The outlawed United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Koireng group, observed Martyrs’ Memorial Day in Imphal on Monday, May 18, 2026, honoring fighters and supporters who have died in the movement and warning against what it called a looming political and military offensive by the Centre. The Central Committee paid tribute to those it described as having fallen while resisting opposing forces.
In a statement, Publicity Secretary M. Shak-Hen said the memory of the martyrs would continue to inspire “living revolutionaries.” The group used the occasion to condemn what it described as the Government of India’s stated aim of ending the liberation movement by 2029, and urged the public to reject such announcements and resist Indian security forces.
The UNLF alleged that the 2023 violence against the Meitei community, which it blamed on Kuki actors and said caused widespread devastation and displacement, was a deliberate precursor to changing the state’s demographic and political balance. The outfit said the Centre was preparing for an “ultimate strike” on two fronts: political and military.
On the political front, the UNLF expressed concern about the granting of citizenship to Kuki and Zo immigrants, adjustments to Meitei and Kuki/Zo MLA representation in the state assembly, and proposals to create separate territorial councils for Kuki, Zo and Naga communities. On the military front, it warned against large deployments of Army and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) units that it said could be used to suppress mass protests against those territorial councils.
The group vowed to confront the challenge “with its full strength and resources” and appealed for unity among the public to defeat the alleged plan. The statement reiterated the UNLF-Koireng faction’s demand for the restoration of what it called Manipur’s lost sovereignty.
Manipur has two UNLF factions-UNLF (Pambei) and UNLF (Koireng). The Pambei faction is currently engaged in peace talks with the Centre and the state government, while the Koireng faction continues to press its sovereignty demands. Manipur merged with the Indian Union in 1949; the UNLF, founded on November 24, 1964, is the oldest valley-based armed separatist group in the state.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/manipur/unlf-koireng-faction-alleges-demographic-plot-in-manipur-on-martyrs-day.html
Category: Manipur,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-05-18 07:22:00
