Centre reviews ground rules with Manipur’s Kuki-Zo insurgent groups

Union Ministry of Home Affairs reviewing Kuki-Zo insurgent groups' SoO agreement in Manipur, proposing relocation of camps.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is reviewing the ground rules applicable to the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups in Manipur, which are in a Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the government since 2008. One of the measures proposed by the Union government is removal of SoO camps from locations close to the valley districts which are dominated by the Meitei people.

The camps are proposed to be relocated further inside the hills, said a source.

The issue was also discussed on June 17 when Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in Manipur with State government officials without Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. Meitei groups have been demanding the removal of the camps.

Mr. Singh has called for the abrogation of the tripartite pact, extended periodically in the past two decades. On February 29, the Manipur government refused to send a representative to a meeting called by Ministry to extend the SoO pact with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, leaving the agreement in a limbo.

Since August 19, three rounds of meetings have been held between three members of the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups and A.K. Mishra, Adviser (Northeast), the Ministry and Intelligence Bureau officials to discuss and review the ground rules.

After a peace pact is signed with an insurgent group, the cadres are to stay in earmarked camps and weapons and ammunitions are accounted for and regular checks are conducted by a monitoring agency decided by the State government.

According to an estimate, around 2,200 cadres of the SoO groups live in 14 designated camps in the hill districts of Manipur.