Civil society groups in Manipur, led by the Meitei Alliance, released a booklet and joint resolution demanding abrogation of the SoO agreement with Kuki militant outfits KNO and UPF, citing alleged violence and criminal activity.
Imphal, Sept. 7: The Suspension of Operation, or SoO, agreement between the government and two Kuki armed groups should be revoked immediately if its ground rules cannot be enforced, Kowarhing Anal, a functionary of the Naga Peoples Union, Imphal, said Sunday.
Anal spoke at a press conference held to release a booklet titled "Kuki SoO Terror Trails – Evidential Files," which calls for scrapping the SoO arrangement involving the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United Peoples Front (UPF). The event was organized by the Meitei Alliance at Hotel Siroi Hall in North AOC, Imphal.
Anal said the demand for revoking the agreement, in place between the Indian government and the two groups for roughly 18 years, reflects a joint resolution passed by 30 civil society organizations representing Meitei, Naga and Meitei Pangal communities in the state.
He said none of the ground rules originally agreed upon — including confinement to designated camps and the surrender of arms — have been observed during that period. Instead, he alleged, cadres of the two groups have extorted money along highways, cultivated poppy, carried out killings and abductions, and imposed illegal taxes on the public by intimidating residents. Because of this, he said, public trust placed in the agreement has been lost, and the groups have instead grown into fully empowered insurgent organizations.
Anal further said that taking government action against groups he described as sheltering illegal immigrants who entered without proper documentation, along with abrogating the SoO, would be a step toward resolving unrest that remains unsettled in the state.
The booklet's release coincided with a joint resolution circulated among endorsing organizations and dated between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5. The resolution states that it was adopted after examining what it calls a historical record of violence, atrocities, criminal activity and repeated ground-rule violations by armed groups operating under SoO arrangements. It also cites a documented record of police-verified violations compiled separately in the accompanying booklet.
The resolution acknowledges that ceasefire agreements, framework pacts, memoranda of understanding and SoO arrangements have, over the decades, been used by governments and armed groups as measures meant to address security concerns, enable dialogue and work toward restoring peace. It adds that such arrangements draw their legitimacy from their ability to reduce violence, enforce agreed ground rules, protect civilians and advance a credible process toward peace, disarmament and rule of law.
Against that standard, the resolution says, the tripartite SoO arrangements between the Government of India, the Government of Manipur, the KNO and the UPF — in place since 2008 — have produced what it calls deeply troubling consequences for the people of Manipur.
The resolution raises three specific concerns. First, it says the SoO framework, rather than progressively leading toward disarmament, demobilization and the eventual dissolution of the KNO and UPF as armed organizations, has instead allowed the two groups to retain and strengthen their organizational, military and financial capacities, at what it describes as tremendous cost to the public.
Second, it alleges that the suspension of military operations against the groups created an environment in which armed cadres continued to be implicated in serious violence and criminality. This includes arson, attacks on security force camps, killings of law enforcement personnel, destruction of government and civilian property, murder, torture, extortion and intimidation, which the resolution says have contributed to communal instability.
Third, it says the continued operation of the SoO despite these documented violations has seriously undermined public confidence in the agreements and raised fundamental questions about their purpose, effectiveness and legitimacy.
The resolution also states that governments established by law and deriving authority from the democratic mandate of the people bear a fundamental responsibility to protect life and property, uphold the rule of law and ensure that no armed organization enjoys immunity or impunity for acts of violence, terrorism or criminality.
Based on these findings, the signatories resolved that the SoO agreement with Kuki militant groups has failed to achieve its stated objective of facilitating peaceful dialogue, and that there is, in their assessment, substantial and compelling evidence of the groups' involvement in terrorist activities and widespread violence while operating under the cover of the agreement. The resolution states that abrogating the SoO is therefore imperative, arguing that lasting peace in the state cannot be restored without decisive action.
The signatories called on the government to abrogate the SoO agreements with the KNO and UPF and to take all necessary measures to restore an environment of security, justice, accountability and lasting peace for all communities in Manipur. They also demanded that any SoO-affiliated cadres involved in criminal acts be expeditiously prosecuted and convicted under the laws of the land.
The joint resolution was endorsed by 30 organizations, including the All Manipur Muslim Organizations' Co-Ordinating Committee, two units of the All Manipur Students' Union, Arambai Tenggol, the Centre for Research and Advocacy Manipur, the Committee of Civil Society Kangleipak, the Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur, the Manipur Naga Youth Organisation, the Meitei Alliance, the Meitei Heritage Society, the Naga Peoples Union of Imphal, SOULS — an organization representing families of missing persons in Manipur — Team Meitei Personalities Manipur, the United Meitei-Pangal Committee Manipur, and Zeliangrong Union chapters in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Imphal, among other student, community and civil society bodies.
The KNO, UPF and government authorities had not issued a response to the allegations at the time of the press conference, according to the report.
