Thadou Inpi backs Naga demand for probe into May 13 Manipur killings

The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) has expressed solidarity with the Naga community over the killings of six Naga civilians and three Thadou Christian leaders in separate attacks in Manipur on May 13, 2026, and called for an impartial investigation into the incidents.

In a statement issued by its Joint General Secretary Manggou Thadou, the organisation said three senior leaders of the Thadou Baptist Association India (TBAI) — its president Rev Dr Vumthang Sitlhou, Rev Kaigoulun Lhouvum and Pastor Paogoulen Sitlhou — were killed when two vehicles carrying Thadou Christian leaders were allegedly ambushed on May 13. Five other TBAI workers were injured, it claimed.

The organisation also expressed support for the Naga community's demand for justice over the killing of six Naga civilians, including a church pastor, who it alleged were abducted and killed on the same day.

The TIM said the United Naga Council (UNC) has attributed responsibility for the attacks to cadres of the Kuki National Front-P (KNF-P). These allegations have not been established by a court.

The Thadou organisation said justice for the victims should not be based on the alleged identity of a community but on establishing the actual perpetrators through an impartial investigation.

"False implications will not deliver justice; they will only deepen injustice," the organisation said, while calling for those responsible for the killings to be identified and prosecuted.

The TIM also backed the UNC's demand for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement with the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front (UPF).

The organisation further endorsed calls for action against individuals it alleged were connected to the May 13 attacks, including KNF-P leaders S.T. Thangboi and Jangboi Kipgen. It also called for the resignation and removal of Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen.

The allegations against the named individuals require investigation and have not been established as facts by a court.

The Thadou Inpi said it stood with the UNC and the Naga community in seeking justice for the May 13 attacks and urged the Centre and the Manipur government to take action based on the findings of an impartial investigation.

The statement also reiterated the organisation's position that Thadou is a distinct ethnic identity and should not be represented as part of the Kuki community, citing a resolution of the Thadou Convention held in 2024.