Guwahati: Embroiled in multiple cases of kidnapping for ransom and extortion, insurgents of the Kuki Independent Army (KIA) are now “wanted” for looting weapons from a camp in Manipur that houses cadres of other insurgent groups who have a ceasefire with the government. The incident took place in Churchandpur district, which borders Myanmar.
State police said Tuesday that combing operations are still underway to locate KIA insurgents suspected to be involved in the incident. The police have also announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for any information that may lead them to the whereabouts of the KIA’s self-styled commander-in-chief, Thangkhongam Haokip alias Davidson, and his men.
Formed in July 2019, the KIA operates mostly from the Thangjing hill range in Churachandpur and other Kuki-inhabited areas, from Henglep to Jiribam. Police suspect that the outfit has a strength of 12-15 insurgents.
The KIA was not a signatory to a tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) ceasefire agreement inked in August 2008 by the central and state government and Kuki rebel groups seeking greater self-determination within Manipur under the Sixth Schedule.
Since the ceasefire , the cadres of 25 Kuki rebel groups operating under two umbrella outfits — the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF) — have been housed in 13 designated camps, with the government periodically extending the agreement with the KNO and the UPF. The pact was extended for another year in February. Currently, there are 17 groups in the KNO and eight in the UPF.
The designated camp at Chongkhojou in Churachandpur district, allegedly looted by the KIA, houses cadres of Kuki rebel groups under the umbrella of the KNO, namely the United Socialist Revolutionary Army (USRA), the United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA), and the Kuki National Front-Zougam (KNF-Z).
At around 7.30 pm Saturday, as many as 14 armed cadres of the KIA — led by Davidson — are thought to have entered the Horeb designated camp at Chongkhojou village in the Henglep area of Churachandpur district in a pickup van.
Intelligence sources said the insurgents “overpowered the four-five USRA and KNF-Z cadres” who were present there and took their arms. They then travelled to Phoipi village in Henglep, and later to an unknown location.
The KIA cadres are believed to have looted an AK-47 and a self-loading rifle (SLR) from UTLA cadres, besides three AK-56 rifles from the KNF-Z, and a telescopic sight from the USRA stockpile, among other weapons.
“Matters of investigation and leads cannot be disclosed at this stage,” Churachandpur superintendent of police (SP) Shivanand Surve told ThePrint.
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Davidson & cases against KIA
KIA commander-in-chief Davidson, who goes by the alias Pareng Kom, is the sole leader of the group. Aged about 40, he was declared a ‘wanted’ man by the Manipur Police earlier this year for his alleged involvement in at least 10 cases of kidnapping, extortion and bombing in Churachandpur.
Davidson is the former finance secretary of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), a group under the KNO — a conglomerate of armed groups fighting for separate Kuki lands within India and Myanmar.
He defected from the KLA in 2016, following differences with the outfit’s chief, Khaikam alias T.K. Kuki.
Intelligence sources told ThePrint that the KIA cadres are at large and currently armed with pistols, AK rifles and Heckler & Koch rifles, apart from the weapons they looted from the designated camp Saturday.
Cases lodged against the KIA in Churachandpur include at least four in which they’ve been accused of kidnapping and abduction. The most recent case pertains to the alleged abduction of a few individuals from Tolphei and Songpi villages in the district in March this year for “ransom and recruitment into the outfit”, added sources.
On 11 June last year, the outfit allegedly kidnapped the village chief of MT Geltam in Churachandpur. In November 2020, they were accused of planting a bomb at the home of the chief of Tharoilok village, which was later defused by security forces. Similarly, on 6 July, 2019, KIA cadres were accused of kidnapping a brick kiln owner in Churachandpur who was rescued by security forces 24 hours later.
Davidson’s movements were reported from a number of villages including MT Geltam, Lenglakot, Songpi, Bongbal, and Nabil Khullen. He was also sighted in Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal and Pherzawl districts on at least one occasion, said intelligence sources.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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