Naga Students' Association Rejects Kuki Zo Council's Apology Over Hostage Killings
Naga Community's Response to Apology
File photo of the bodies of six members of the Naga community being brought to the JNIMS mortuary in Imphal. (Photo: PTI)
Imphal, June 27: The All Naga Students’ Association (ANSAM) in Manipur has voiced its outrage regarding the apology from the Kuki Zo Council concerning the murder of six Naga hostages in the region.
In a statement released on Friday, the association expressed its "strongest indignation" and rejected the apology from Kuki-Zo Council leaders, labeling it as insufficient in light of the brutal killings.
ANSAM, representing the Naga youth and student body, stated that the Kuki Zo Council's message does not qualify as a genuine apology or acknowledgment of the heinous crime committed.
They emphasized that any apology would lack credibility and sincerity until those responsible for the abduction, torture, and murder of the six Naga hostages are identified, arrested, and held accountable under the law.
This response follows Kuki Zo Council (KZC) chairman Henlienthang Thanglet's apology on Thursday, where he called for an unbiased investigation into the violence stemming from the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state.
The Kuki Zo Council admitted to the involvement of their community in the deaths of the six Naga civilians, who were taken hostage on May 13 from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district.
Additionally, the council has put forth five significant demands to both the central and state governments.
These demands include a fair investigation into all violent incidents, such as the killings of the Naga hostages, the alleged deaths of 14 Kuki-Zo civilians, and the destruction of Kuki-Zo villages.
They also called for action against militant groups they accuse of attacking civilians, including the NSCN-IM and ZUF-K, and requested investigations into areas believed to be harboring the perpetrators.
The bodies of the six Naga civilians were discovered on June 10 near a Kuki Zo village, just a day after the release of 14 Kuki individuals who had been abducted by armed groups in Senapati district nearly a month prior.