Uncertainty over Suspension of Operations agreement in Manipur
Meitei and Naga groups oppose the extension of the agreement with Kuki militant outfits.
The future of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement in Manipur remains uncertain as 2,266 cadres of militant outfits stay in designated hill region camps. The agreement with the United People’s Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), a conglomerate of 23 outfits, expired in September this year.
Meitei and Naga groups have opposed the extension of the SoO agreement with Kuki militant outfits. These groups have alleged that SoO cadres have violated terms and engaged in the killing and abduction of people from the Meitei and Naga communities.
Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said on October 23 that operations are continuing to arrest those involved in the killing of three civilians at Nongshum. The victims were part of a group of 14 Meitei men ambushed while collecting firewood in Sunurok hills, Kangpokpi district, on October 19.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh visited the Sinai Camp in Kangpokpi district on October 25 after it was taken over by security forces. Home Minister Konthoujam stated that security personnel found 18 people at the camp, including one suspected KNF cadre.
The Home Minister noted that the SoO agreement expired in the first week of September and was not extended. He said both the state and central governments are concerned about public sentiment regarding the extension of the pact.
The state is scheduled to hold assembly polls early next year, making the extension of the SoO an electoral issue.