UNPO Condemns Escalating Violence in Manipur and Calls for Dialogue
May 8, 2026
UNPO condemns the escalating violence in Manipur and Naga-inhabited areas of Northeast India, including the recent killing of two Tangkhul Naga civilians in Ukhrul district. UNPO condemns all acts of violence against civilians, and calls on the Government of India and the State of Manipur to ensure the protection of all civilian populations, to conduct independent investigations into the recent killings, and to create the conditions for genuine political dialogue.
The Indigenous Naga People, whose ancestral homeland spans Northeast India and Northwest Myanmar, comprise over forty tribes united by common ancestry, customary law, and a distinct cultural identity. The Nagas have long asserted their right to self-determination, having declared independence one day before India in 1947. Today, divided across colonial-era borders and scattered among multiple Indian states, the Naga people remain politically marginalised, militarised, and excluded from meaningful participation in decisions affecting their land, identity, and institutions. The Naga people have been represented within UNPO since 1993.
Tensions across Naga-inhabited areas have escalated sharply since the beginning of 2026, building on the unresolved consequences of the ethnic conflict that has gripped Manipur over the past 2 years. In late January, renewed friction between Kuki-Zo and Naga groups flared in Kangpokpi district, where homes were burned and a key road was blockaded. In March, the situation deteriorated further. Between 23 and 24 March, Tangkhul Naga villages in Sikibung and Kamjong were reportedly attacked by armed Kuki militants, injuring civilians and forcing the evacuation of families.
The escalation has continued into April. On 18 April 2026, two Tangkhul Naga civilians were killed when unidentified gunmen ambushed civilian vehicles on National Highway 202 in Ukhrul district. The attack occurred a day after the Chief Minister of Manipur had met communities along the highway in an effort to address the growing “trust deficit” between the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities.
Three days later, on 21 April, during a three-day shutdown enforced across Naga-inhabited areas in protest at the killings, an armed confrontation between Naga and Kuki groups was reported at T. Khullen village in Senapati district, after local police reportedly attempted to clear a roadblock set up by Naga volunteers enforcing the shutdown. These developments underscore the fragility of the situation in Manipur, where long-standing territorial and political disputes between communities have repeatedly flared into violence.
These developments have unfolded against the backdrop of the renewed imposition in March 2026 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) across nine districts of Nagaland and several additional police-station jurisdictions, for a further six months. The continued use of AFSPA has been repeatedly criticised by UN Special Procedures, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and successive Indian government-appointed review committees. Its renewal during this moment of rising violence risks deepening militarisation rather than creating the conditions for meaningful political resolution.
The current crisis is also unfolding against a prolonged political stalemate. The 2015 Framework Agreement between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM, which raised hopes for a just political settlement recognising the unique history and identity of the Naga people, has remained at an impasse for over a decade.
In recent months, Naga civil society initiatives have called with growing urgency for a time-bound political resolution and for renewed inter-community dialogue. UNPO has consistently amplified these concerns before international human rights mechanisms, including at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in 2025, reiterating calls for the implementation of the 2015 Framework Agreement, the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, and the peaceful resolution of the Indo-Naga conflict. UNPO echoes the appeal of Naga civil society and urges all armed actors operating in the region to cease hostilities, refrain from targeting civilians, and commit to resolving differences through peaceful means. The Naga People, like other Indigenous Peoples in Northeast India, continue to face significant constraints on their right to self-determination, political participation, and the protection of their land, identity, and customary institutions. The current cycle of violence, militarisation, and political stagnation cannot be addressed in isolation from these structural conditions. The denial of access to meaningful political dialogue, combined with the persistent reliance on emergency legislation and the failure to ensure accountability for serious human rights violations, undermines prospects for a durable resolution and places civilian populations across all communities at continued risk.
UNPO extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and calls on the Government of India and the State of Manipur to ensure the immediate protection of civilians from all communities; to conduct prompt, independent, and transparent investigations into the recent killings and into the recurring allegations raised by civil society regarding security-force complicity, with those responsible held to account through due legal process; and to take meaningful steps toward the resumption of inclusive political dialogue with Naga representatives.