‘Suspend SoO agreements,’ ‘Hold Assam Rifles accountable’: Manipur MLAs issue joint statement after fresh violence

Following a fresh bout of violence this month in Manipur, 32 of the 60 MLAs in the Manipur Assembly unanimously adopted several resolutions on Sunday. These included the demand for immediate abrogation from Suspension of Operations (SoO) with armed militants who have allegedly killed civilians and calling for replacement of the Assam Rifles.

This development comes on the day a special team of the Union Home Ministry arrived in the state for talks between the Meitei and Kuki communities, who have been engaged in a protracted standoff since May last year.

The statement by the MLAs argued that the SoO agreements with Kuki armed militant groups, and the resulting immunity they provide against a “firm reaction” from Central forces, is the “main cause of the never-ending cycle of violence”.

The SoO militants who “indulge in killing of innocent civilians and violation of ground rules should be abrogated immediately,” it said.

The statement also added that SoO agreements with militant groups “who also indulge in anti-state activities” should not be extended beyond their expiry date of February 29, 2024.

The joint statement further demanded a “complete disarmament of all illegal arms in the possession of miscreants and unauthorised persons in the entire state at the earliest by the Central and state forces”.

“Armed attacks (using sophisticated weaponry such as Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers) on Indian soil, Indian citizens and state security forces by Myanmar based armed Militants must be stopped at all costs. It will be to the detriment of the prestige of the Republic of India if this cannot be achieved in short order,” it stated.

The MLAs also accused the Assam Rifles, a central armed police force, for not being “responsive”. They