kuki-zo-militants-to-be-laid-to-rest-on-december-5

The funeral of 12 Kuki-Zo men, including 10 who died in a gunfight with the CRPF in Jiribam, will be held in Manipur's Churachandpur district on 5 December, according to the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF).

The ITLF, a prominent organisation representing the Kuki-Zo community, convened an emergency meeting on Saturday to finalise the decision. Earlier, the group had resolved not to proceed with the funerals until the post-mortem reports of the deceased were provided to their families.

“The post-mortem reports were examined together by a forensic and legal expert. According to the experts, the post-mortem reports are satisfactory,” the ITLF stated in a public notice, adding that it would continue to pursue legal action regarding the deaths.

The organisation plans to honour the deceased, referring to them as “martyrs,” with a solemn funeral ceremony.

“Our 12 martyrs will be laid to rest with the greatest of honour and respect on December 5, 2024. The programme for condolences will take place at Peace Ground in Tuibuong,” the ITLF announced.

A massive silent rally will accompany the burial, with students’ groups urged to create placards and banners to mark the occasion. The ITLF has also called for a complete shutdown on the day as a tribute to the deceased.

“Out of the 12 deceased, 10 were killed by CRPF in the gun battle. The other two were Kuki youths killed by Meitei militants when they were visiting their families,” ITLF Secretary Muan Tombing said.

The autopsies of the 10 men involved in the Jiribam incident, whom the ITLF claims were village volunteers but the Manipur government asserts were militants, were performed at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Assam.

The post-mortem of one of the other two victims was conducted in Aizawl, with the remaining one done at SMCH.

After being transported to Churachandpur, the bodies were placed in the morgue of a local hospital.

Ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and the hill-based Kuki-Zo communities, which erupted in May 2023, has claimed over 250 lives and displaced thousands.

Despite ongoing efforts to address the crisis, tensions between the groups remain high.