COCOMI Condemns Attack on Liangmei Village Leaders

COCOMI Condemns Attack on Liangmei Village Leaders: Urges Immediate Action Against Encroachment and Violence

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) expresses its strongest condemnation of the recent violent assault on the Village Chief and Chairman of Konsakhul, a Liangmei (Naga) Village under Kangpokpi district. This brazen attack, reportedly perpetrated by newly settled groups from the Chin-Kuki community, is not an isolated incident but part of an escalating pattern of aggression and land encroachment targeting indigenous people of Manipur in the hill areas.

Konsakhul is an ancestral village of the Liangmei people, who are one of the original inhabitants of these hills, with a deep-rooted historical and cultural presence in the region. The physical assault on their traditional leaders is a direct affront to their inherent rights and dignity, but more alarmingly, it signifies a systematic attempt to displace indigenous communities through violence, coercion, and illegal occupation of their land.

COCOMI has repeatedly warned of the dangerous trend of forced occupation and expansionist activities by foreign-origin immigrant groups, many of whom are recent settlers crossing over from the porous Indo-Myanmar border for decades. These groups, under the guise of tenancy or temporary (leased) settlement, have engaged in aggressive land grabbing, illegal plantations, and violent intimidation of native villagers. The ongoing encroachment not only threatens the security and survival of the Liangmei people but also risks igniting larger communal unrest in an already fragile region.

Recent Related Incidents Include:

• The brutal assault on Mr. Z. Hotngambou, ex-chairman of a Liangmai village, by Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) cadres in Chalwa, Kangpokpi, on 5 September 2023.
• The harassment and assault on a Naga woman at K. Lungwiram village by Kuki settlers in January 2025, as she attempted to build her home on her rightful land.
• Multiple illegal checkpoints and road blockades staged by these militant-backed settler groups, further restricting freedom of movement and access to resources for natives.

Such targeted assaults are not mere law-and-order issues. They represent a dangerous challenge to the territorial integrity of Manipur and a direct threat to the livelihood, culture, and existence of the indigenous Liangmei people and other native communities.

COCOMI Calls Upon:

• The Government of Manipur and the Union Government of India to immediately intervene and take decisive action to restore law and order in Konsakhul and other affected areas.
• Law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute all perpetrators of violence and illegal encroachment.
• Authorities to recognise and safeguard the customary land rights of indigenous people, ensuring their security and dignity are upheld without compromise.

COCOMI reiterates that the forceful seizure of indigenous lands by foreign-origin settlers carries serious implications for the future of Manipur. If left unchecked, this will destabilize the socio-political fabric of the state and undermine its territorial integrity.

We stand firmly with the Liangmei community and all indigenous peoples of Manipur in their rightful struggle to protect their lands, their culture, and their future securities.

Issued by:
(Laikhuram Jayenta)
Convenor, IPR Sub-Committee
COCOMI, Imphal, Manipur