PRESS RELEASE
16.6.2023
Over 550 civil society groups and concerned individuals from across the country come together to
condemn the continuing violence in Manipur.
Call for an immediate stop to divisive politics by the state and security forces.
Urge all parties for an immediate cease fire.
Issuing a statement expressing deep concern about the continuing ethnic violence in Manipur between
the Meitei community and the tribal Kuki and Zo communities since early May 2023, people from across
the nation called on the Prime Minister to break his deafening silence on the ongoing civil war in the
hills and valley areas of Manipur, and for ‘an immediate halt to this violence that is causing large scale
disruption of lives, livelihoods and properties and unleashing even more terror among people’ - to date
over 50,000 people are reported to be in more than 300 refugee camps and lakhs of men, women and
children have been displaced. And the violence still continues.
It emphasises that, ‘Manipur is burning today in very large part due to the divisive politics played by
the BJP and its governments at the Centre and State. And on them lies the onus to stop this ongoing
civil war before more lives are lost.’ It also unequivocally states that the state has pretended to be an ally
to both the communities for its political gains, but has only widened the chasm of historical tensions
between them without any effort to facilitate a dialogue towards resolution of the current crisis till date.
The statement further notes that, ‘In the present scenario, the worst of the violence against the Kukis
has been perpetuated by armed Meitei majoritarian groups like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun,
accompanied by genocidal hate-speech and supremacist displays of impunity. ‘ There are also news
reports about frenzied mobs chanting ‘rape her, torture her’ while attacking women that urgently
need to be verified.
The statement demands an immediate halt to this ongoing violence and highlights the need for
independent, non-partisan civil society members to visit the survivors and the bereaved; make
attempts to verify reports of killings and rapes.
The signatories demand that:
● The Prime Minister must speak up and take accountability of the current situation in Manipur.
● A court-monitored tribunal must be formed to establish facts, and prepare the ground for justice and
healing of the gaping wound that separates communities of Manipur to mitigate the divisiveness and
hatred being engineered.
● A fast track court be set up for all cases of sexual violence by state and non-state actors, as
recommended by the Verma commission that ‘personnel guilty of sexual offences in conflict areas
should be tried under ordinary criminal law.
● Provision of relief by the government to those forced to flee and guarantee their safe return to their
villages; rebuild their homes and lives. Provision of ex-gratia compensation to those who lost loved
ones, suffered injuries and loss of home, grain, livestock and so on. This process of return, rehabilitation
and compensation should be overseen by a panel of retired judges who know the region closely, perhaps
appointed by the High Court or Supreme Court.
The statement has been endorsed by many rights based and civil society groups including:
People’s Union for Civil Liberties