Tensions Resurface as WKZIC Challenges Claims of Kuki Refugee Terminology and Origins

SONGPI-LAMKA, Manipur – 25 June 2025: The World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC), formerly known as the Kuki-Zo Intellectual Forum, has issued a strong rebuttal to what it terms "seven decades of misleading narratives" regarding the origin of the Thangkhul community and the terminology of 'Kuki Refugee'. The organisation accuses various groups of distorting historical facts and promoting a geo-political agenda that misrepresents the roots of the Kuki people.

According to WKZIC's press release (Ref. No. 184/WKZIC-GHQ/(PR)/2023-25), it cites a series of press releases from bodies such as the FNJAC, FNCC, and the Ukhrul Times, which it claims have frequently portrayed Thangkhuls in ways that justify aggression while dismissing historical migrations. The statement highlights that for over seventy years, the Kukis have avoided engaging in disputes about the origin of Thangkhuls, despite sustained narratives that suggest the Kukis are immigrants or refugees.

It specifically targets recent claims originating from Khankhui Cave in the Ukhrul district of Manipur, where it is alleged that the Thangkhuls originated from Yunan, China. The claim was reasserted in research by Dr. Nelson Vashum (2023 & Kharingya Shimrah, 2015), who suggests Thangkhuls migrated into Manipur during the 13th century alongside other Naga tribes.

WKZIC argues that the historical narrative has been manipulated to categorise Kukis as "refugees" or "immigrants," allegedly to promote a vision of 'Naga Homeland' while ignoring longstanding Kuki settlements and heritage in the region. The organisation claims that the label 'Kuki Refugee' is politically motivated and was propagated by leaders such as Ramthing Hungyo, Ashang Kasar, and groups like FNJAC and FNCC.

The press release further condemns the use of past violence to justify present-day narratives, citing events such as the 1880 Chingjaroi massacre of the Tukei (Tukhi) Kuki by Thangkhul villagers, incited by a 'Thangkhul Widow' seeking vengeance. WKZIC references multiple sources, including The Chingjaroi Incident, Lhungdim, P.159 & WKR, pp. 262-264, and Jennings' Tale from Chingjaroi, Kuki Aggression, Political Wrangling and Colonial Interest (E-pao, 12 July 2023), though the Council claims these accounts are biased and lack ground-level verification.

Highlighting the humanitarian role played by the Kukis in sheltering displaced populations and defending their land, WKZIC expressed concern over how Thangkhul narratives have been used to incite ethnic violence, citing examples from the Naga insurgency period (1956–1966), where over 64 Kuki villages were reportedly uprooted and 60 Kukis killed in districts such as Ukhrul, Senapati, and Tamenglong. The Council notes that many Kukis were forced to migrate to Burma and were later repatriated following India's independence.

The statement underscores that despite over 70 years of alleged mischaracterisation, very little has been published by Kukis on the true origin and migration of the Thangkhuls. It challenges the authenticity of Thangkhul-origin theories linked to the Manipur soil, and instead points to claims of their migration from China and Thailand via Burma into Manipur between the 9th and 11th centuries AD.

The WKZIC has extended a call for dialogue, inviting Thangkhul and Zemei-Liangmei-Kabui brothers of FNJAC/FNCC/Ukhrul Times to refrain from 'rocking the boat' and instead sit together with Kuki-Zo intellectuals to discuss the future of the Kuki-Naga Union Territory within a framework that is "politically feasible under the Indian Constitution."

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