Churachandpur, June 30, 2025: The Zomi Chiefs’ Association (ZCA) has strongly condemned the circulation of unverified reports suggesting that the extension of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement between the Government of India and Kuki-Zomi armed groups would be made conditional upon granting unrestricted movement across Manipur and relocating existing SoO camps.
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In a press statement released today, the ZCA categorically rejected what it described as "rumours deliberately planted to serve the interests of a particular community." The Association asserted that the SoO was signed in good faith to foster peace and stability in a conflict-ridden region and that any attempt to alter its terms arbitrarily would amount to a "serious breach of trust and a dereliction of the Union’s constitutional duty."
The statement emphasized that current restrictions on movement within Manipur are not of the Zo people’s making but a necessary outcome of ethnic fault lines, deep-rooted violence, and the need to prevent further bloodshed between Meitei and Zo communities. "It is neither practical nor truthful to ignore the permanent and undeniable fault lines that now divide the state," the statement said.
Despite enduring what it described as “two years of state-sponsored ethnic violence and systematic persecution,” the ZCA reaffirmed the Zo people's commitment to peaceful dialogue. However, it warned that peace should not be mistaken for weakness, declaring: “We have never shied away from defending our land, our people, and our rightful place.”
The Association raised concern over reports allegedly originating from the Ministry of Home Affairs and questioned the Government of India’s impartiality. If true, the ZCA warned, such moves would signal a dangerous shift towards enabling ethnic domination and violate the core principles of the SoO and the Indian Constitution.
Calling for a decisive shift in national policy, the ZCA demanded that the Government of India recognize the ground reality that the Meitei and Zo territories are already functionally separated. It stated that this separation is no longer a matter of political rhetoric but a consequence of “violence, displacement, and survival.”
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The statement concluded with a firm call for the creation of a Union Territory with legislature for the Zo people, as provided under the Constitution of India. If their concerns are ignored, the ZCA warned, they will have no choice but to “reassess our political future” to safeguard their identity and land.
“We urge the Government of India to act with vision, courage, and justice - to uphold the ideals of the Constitution and ensure that peace is not sacrificed at the altar of political expediency,” the ZCA stated.
