Tuithaphai, June 19, 2025: The brutal killing of Mrs. Hoikholhing Haokip, wife of Langchingmanbi Village Chief Mr. Khaikhogin Haokip, has triggered widespread condemnation and calls for justice. According to reports, Mrs. Hoikholhing was mercilessly shot by alleged Meitei militants at Langchingmanbi, Lamka, on the evening of June 19, and later succumbed to her injuries.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) and the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) have both issued strong statements denouncing the killing, which they describe as part of a "systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing" against the Kuki-Zo minority in Manipur.
Calling the incident “yet another targeted assault,” ITLF declared an indefinite shutdown across tribal areas as a mark of mourning and protest. The group accused the state government of gross negligence and complicity, citing repeated violations of the buffer zone by Meitei militants and the failure of security forces to prevent such attacks.
KWOHR, in its statement, also condemned the killing as a result of “state failure to enforce neutrality.” It pointed out that the buffer zone meant to separate Meitei and Kuki areas has become meaningless if only one side abides by it.
Both organisations issued urgent demands, including:
• Immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved in Mrs. Hoikholhing’s murder
• Strict and unbiased enforcement of the buffer zone
• Deployment of neutral central forces to prevent further violence
• Judicial inquiry into this and other recent buffer zone violations
The ITLF emphasized that the silence of the authorities has contributed to a culture of impunity and emboldened the perpetrators. “We will not tolerate the continuous slaughter of innocent Kuki-Zo lives,” the forum stated.
KWOHR also urged national and international human rights bodies to intervene, calling for justice not only for Mrs. Hoikholhing but for all Kuki civilians targeted in the ongoing ethnic violence.
As the shutdown begins, tensions remain high in the region, with tribal communities mourning another life lost to the prolonged ethnic conflict in Manipur.
