Manipur Naga youth body rejects Kuki-Zo apology over killings of six civilians
The All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), has rejected the apology issued by the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) regarding the killing of six Naga civilians, calling it unacceptable and insufficient. The apex Naga students’ body also condemned the KZC's use of the derogatory term 'Kacha Naga' to refer to the victims, who belonged to the Liangmai Naga community.
On Thursday, the KZC expressed regret over the killing of six Naga civilians who were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district. The incident occurred after three Thadou church leaders were ambushed and killed on May 13. The Thadou community is divided over their identity as Kukis, with some claiming a distinct identity and others aligning with the larger Kuki group.
In a statement on Friday, ANSAM said the KZC's expression of regret was not an apology or an admission of the 'unlawful and inhumane' crime. 'On the contrary, it is tantamount to a direct challenge and insult to the Naga people and reflects an alarming disposition of arrogance and perceived supremacy,' the statement said.
The students' body also noted that the use of the pejorative term for the victims revealed a 'disturbing persistence of prejudice and communal disdain' and did not demonstrate remorse. 'The Association categorically asserts that no apology can be deemed credible, sincere, and acceptable until the perpetrators responsible for the abduction, torture, mutilation, and brutal killing of the six innocent Naga hostages are identified, apprehended, and punished in accordance with the rule of law,' ANSAM said.
ANSAM further pointed out that Nagas have no access to or influence over the areas between the Kuki-dominated villages of Kotzim and Kotlen in Kangpokpi district, where the three church leaders were killed. 'Any attempt to implicate the Nagas in that incident is entirely baseless, malicious, and intended solely to manufacture communal animosity through misinformation,' the association said.
Urging the central and state governments to bring the killers of the six Naga civilians to justice, ANSAM stated that 'genuine reconciliation (with Kukis) can only emerge from truth, accountability, respect for identity, admittance of the historical facts, and the uncompromising administration of justice.'
