New Delhi: The Kuki Human Rights Council (KHRC) has issued a strong condemnation over the killing of four Kuki civilians in Tamenglong district on 13th September 2026, a day observed by the Kuki community as Sahnit-Ni or Black Day. The council has identified the deceased and alleged that the attacks were carried out by militants belonging to the Th. Muivah-led NSCN-IM.
According to the press statement issued by the Information & Publicity Wing of KHRC on 14th September with reference number KHRC/PR/2026-09-13, the victims have been identified as (L) Seineh Singsit and his wife (L) Lhingjangai Singsit from L. Tollen village, and (L) Thangvel Gangte and (L) Julie Gangte from Longpi village. The council stated that a minor boy, Hemminsang Singsit, son of Seineh Singsit, was critically injured in the same incident.
The KHRC stated that the killings took place in two separate villages in Tamenglong district – L. Tollen and Longpi. Local reports, as cited by the council, claim that the attacks were carried out by NSCN-IM militants led by Th. Muivah. The council described the killings as cold-blooded, inhuman and barbaric, and pointed out that the date coincides with Black Day, which is observed annually by Kukis to mourn the victims of the 1990s ethnic violence.
In its statement, the KHRC said that the incident is not an isolated one but is part of what it described as a systematic pattern of attacks against the minority Kuki community. The council alleged that since 1990, NSCN-IM under the leadership of Th. Muivah has killed more than 1,100 innocent Kuki civilians, burned down more than 300 Kuki villages, displaced more than 100,000 people and destroyed hundreds of churches and educational institutions.
The council further alleged that despite these incidents spanning more than 35 years, not a single cadre of the NSCN-IM has been arrested by the Government of India in connection with the killing of Kuki civilians. The statement accused the Government of India of maintaining a double standard by protecting and sponsoring NSCN-IM cadres in the name of ceasefire and peace talks while claiming to uphold human rights and democracy.
According to KHRC, the Government of India has been engaged in ceasefire and political negotiations with the NSCN-IM for several years. The council alleged that while these talks continue, the group has continued to target Kuki villages in the hill areas. The council termed this as a failure on the part of the Centre to ensure security and justice for the Kuki population.
On another front, the KHRC also referred to the ongoing violence in Manipur since May 2023. The council alleged that Meitei militants and mobs have killed more than 250 Kuki civilians, burnt down more than 200 Kuki villages, destroyed more than 360 churches and displaced more than 50,000 Kuki people. The statement said that the Kuki community is thus caught between two sides.
The council described the current situation as a two-front war against the minority Kuki community. It stated that on one side, Meitei militants are attacking Kukis in the valley areas, and on the other side, NSCN-IM militants are attacking Kuki villages in the hill areas. The council said that as a result, the Kuki community is facing persecution from both directions and is in a vulnerable position.
The KHRC also highlighted the number of casualties in the current year alone. According to the council, in 2026 alone, more than 20 Kuki civilians have been killed by NSCN-IM, including two pregnant women, minors and three pastors. The council stated that carrying out killings on Black Day, which is a day of mourning for the victims of the 1990s, shows disrespect for human life and peace.
In view of these developments, the Kuki Human Rights Council has made an appeal to the international community. The council has appealed to world leaders, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), Amnesty International and all international human rights bodies to urgently intervene in what it termed as ongoing persecution and targeted killings of Kuki people in Manipur, India.
As part of its demands, the KHRC has put forward four specific points. First, immediate arrest and prosecution of NSCN-IM leaders and cadres allegedly involved in the killing of more than 1,100 Kuki civilians. Second, a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the killing of more than 1,100 Kuki civilians since 1990 by NSCN-IM and ZUF-K. Third, immediate intervention by the UN Human Rights Council and world leaders.
The fourth demand raised by the KHRC is the abrogation of the ceasefire agreement and peace talks between the NSCN-IM and the Government of India. The council urged the UNHRC to send a fact-finding team to Manipur to investigate the killings allegedly committed by NSCN-IM and to examine the role of the Government of India in the matter. The council concluded its statement by extending deepest condolences to the bereaved families and praying for the speedy recovery of the injured child.
