CoPTAM condemns Armed Violence of ZUF /NSCN-IM

CONDEMNATION OF ARMED VIOLENCE, INTIMIDATION, AND ILLEGAL ENFORCEMENT BY THE SELF-STYLED ZELIANGRONG UNITED FRONT (ZUF/NSCN-IM) - S. KAMSON FACTION

Dated: 26th January, 2026 | New Delhi

The undersigned unequivocally condemns the recent acts of armed violence, destruction of civilian property, and coercive threats carried out by the self-styled Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF/NSCN-IM) - S. Kamson faction, and its armed wing, the Zeliangrong Tiger Force (ZTF), within the Hill Areas of Manipur.

The press communiqué dated 26th January 2026 openly admits to the burning of houses, vehicles, farmhouses, destruction of agricultural lands, and dismantling of civilian structures in the Kangchup Geljang Sub-Division of Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi District, under the pretext of enforcing an anti-poppy campaign.

Such actions constitute collective punishment, forced eviction, and grave violations of indigenous land rights, humanitarian norms, and constitutional protections.

Further, the communiqué issued by the ZUF/NSCN-IM (S. Kamson faction) dated 8th January 2026 acknowledges armed action against Kuki civilians at Kharam Vaiphei village under the false pretext of engaging armed cadres, resulting in gross human rights violations, criminal intimidation, and acts provoking and promoting enmity between communities, while simultaneously asserting a blanket denial of Kuki land rights within purported Zeliangrong ancestral territories and issuing threats of forced desertion against inhabitants of contested areas.

These declarations reflect an alarming attempt to justify armed aggression, territorial absolutism, and ethnic intimidation.

Additionally, the earlier press statement dated 18th December 2025 reveals a continuing pattern of militarised rhetoric, threats of reciprocal retaliation, and efforts to legitimise violence under political and nationalist narratives.

Collectively, these documents demonstrate:

1. Open endorsement of arson and destruction of civilian livelihoods;

2. Armed enforcement of territorial claims outside any constitutional or legal framework;

3. Threats of forced displacement of indigenous communities;

4. Escalation of ethnic hostility under the guise of anti-narcotics enforcement and political protection.

Such actions are illegal, unconstitutional, and in direct violation of:

1. Article 21 - Right to Life and Livelihood;

2. Article 300A - Right to Property;

3. Constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes in the Hill Areas;

4. Principles of customary land ownership and indigenous self-governance;

5. Fundamental humanitarian norms prohibiting collective punishment and targeting of civilians.

The use of violence to impose unilateral territorial assertions not only undermines peace and the rule of law but constitutes ethnic persecution and land aggression against the Kuki tribal communities, who possess historical, customary, and legal rights over their ancestral territories.

We therefore:

1. Strongly condemn the self-styled ZUF/NSCN-IM (S. Kamson faction)'s armed operations, destruction of civilian property, and threats of displacement;

2. Reject any narrative that seeks to erase Kuki ancestral land rights through force or intimidation;

3. Call upon the Government of India and the State authorities to take immediate and effective action to prevent further violence, protect civilian populations, and uphold constitutional order in the Hill Areas;

4. Demand impartial and transparent investigation into the incidents of arson, armed attacks, and coercive evictions admitted in the ZUF/NSCN-IM (S. Kamson faction) communiqués.

Peace, land rights, and coexistence cannot be achieved through the barrel of a gun nor through the collective punishment of indigenous communities.

Sd/-

Secretary

Information and Publicity

COPTAM-KH

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