Manipur: Meitei body urges Centre to dismantle militant infrastructures

Imphal, Dec 3 Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex body of the Meitei community, on Tuesday urged the central government to secure the India-Myanmar border and dismantle the infrastructure of militant outfits in the state.

COCOMI Media Coordinator Yumkhaibam Surjitkumar Khuman requested the Union Government to acknowledge the ongoing crisis as a “proxy war” involving external actors and state negligence.

“Decisive action must be taken to secure the India-Myanmar border and dismantle the infrastructure of armed militant groups within the state in a stipulated time,” Khuman told the media.

He said that transparent investigations must be conducted into allegations of collusion between security forces and Kuki armed groups.

The COCOMI also demanded a comprehensive strategy to address illegal immigration, illegal poppy cultivation, illegal arms smuggling and trafficking of drugs and also to restore demographic balance in Manipur.

The Meitei apex body in a statement said that COCOMI has been vigilantly monitoring the government of India’s administrative policies concerning Manipur since the outbreak of “Kuki aggression on May 3, 2023.

“The crisis has now escalated to alarming proportions due to the Indian government’s evident failure to safeguard Manipur’s territorial sovereignty, enabling ethnic rebel groups from Myanmar to exploit and destabilise the region,” the statement said.

It said that The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its recent investigations, exposed the role of Kuki militant groups such as KNA, KNF, and UKNA in heinous crimes, including the murder of four civilians in January this year.

“Despite these revelations, the Indian government has failed to dismantle the infrastructure of these groups or hold them accountable for their actions,” the COCOMI said.

Meanwhile, the Manipur police on Tuesday arrested four militants of the Kangleipak Communist Party (People's War Group) from Kakching district and recovered many arms and ammunition from them.

A police official said that the militants were involved in extortion and illegal possession of arms and ammunition.

Source: IANS