Kangpokpi district in Manipur witnessed widespread protests and a total shutdown on Wednesday, May 13 following the killing of Kuki-Zo church leaders in an ambush between Kotzim and Kotlen areas earlier in the day. The attack also left several others critically injured.

The shutdown was called by Thadou civil bodies in Sadar Hills, which condemned the killings and demanded immediate justice for the victims.

Following the shutdown call, business establishments across the district remained closed, while vehicular movement along National Highway-2 was completely disrupted. The highway is considered a crucial lifeline for the state.

Security forces were deployed in sensitive locations across Kangpokpi district amid heightened tension to prevent any escalation of violence.

KIM, the apex body representing Kuki tribes in Manipur, described the incident as a “cowardly and barbaric ambush” that resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including prominent church leaders Rev. V. Sitlhou, Rev. Kaigoulen and Pastor Paogoulen.

According to KIM, several others sustained critical injuries in the attack.

The organisation stated that Rev. V. Sitlhou had recently participated in a peace mission in Kohima along with the Nagaland Joint Christian Forum to promote reconciliation and mutual understanding between Kuki-Zo and Tangkhul communities.

In its statement, KIM said the killing of a peace advocate reflected a serious attack on ongoing reconciliation efforts and urged the Government of India to conduct an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the incident.

The body also appealed to churches, civil society groups and democratic institutions to strongly condemn the killings and ensure accountability for those responsible.

In a separate statement, KOHUR alleged that cadres of NSCN-IM, acting in collusion with the ZUF, carried out the ambush on a delegation of senior Kuki church leaders travelling from Churachandpur to Kangpokpi for an inter-association ecclesiastical meeting.

KOHUR stated that the delegation included senior clergy members of the Thadou Baptist Association (TBA) and the United Baptist Council (UBC), adding that the victims were unarmed religious leaders engaged in peace-building initiatives.

The organisation termed the incident a deliberate attack targeting Kuki peace efforts and accused the Indian security establishment of failing to ensure safe movement for Kuki-Zo civilians along the Churachandpur-Kangpokpi route.

KOHUR further called for registration of cases under anti-terror laws against those allegedly involved in the ambush, review of ceasefire arrangements with NSCN-IM, constitution of a high-level judicial commission and deployment of additional Central security forces in Kuki-Zo inhabited areas.

The organisation also appealed to international Christian institutions, including the Vatican, the World Council of Churches, the Baptist World Alliance and the National Council of Churches in India, to condemn the killings and support efforts against violence targeting clergy involved in reconciliation initiatives.

Authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the allegations made by the organisations.