By Kukiland Express Desk
Songpi, May 3, 2026
The Kuki Liberation Army-Letkholun (KLA-L) issued a comprehensive manifesto on May 3, 2026, marking the third anniversary of the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur. The group called the date “Separation Day,” citing a collapsed social contract with the Meitei community. KLA-L said the manifesto is a response to statements released by Arambai Tenggol (AT) GHQ on May 1 and framed it as a “clinical dissection of a state-sponsored conspiracy” and a roadmap to political self-determination for the Kuki people.
I. The Architecture of Deceit: Debunking the May 3rd Myth:
KLA-L accused Meitei militias, specifically Arambai Tenggol, of spreading propaganda to gaslight the international community by claiming Kuki people initiated the 2023 hostilities. The group called this a “monumental lie” and a “shameless and baseless” fabrication. It said the conflict was not a spontaneous riot but a “Secret Agenda” formed in 2020. According to KLA-L, Arambai Tenggol was a paramilitary wing raised under the direct patronage of then-Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, referred to as the “Communal CM,” and MP Leishemba Sanajaoba, with the objective of ethnic cleansing of Kuki people from ancestral hills and the Imphal Valley to establish mono-ethnic hegemony. The group alleged that on May 3, 2023, while tribal people held a peaceful rally, Arambai Tenggol desecrated and torched the Anglo-Kuki War Centenary Gate. It described the subsequent violence in Kangvai as a “false flag” operation, claiming Meitei militias set fire to their own settlements to create a narrative of “Kuki aggression” and justify the slaughter of Kuki civilians in the valley. KLA-L cited testimony from Ms. Thounoujam Brindra as evidence, stating, “The world now knows: the Meitei Leepun and Arambai Tenggol started this war.”
II. State-Sponsored Terrorism and the Imphal Pogrom:
KLA-L said what followed Kangvai was not “communal clashing” but a state-sponsored pogrom. It argued that when the police, administration, and political leadership hand over armories to mobs, the government becomes a criminal enterprise. The group pointed to leaked audio recordings of Biren Singh as a “smoking gun” of ethnic purging, saying they prove the highest offices in Manipur provided logistical, tactical, and moral cover for Arambai Tenggol. KLA-L reminded the world of events in the Imphal Valley, including systematic identification of Kuki homes using government records, lynchings of professionals, and sexual violence. It said rape and murder of Kuki women were deliberate tools of war used to break the spirit of the community, but “they failed. They underestimated the bravery of the Kuki heart.”
III. The Terrorist Label: A Legal and Moral Necessity:
KLA-L formally demanded that the Government of India and international human rights bodies stop using euphemisms for Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun. The group said they are not “vigilantes” or “volunteers” but Terrorist Organizations. It listed mass murder, arson, looting of thousands of state weapons, and displacement of an entire ethnicity as meeting international criteria for terrorism. KLA-L demanded that MP Leishemba Sanajaoba and Ex-CM N. Biren Singh be tried for crimes against humanity, stating justice requires life imprisonment, not political retirement. “To allow these individuals to walk free is to admit that the Indian Constitution does not apply to the hills of Manipur,” the manifesto said.
IV. A Nation Betrayed: The Cry of the Blood-Sons:
KLA-L described Kuki people as “blood-sons of India” who defended the Indian Union but are now treated as strangers in their own home. The group said it does not defy the Constitution but revere it, asking how long loyal Indian hearts must bleed in silence while cries for safety are ignored by a “deaf Centre.” It said Kuki people are being slaughtered on land they swore to protect, with loyalty met by abandonment and sacrifice by apathy. “We ask the leadership in New Delhi: does our Indian blood only matter when it is spilled for your borders? If we are Indians in times of war, why are we treated as outcasts in times of our own peril?”
V. The Fallacy of “Peace” and the Puppet Representative:
KLA-L rejected the Centre’s talk of “returning to normalcy,” saying there is no “normal” to return to and that the bridge has been “vaporized.” The group expressed contempt for participation of certain Non-Naga Hill Tribes (Kuki) MLAs in the “Popular Government,” saying they do not speak for grieving widows or youth in the trenches. It accused these MLAs of pursuing personal gain while the blood of constituents remains wet. KLA-L said any dialogue involving such representatives without addressing the fundamental demand of the people is a “Dialogue of the Deaf.”
VI. The Only Path Forward: Separation and Sovereignty:
The manifesto stated that events of the last three years prove Kuki people and the Meitei community can no longer coexist within a single administrative framework. KLA-L reiterated the demand for a Separate Administration with a Legislative Assembly under the Constitution of India, modeled after the Union Territory of Puducherry. It said a politically and administratively recognized boundary is required, along with power to legislate the future and command security. “Until a Union Territory with a Legislature is granted, the war will not cease. The fire of resistance will continue to burn as long as our people are denied the right to live with dignity.”
VII. A Salutation to the Fallen
KLA-L said it bowed its head in solemn prayer at its General Headquarters for those who have fallen. The group honored patriots who gave their lives so that Kuki-Zo might live, stating their sacrifice is the foundation for a future state. It urged Kuki people across the globe not to be swayed by “sophisticated lies of the valley-based media.” KLA-L said the road to Land and Heritage is long but the cause is just, and it remains committed to total defense of the people. “We will not retreat. We will not compromise on the blood of our martyrs. Separation is not an option; it is our destiny. May God be with the Kuki people always!”
The statement was signed by Napoleon Kuki, Department of Information & Publicity, Kuki Liberation Army-Letkholun (KLA-L), Kukiland, India.
DISCLAIMER:
This report contains claims and statements made by the Kuki Liberation Army-Letkholun (KLA-L) and does not independently verify those allegations. The content is presented for informational purposes and to reflect the positions expressed by the issuing group. Readers are advised to consider official sources and multiple perspectives.
