Meitei, Naga Groups Hold Rallies in Manipur; Demand End to SoO Pact, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Meitei groups, under the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), and Naga civil bodies held rallies in Manipur on Saturday.
• The rallies demanded protection for indigenous people and the scrapping of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki-Zo militant groups.
• These protests followed a recent ambush that killed three Meitei men.
• The SoO agreement, which was signed in 2008, expired on September 4, 2026, and has not been renewed.
• Security forces have taken control of a Kuki-Zo militant camp and plan to audit all 14 such camps after finding only one of 159 registered cadres present, indicating non-compliance with SoO rules.

Detailed Insights:

• The SoO agreement is a tripartite ceasefire pact involving the Central Government, the Manipur Government, and Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, primarily under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front (UPF).
• Its primary objective was to suspend hostilities, confine militants to designated camps, secure their weapons, and create conditions for political dialogue.
• The Manipur government had previously withdrawn from the SoO with specific groups in March 2023, and the State Assembly adopted a resolution seeking its abrogation in February 2024.
• The ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, primarily between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, was triggered by a Manipur High Court order concerning Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meitei community.
• This conflict has led to hundreds of deaths and thousands of displacements, intensifying existing ethnic tensions and competition over resources.
• Naga groups have supported the demand to terminate the SoO pact, alleging the involvement of Kuki-Zo militant groups in the ongoing violence.
• The non-renewal of the SoO agreement and the discovery of widespread non-compliance at militant camps highlight significant security challenges in the state.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement: A ceasefire agreement between government forces and insurgent groups aimed at halting hostilities and facilitating political negotiations.
• Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI): An umbrella body of Meitei civil society organizations dedicated to safeguarding Manipur's territorial integrity and indigenous rights.
• Scheduled Tribe (ST) Status: A constitutional classification in India that provides affirmative action benefits, such as reservations, to historically disadvantaged indigenous communities.