Exclusive: Mobs supported by Insurgent Groups from both sides in Manipur says Officials

The Clash between Meitei and Kuki in Manipur is yet to stop and internet has been suspended over a month

Security officials are warning of a new worry as ethnic tensions in Manipur widen: cadres of insurgent groupings that have been consigned to the margins in recent years are joining civilian groups taking to the streets on either side of the split.

The Cadres of Kuki insurgent groups, who were under Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, now have been active with the Kuki people in Kuki Clashes with the Meitei who in turn are being backed up by armed cadres of Meitei insurgent outfits, according to security officers.

According to sources in the security establishment, there is proof that members of the People’s Liberation Army of Manipur (PLAM), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), and the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) participated in mob raids on Kuki villages outside the Imphal valley.

Insurgent groups located in the valley had lost support over the previous ten years, and most of their bases were now in Bangladesh and Myanmar. According to sources, there were a lot of UNLF cadres in Manipur on May 3 when violence broke out since the state administration was pursuing negotiations with the group at the time to facilitate cadre surrender.

“When the fighting started, these cadres were immediately drawn into the struggle. Other valley-based insurgent groups have now joined Meitei mobs, following the UNLF’s lead, as they see it as a chance to once again be counted. In fact, these cadres are thought to be responsible for some of the precise firing we’ve seen in recent incidents. A senior security officer claimed there are also rumours that they train raiding squads in addition to giving out weapons and ammo.

According to sources, these cadres have primarily been discovered in Bishnupur, Sugnu in the Kakching district, and the Khamenlok region of the Kangpokpi district.

“The factions had fallen out of favour over the previous ten years, ushering in a period of tranquilly in Manipur. Since they could not see a future for their secessionist objective, numerous cadres of these parties have started to submit in recent years. However, the continuous conflict has the ability to give them new life, recruit new cadres, and revitalise their movement. This is awful news, an Army senior officer declared.

During combing efforts, the existence of UNLF cadres in the valley was also confirmed. On June 20, the Army used a 51-mm mortar to capture four UNLF members in Lilong in the state’s Thoubal area. During an operation in Itham village, in Imphal East, the armed forces captured 12 KYKL cadres with weapons, ammo, and warlike supplies. However, they were freed as a result of pressure from Meira Paibis, a group of women who approached the security guards.

On the other side of the barrier, Kuki insurgent groups that signed SoO pacts have been providing men and weapons. An Assam Rifles search operation following the Khoken incident in Kangpokpi district earlier this month—where three Kuki civilians were killed after a mob opened fire—found a Kuki Revolutionary Army cadre in the village.