayal, asserting that talks between the breakaway Pambei Group and the government pose a "death trap" and a "total betrayal" of the Manipuri people.

The UNLF, in a press statement released on December 2 stated its long-standing stance on talks with the Indian government citing the government's refusal to include the issues of 'sovereignty and independence' on the agenda, a stand also allegedly taken during talks with NSCN and ULFA. This, according to the UNLF, is the primary reason for the ULFA of Assam's persistent refusal to engage in dialogue with the Indian government.

The Pambei Group, a breakaway faction of UNLF signed a 'Peace Talks Agreement' with the Indian government on November 29, 2023, in New Delhi. However, the UNLF disputes the purported agenda of the peace talks claiming that the government has consistently omitted the crucial issues of 'sovereignty and independence,' thereby rendering the talks futile and misleading.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the peace agreement on November 29, welcoming the UNLF's decision to renounce violence and join mainstream democratic processes. He shared a video of UNLF cadres surrendering their weapons stating their transition into peaceful pursuits.

Contrary to the government's portrayal of the peace agreement, UNLF accuses the government of neglecting the core principles of Manipur's national liberation struggle. UNLF's Central Committee asserts that the Pambei Group's claim of sovereignty and independence through peace talks is misleading to the Manipuri people and contradicts the fundamental political principles of the UNLF.

Amit Shah's tweet, stating that the Pambei Group has agreed to renounce violence and join the mainstream, is perceived by UNLF as undermining the group's claim for the restoration of Manipur's sovereignty. UNLF views this as a deviation from the group's time-tested political principles and a betrayal of Manipur's goal for independence.

In response to the developments, UNLF's Central Committee urged the people of Manipur not to lose hope stating their commitment to carrying forward the struggle for independence. The Committee characterized the government's attempt to showcase the peace talks with the breakaway UNLF faction as an ignorance of the dynamics of Manipur's national liberation struggle.