The Victim Has Been Identified as a Member of Zo Ethnic Group

Newsreel Asia Insight #284
July 17, 2024

In the ongoing ethnic violence that has gripped the northeastern state of Manipur for over a year, another death of a tribal man has been reported. A 45-year-old resident of a village on the border of Imphal West and Kangpokpi Districts, died after being kidnapped and tortured, according to reports, which say he succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital on July 15.

The latest death, of Merangir Mechek from Kangchup Chiru village, has occurred amid a conflict between the majority Meitei community in the Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo tribal people from the hill districts over land rights and identity. Merangir Mechek was a member of the Chiru tribe, which is part of the larger Zo ethnic group. 

According to the victim’s wife, Jatakpon Mechek, Merangir left home at about 8:30 a.m. on July 15, and was kidnapped and assaulted and later handed over to the local Meira Paibi women’s group by his assailants around 8:30 p.m., according to Ukhrul Times. He was taken to the hospital, but he did not survive the journey.

Jatakpon has called on authorities for justice, refusing to claim her husband’s body until the perpetrators are apprehended.

The KSO (Kuki Students Organisation) Media and Documentation Cell has attributed the attack to Arambai Tenggol, a Meitei armed extremist group, saying Merangir had been accused of espionage on behalf of the Kuki people.

In response to the killing, the United Naga Council has announced a 12-hour shutdown of all Naga-dominated areas in Imphal, labelling the incident as a “cold-blooded murder.” The Naga tribal people are one of the three major communities living in Manipur, alongside the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo people.

In a separate incident, the home of Khoirom Loyalakpa, a local newspaper editor, was attacked by gunmen in Imphal East district. The assault occurred in the early hours between July 15 and July 16 at his residence in Kontha Khabam Lai Haraobam area, according to India TodayNE. At least six shots were fired, damaging the property’s gate, though no injuries were reported as Loyalakpa was not at home.

Heingang Police Station responded promptly, with a team and bomb experts initiating an investigation into the attack, the newspaper noted.

The backdrop to these violent incidents is the longstanding conflict.

In April 2023, the Manipur High Court suggested that the Meitei community might receive tribal status, which would allow them to purchase land in areas traditionally inhabited by Kuki-Zo tribes. The proposal stoked fears among the Kuki-Zo communities of losing their ancestral lands, fuelling ethnic tensions.

The region is rich in natural resources, including significant oil deposits, which have drawn the interest of both government and corporate entities, leading to changes in land legislation and the displacement of numerous tribal families.

The violence began on May 3, 2023, during a protest in Churachandpur district by tribal people against the High Court’s decision, and spread to other Kuki-Zo and Meitei areas due to rumours and fake news on WhatsApp and other messaging apps and social media. About 67,000 people have been displaced, and 186 Kuki-Zo individuals have been reported killed since then.

The unrest has also led to the burning of 200 Kuki-Zo villages and 360 churches and synagogues, with the aftermath seeing complete ethnic segregation as Kuki-Zo families have moved out of Imphal and Meiteis have left Kuki-majority areas, leading to the near-total destruction of properties owned by both communities in their respective regions.

Meiteis have also been casualties in the conflict, but their groups have not disclosed the number of deaths on their side.