Will Manipur experience fierce arms conflict on September 28, 29 ?

Imphal: With the Manipur government’s revelation of an intelligence report of 900 Myanmar militants preparing to attack Meitei community on September 28, Kuki-Zo organizations have issued Public Notice to prepare to defend from Manipur government and Meitei.

In this connection, two different statements were issued on Tuesday by the Kuki Inpi Manipur and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (another Kuki organization), both based in Churachandpur district.

The Kuki Inpi said the information from the chief minister’s office regarding infiltration of 900 trained Kuki militants from Myanmar to launch coordinated attack against Meitei villages on September 28 is unfounded.

It alleged that the statement is completely baseless and was allegedly fabricated by the Manipur government to justify a planned attack against the Kuki-Zo people.

The Kuki Inpi advised all Kukis to remain at home and refrain from traveling or working on September 27 and 28. “A total shutdown will be enforced on September 28 in all Kuki-Zo inhabited regions, monitored by Kuki Inpi and the Kuki Students Organisation in their respective areas.”

Countering the intelligence report, the Kuki body expressed suspicion that the Meitei might launch coordinated attacks on September 28. It also advised all Kuki-Zo village volunteers to reinforce their positions in the ‘buffer zones.’

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum said all Kuki-Zos must not travel outside Kuki-Zo areas between September 26-29 and announced the closure of borders. It added that all schools, institutions, and offices should remain closed on September 27-29, and medical teams and ambulances should be on standby during that period.

It urged all security personnel in the district to remain extremely vigilant to thwart any outside attacks.

Security advisor to the Manipur government Kuldiep Singh told reporters in Imphal that, based on various intelligence inputs, security chiefs have been alerted to the infiltration of 900 trained Kuki militants from Myanmar. Strategic areas, including border regions, have been secured.

The militants organized in groups of 30, were currently scattered in peripheral areas. They were expected to launch multiple coordinated attacks on Meitei villages around September 28, Kuldiep had said.