Pherzawl/Jiribam, August 1, 2025: The Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee (ITAC), an umbrella body representing all tribal civil society organizations in Pherzawl and Jiribam districts, has issued a strong statement condemning the arrest of two Hmar civilians, Mr. Thanglienlal Hmar and Mr. Lalrosâng Hmar, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 31, 2025, in connection with alleged incidents in Manipur’s Jiribam district.
Calling the arrests “arbitrary” and “politically motivated,” ITAC accused central investigative agencies and the Manipur High Court of operating with bias and selective enforcement in favour of the dominant Meitei community amidst the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur.
In the official press release issued by its Department of Information & Publicity, ITAC stated that the arrests represent a broader pattern of targeted harassment of innocent Kuki-Zomi-Hmar civilians, under the guise of national security investigations. It criticized the narrative portraying the arrested Hmar men as playing a "logistical role" in alleged coordinated killings, calling it unverified and prejudiced.
ITAC also questioned the lack of legal action in several high-profile atrocities committed against tribal people, including:
• The decapitation of Mr. David Hmar, allegedly by Meitei extremists,
• The public rape and torture of (L) Zosangkim Hmar, and
• The failure to prosecute Arambai Tenggol members for looting, hate rallies, and calls for ethnic cleansing.
The statement asserted that institutions such as the NIA and Manipur High Court are increasingly being used as tools of state-sponsored repression, rather than upholding constitutional protections under Articles 14, 21, and 22.
ITAC further warned that actions driven by political pressure and majoritarian interests not only threaten the ongoing peace process but also risk deepening the ethnic divide in the state.
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The committee has demanded the immediate release of the two arrested civilians and all other tribal leaders and activists detained without due process. It also called for an impartial international and judicial inquiry into what it described as systemic and targeted violence against the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar people.
“Peace and justice cannot be built on a foundation of institutional bias and selective memory,” ITAC stated.
