Naga Students Reject Kuki-Zo Council Apology for Six Deaths

Imphal: The All Naga Students' Association, Manipur, slammed the Kuki-Zo Council for an apology concerning the murder of six abducted civilians. The students claim the statement is hollow. It ignores the need for arrests and prosecution. ANSAM declared the apology does not count as an admission of guilt.

The victims were taken from Leilon Vaiphei village. They suffered torture and mutilation in what the group calls ancestral Naga land. ANSAM stated, "justice cannot be supplanted by rhetoric, nor can accountability be substituted by carefully crafted declarations bereft of legal consequence."

Tensions flared over the Council's use of the term Katcha Nagas. The student body called the label offensive and proof of deep-seated prejudice. They also demanded to know if the Council represents all groups under the Kuki-Zo banner. The group wants proof that Zomi organizations actually back the apology.

ANSAM also addressed claims linking Nagas to the deaths of three Thadou church leaders. They called those reports baseless lies meant to stir up communal anger. The area remains outside Naga control. Now, the association demands the Manipur government and federal officials step in to lock up the culprits.