Thousands of Kuki-Zo people took to the streets in Manipur’s Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts on Saturday (May 16, 2026), demanding the unconditional release of Kuki hostages and justice for three church leaders killed in an ambush by extremists on May 13.

In a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, several Kuki civil society groups called for the re-imposition of President’s Rule in the State.

The protest rallies coincided with the extension of a 48-hour total shutdown called by the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of Kukis in the State, amid outrage over the continued “targeted persecution” of the community.

‘Release hostages unconditionally’

According to Manipur’s Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam, more than 38 Kuki and Naga people were held captives by various groups after the killing of three church leaders. Security forces and community-based organisations helped secure the release of 28 hostages on Friday.

Unconfirmed reports said 10 more hostages were released on Saturday, but the Kuki-Zo groups said 14 community members continue to be in captivity.

Protestors at the rally organised by the Committee on Tribal Unity demanded the immediate, safe, and unconditional release of all Kuki-Zo hostages and the “urgent implementation of the charter of demands” submitted to the Union government.

‘Act of terror’

These demands include a National Investigation Agency probe into the killing of the church leaders, a permanent security guarantee for Kuki-Zo civilians and vulnerable villages, the establishment of special security zones in conflict-prone areas, and an expedited political engagement with Kuki-Zomi extremist groups under the Suspension of Operations pact.

“The continued captivity of innocent civilians was not merely unlawful detention but an act of terror against a people,” KIM president Ch. Ajang Khongsai told the gathering.

Memo to Home Minister

During the “mass rally for justice” in Churachandpur, the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) and other civil society groups submitted a memorandum to Mr. Shah, condemning the killing of three Kuki-Zo religious leaders and raising concerns over continued violence in the region.

The KWOHR alleged that the ongoing violence was linked to “proxy attacks” carried out against the Kuki-Zo people, and expressed concern over repeated incidents of violence, displacement, and insecurity in the region.

The KWOHR called for the re-imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur, strengthening of security deployment in Kuki-Zo areas, a high-level investigation into the killings and related incidents of violence, and the fulfilment of the long-standing demand for a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo people under the Constitution of India.