Move to Renew SOO Agreement with Chin-Kuki Militants Sparks Outrage in Manipur

The Meitei Heritage Society has strongly condemned reports that the Ministry of Home Affairs is considering renewing the Suspension of Operations (SOO) agreement with Chin-Kuki militant groups, despite widespread public opposition and the Manipur government’s prior decisions to terminate it. The move is seen as undermining efforts to restore peace in violence-stricken Manipur, where SOO militants are allegedly involved in ongoing conflicts, including attacks on security forces, with investigations by the National Investigation Agency still underway.

According to sources, the agreement’s renewal is contingent on closing two of three ZRA camps—Muvanlai, Mt. Sinai, and Phaiba—under the UPF group. Critics, including the Meitei Heritage Society, have slammed this condition as a “reduction of SOO camps eyewash to sign SOO agreement,” arguing that the camps’ remote locations mean their closure would have minimal impact on law and order. The group warns that renewing the SOO, contrary to the popular government’s earlier decisions, risks legitimizing the killings and violence allegedly perpetrated by these groups.

In March 2023, the Manipur government abrogated the SOO with the KNA and ZRA due to repeated violations, followed by a January 2024 resolution against renewal. The agreement expired on February 28, 2024. A series of incidents have revealed blatant violations, including a recent NIA probe that led to the arrest of three Kuki militants—Thangminlen Mate of Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, Kamginthang Gangte of the Kuki National Army (KNA), and Hentinthang Kipgen, associated with the Village Volunteers group in Churachandpur district—in connection with a January 17, 2024, attack in Moreh, Tengnoupal district, which killed two security personnel and injured several others.

The Meitei Heritage Society argues that, instead of taking action against violators as mandated by SOO rules, renewing the agreement under President’s rule disregards the state’s elected government and public demands for peace. The group urged the Government of India to honor the state’s cabinet resolutions, public sentiment, and the SOO’s principles, calling for accountability to address Manipur’s ongoing crisis.

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