Lamka, June 19, 2025: The Joint Kuki Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have extended their unequivocal support for the Indefinite Shutdown declared by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on June 19 in response to the brutal killing of Mrs. Hoikholhing, Chief of Langchingmanbi Village.
Mrs. Hoikholhing was fatally shot on June 19, in what Kuki organisations have described as part of a broader campaign of state-sponsored ethnic violence targeting the Kuki-Zo community. Her assassination is being regarded as a chilling reminder of the escalating brutality faced by the community, allegedly worsened by government inaction and, at times, complicity.
The joint statement was signed by leaders from several prominent Kuki organisations, including the Kuki Inpi Churachandpur (KIC), Kuki Chiefs’ Association (KCA), Kuki Women Union (KWU), Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), and Kuki Liberation Army (KKL), among others.
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The CSOs conveyed their deepest condolences to the bereaved family and reaffirmed their solidarity with the ITLF and the wider Kuki-Zo community. They called upon all Kuki communities, organisations, institutions, and concerned individuals to strictly observe the Indefinite Shutdown as a mark of protest and mourning.
The signatories also reiterated the demand for justice and accountability, holding the state accountable for failing to protect the lives of its citizens and prevent such atrocities.
The shutdown takes effect immediately across Kuki-Zo inhabited areas and is expected to continue until concrete action is taken by the authorities.
