Global Naga Forum and Naga People’s Front condemn the killing of Naga civilians in Kangpokpi, Manipur, and demand stronger security and accountability.
DIMAPUR — The Global Naga Forum (GNF) and the Naga People’s Front (NPF) have strongly condemned the killing of five Naga civilians in an ambush along the IT Road between Makui Ashang and Thanamba Naga village in Kangpokpi district, Manipur, on August 27, and demanded accountability from the central and state governments.
In a statement, the GNF described the incident as the latest in a continuing pattern of violence against Naga civilians, saying the killings had deepened the community’s sense of abandonment.
The forum also expressed anguish over the six slain and dismembered bodies of Naga victims which, according to the forum, continue to remain in a hospital morgue pending fulfilment of the demands of the Naga people.
Criticising the response of Naga political and civil society leadership, the forum said the community had become a “paralysed nation”, relying on press statements, funerals and memoranda while civilians continued to be killed.
It said the failure to protect citizens travelling on their own roads had reduced the idea of sovereignty to “a hollow phrase”.
The GNF also questioned the security arrangements in Manipur, particularly the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework involving Kuki armed groups.
It alleged that despite the heavy security presence maintained by the Government of India, security forces had failed to prevent attacks on ordinary Naga civilians.
The forum alleged that the SoO framework had “mutated from a peace pact into a license for terror”, claiming that designated camps were being used as staging grounds for attacks.
It called for accountability if the security apparatus could not ensure the safety of civilians travelling along vital roads.
The GNF further urged Kuki political and community leaders to take concrete action against armed elements accused of involvement in the killings.
Referring to a statement by the Thadou Inpi reportedly calling for the arrest of named commanders, the forum said, “A name in a press statement is not a man in custody.”
While rejecting retaliatory violence, the GNF said it would not accept what it termed the “passive death” of Naga civilians.
It called on state, central and Naga leaders to ensure the safety and dignity of citizens, asserting that “we are done with condolences” and with asking for permission to live.
The Forum warned that history would judge leadership not by the number of statements issued, but by “how many lives we failed to save while we were busy writing them”.
In a separate statement, the NPF expressed shock and anguish over the killing of innocent Naga civilians in the attack, allegedly by suspected Kuki militants.
The party recalled the reported abduction and killing of six Nagas on May 13, 2026, and said justice was still awaited in that case. It said the latest incident had further deepened the sense of fear and insecurity among the people.
The NPF termed the attack “barbaric and cowardly” and questioned alleged lapses by law-enforcement agencies in protecting civilians along the vital lifeline road.
The party urged the governments of Manipur and India to strengthen security, particularly along vulnerable stretches inhabited by Nagas, and demanded the immediate identification and arrest of those responsible.
The NPF said targeting innocent civilians could never be justified and warned that such violence would undermine peace and normalcy in the region.