Imphal/Guwahati:

The Kuki National Assembly (KNA) has condemned the killing of two “village defense volunteers” in Manipur’s Kampopi district on Saturday, allegedly by an armed group from the valley. The National Army has called on the Kuki-Zo tribe not to vote in the Lok Sabha elections to protest against alleged atrocities against the tribe.

The national army said in a statement that Alain Baitengor, with the support of the army, attacked the Phailenmol area of ​​Compopi and killed two “village defense volunteers”.

“…if suffering is considered our right in India, then we choose not to participate in the Indian parliamentary elections,” KNA said in a statement signed by its spokesperson Mangboi Haokip.

Both armed groups call themselves “Village Defense Volunteers”, a definition of the warring parties in Manipur that has become the most controversial as there is nothing to stop these “volunteers” from acting in “self-defence” “The killings were carried out under the insurance provided and without any oversight or accountability.

“It is disheartening that the Indian military is capable of preventing and responding to threats from China and Pakistan, but has failed to protect innocent citizens… This has led to a loss of confidence in India’s constitution and its claim to be the world’s largest democracy,” Mr Haukip said.

“Given the indifference shown by Manipur towards the minority Kuki people, we feel the need to abstain from voting in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to express our anguish against the Indian leadership,” he said.

The National Army claimed that troops provided covering fire to Alan Baittengor before they attacked the mountain and killed two “village defense volunteers”.

Mr Haukip claimed the bodies were dismembered and dragged onto the road. Graphic visuals of the alleged incident have appeared on social media.

“We urge every Kukizo to support the election boycott resolution passed by Kukipi Manipur and other intellectual groups. This boycott is a means of conveying our pain and suffering to India and the world,” Hauke Mr. Pu said.

The KNA joins a long list of Kuki-Zo groups calling for a boycott of the Lok Sabha elections. The Global Kuki-Zomi-Hmar Women’s Community, a group of Kuki-Zo women including journalist, social worker, former Outer Manipur MP Kim Gangte and leaders of the Delhi Kuki-Zomi-Hmar Women’s Forum, have written The letter was written to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar informing him of their decision to boycott the polls.

“The Central Security Forces were deployed to maintain peace and maintain neutrality, but their action today raises many questions ahead of the Lok Sabha elections,” the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) of Kukizo said in a statement on Saturday. ”

Allegations by Valley civil society groups

Civil society organizations in the valley have counter-alleged that farmers who went up to the mountains to collect firewood were tortured, killed and mutilated by armed groups holed up in bunkers.

An alleged video of the January killing shows one of the men lying face-down on the ground being hit in the neck with a shovel before being shot multiple times at close range with an assault rifle. Civil society groups claimed that anyone from the valleys farming near the foothills would be shot without provocation.

Ethnic violence has raged in Manipur for 11 months over catastrophic disagreements over land, resources, political representation and affirmative action policies. More than 210 people have been killed in the violence and more than 50,000 people have been internally displaced.