Imphal: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has strongly condemned the aerial bombing which resulted in the death of a woman and injuries to others on Sunday.
In a statement issued COCOMI alleged that the armed immigrant Kuki groups used an ambulance to infiltrate Meetei villages under the guise of essential emergency services, leading to the killing of a 31-year-old mother and the injuring of her daughter and nine other village volunteers in Koutruk, Imphal West district on September 1, 2024.
“The ambulance was confirmed to have come from the Leimakhong area, which houses one of the largest army camps,” said Yumkhaibam Surjitkumar Khuman, Media Coordinator of COCOMI in a statement.
The Committee further alleged that the Kuki narco-terrorists have grossly violated and misused the sanctity of a humanitarian service vehicle, committing an inhumane crime that reflects their lack of moral and ethical integrity.
“Shockingly, a woman in the background was heard appreciating these barbaric forces and celebrating the death of the young mother and the injury of her minor child,” it stated.
The Committee also claimed that, in contrast to the evidence from video footage, photos, and ground reports, the Kuki Inpi quickly issued a press release that appeared preemptively drafted before the actual incident occurred. The timing of their release coincided suspiciously with the attack, suggesting that the incident was premeditated.
“Kuki Inpi played a significant role in misleading the public, engaging in a disinformation campaign designed to deceive. Some national and local media outlets were initially misled by the press release but later corrected their reports after realizing the truth and exposing the lies perpetuated by Kuki Inpi during the attack,” it said.
Stating that the Manipur Police have clearly mentioned that several highly sophisticated drones were used by Kuki militants to carry out the attack at Koutruk villages, COCOMI also stated that later in the day, some national media outlets withdrew their reports from various platforms after realizing the false and deceptive narratives that aimed to confuse the public and cover up the crimes and disruptions caused by these barbaric armed Kuki immigrant groups. Simply relying to the Press Release of the most deceitful group in the region without verifying the content is very dangerous and the need to be strictly checked, it said.
“This is not the first time Kuki Inpi has spread false and fabricated narratives through their press releases,” said the Committee in a statement.
For instance, they have previously fabricated and misrepresented the so-called Moirang Treaty of Brotherhood between the Meetei and Kuki, a narrative they constructed to legitimize their presence in the region. However, historical records from the royal chronicles of the Meetei Kings clearly indicate that this was not a treaty but rather a request to serve under the King’s command to guard the boundary. Since being exposed for this PR stunt, Kuki Inpi has continuously propagated lie after lie, with yesterday’s press release crossing the bounds of humanity, it stated.
“Justifying an act of terror by their so-called Kuki Volunteers, who used an ambulance to infiltrate Meetei villages and kill an innocent mother while critically injuring her young daughter, is utterly despicable. Kuki Inpi even attempted to justify a woman celebrating with these terrorist barbarians, who were having a meal inside the very ambulance used in the attack,” it stated.
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The Committee further demand for immediate action against those who carried out the attack, as their identities have been revealed through social media, including the ambulance’s registration number.
If the state government fails to take appropriate action, public trust in the current administration could erode, leading to potentially extreme measures being taken to avenge the mother’s death and her daughter’s injuries, it cautioned.
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