Imphal, June 25, 2026 — The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) publicly acknowledged for the first time on Thursday that members of the Kuki-Zo community were responsible for the killing of six Naga hostages and issued an apology, in a development that could affect efforts to de‑escalate the ongoing conflict in Manipur. The admission came at a press conference held at the residence of KZC chairman Henlienthang Thanglet on Red Cross Road in Churachandpur.
“I am very sorry for that and I apologise on behalf of my people,” Thanglet said, describing the killings as a “grave mistake” carried out in the heat of emotion after a series of violent incidents. He appealed to the public not to judge the entire Kuki‑Zo community by the actions of a few and warned against branding the community “animalistic”, “savage” or “wicked”, saying Kuki‑Zo villages have also suffered heavily.
Thanglet outlined a sequence of events that, he said, fueled retaliatory anger: an incident involving a Tangkhul youth, the killing of two Kuki men, the earlier release of 21 people who had been held by the Kuki side, and an ambush that killed three pastors and injured four others. He blamed these incidents for the emotional escalation that led to the killing of the six hostages.
The chairman also highlighted what he called a deepening humanitarian crisis in several Kuki‑Zo villages in Ukhrul district — including Chassad, Paicop and Aishi — alleging acute shortages of food, medicine and other essentials after local Tangkhul Naga communities allegedly refused to sell supplies. He flagged similar shortages in Leilon and Kotlen and said the matter had been raised with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Thanglet urged immediate intervention by the Centre and the Manipur government to ensure the delivery of rice, pulses, edible oil, medicines and other relief.
KZC spokesperson Ginza Vualzong said the press conference aimed to draw attention to developments that, in the council’s view, have eroded the community’s confidence in the administration and security forces. The council demanded five measures from the Centre and the state government, including impartial investigations into all violent incidents — specifically naming the killing of the six Naga hostages, the alleged killing of 14 Kuki‑Zo civilians and the burning of Kuki‑Zo villages — action against militant groups the KZC accused of attacking civilians (including the NSCN‑IM and ZUF‑K), probes into sites alleged to be sheltering perpetrators, an end to what it described as selective security operations, reopening of blocked routes in Naga‑dominated areas, and stronger administrative accountability.
The KZC said restoring public confidence will require impartial law enforcement, accountability and equal protection for all communities. The casualty figures, sequence of events, allegations against militant groups, and claims about blocked routes and denial of supplies were made by the Kuki‑Zo Council at the press briefing and have not been independently verified.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/north-east/kuki-zo-council-admits-communitys-role-in-naga-hostage-killings-issues-apology-1613523
Category: North East,Featured
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Publish Date: 2026-06-25 18:22:00
