Guwahati, Sept 3: A day after the brutal attack on Koutruk Village in Manipur’s Imphal West district, the Co-ordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (CORCOMI) on Monday expressed grave concern over the aerial bombing on the Meitei village using drones by Kuki insurgent groups.
CORCOMI), a conglomeration of seven valley-based insurgent groups, stated that armed Kuki insurgent groups used an ambulance to infiltrate Meitei village, disguising their operation as essential emergency services which led to the tragic death of a 31-year-old mother and onjiry of her 12-year-old daughter, along with nine other village volunteers.
In a statement, CORCOMI media coordinator Yumkhaibam Surjitkumar Khuman said: “The ambulance was confirmed to have come from the Leimakhong area, which houses one of the largest army camps. The Kukis have misused the sanctity of a humanitarian service vehicle, committing an inhumane crime that reflects their lack of moral and ethical integrity.
Shockingly, a woman in the background was heard appreciating these barbaric forces and celebrating the death of the young mother and the injury of her minor child.”
“In contrast to the evidence from video footage, photos, and ground reports, the Kuki Inpi quickly issued a press release that appeared to be preemptively drafted before the actual incident occurred. The timing of their press release coincided suspiciously with the attack, making it evident that the incident was premeditated,” Khuman said.
Khuman alleged that Kuki Inpi played a significant role in misleading the public, engaging in a disinformation campaign designed to deceive. Some national and local media outlets were initially misled by the press release but later corrected their reports after realizing the truth and exposing the lies perpetuated by Kuki Inpi during the attack.
Khuman claimed that the Manipur Police have clearly stated that several highly sophisticated drones were used by Kuki insurgents to attack Koutruk Villages. Later in the day, some national media outlets withdrew their reports from various platforms after realizing the false and deceptive narratives that aimed to confuse the public and cover up the crimes and disruptions caused by these barbaric armed Kuki groups.
“Simply relying to the press release of the most deceitful group in the region without verifying the content is very dangerous and the need to be strictly checked,” he said.
“However, historical records from the royal chronicles of the Metei Kings clearly indicate that this was not a treaty but rather a request to serve under the king’s command to guard the boundary. Since being exposed for this press release stunt, Kuki Inpi has continuously propagated lie after lie, with Sunday’s press release crossing the bounds of humanity,” he also said.
“Kuki Inpi even attempted to justify a woman celebrating with these terrorist barbarians, who were having a meal inside the very ambulance used in the attack,” he also said.
The CORCOMI demanded immediate action against those who carried out the attack, as their identities have been revealed through social media, including the ambulance’s registration number.
Meitei Heritage Society (MHS) also condemned the coordinated all-out unprovoked attack by Kuki insurgent groups in the Meitei villages since Sunday, which included the unprecedented and indiscriminate use of armed drones.
In a statement, MHS said: “The bombing of villagers by Kuki groups against the Meitei community is a clear act of terror. The use of drones, sophisticated weapons previously unseen in this conflict, demonstrates the militants’ intent to inflict maximum harm and terrorize the Meitei population.”
The MHS urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to take swift and decisive action to neutralize the Kuki insurgent groups responsible for these heinous acts and protect the lives and property of Manipuri. The MHS also demanded for termination of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the Kuki insurgent groups, which provided them immunity to attack Meitei civilians.
While condemning the incident, Meitei Alliance said it is disheartening and deeply worrying that 70,000 central military and paramilitary forces who have been deployed for counter-terrorism have not been able to protect the lives, livelihood, and properties of the citizens.
“This inaction of the central forces simply encourages the Kuki insurgents to unleash terror to disturb any kind of possible peace efforts in the state.
“When Kuki insurgents have been repeatedly violating India’s Constitution and International Humanitarian Laws, what has gone wrong with the Indian government that it has not taken up stringent actions against them,” it questioned.
