The Working Committee of the TNL explicitly dismisses the claim made by the WCKCSOs-Ukhrul on the 16th of April 2026 regarding the presence of NSCN (IM) under Col. Chipemi, and it is declared herein that there is no such person by the name in Sinakeithei village, Ukhrul District. Since the start of the attack of Sinakeithei village by Kuki cadres under the SoO pact and other illegal militants in late February, the village has been guarded only by the village volunteers. Owing to the continued unprovoked attacks on the village by Kuki cadres under SoO, state forces, 131 Battalion BSF and 4 Mahar Regiment were later stationed in the village to safeguard the innocent civilians. As such, the tactic of the WCKCSOs to use made up names and create false narratives fall flat in the face. Such tactics has also been recently used by the WCKCSOs in their press statement on the 10th of April where their allegations were found to be completely fabricated.
The statement issued by the Media Cell, Working Committee, TNL stated that ” the truth of the event is that Sinakeithei village has been under incessant attacks by Kuki cadres under SoO, illegal Kuki militants, Kuki VVGs and narco-terrorists, overseen by Seipu Doungel, a citizen of Dongsum Kuki village, who had openly threatened the Sinakeithei Village Authority that “Sinakeithei would face the full might of Kuki militants”.
“In line with the threat, the Kuki armed groups have been strengthening their position around Lungter Hills and constantly transporting arms, ammunitions and militants to attack Sinakeithei, using a road that was sanctioned on humanitarian grounds by the village. As such, the road in question, Leplen-Tingpibung, was de-sanctioned by the village authority, vide Public Safety Order, 12th March 2026, to halt the movement and infiltration of illegal militants, Kuki SoO groups, Kuki WGs and narco-terrorists, to safeguard both the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki civilians. The de-sanctioning of the road was carried out by the Sinakeithei Village Authority under the legal provisions of the Article 371C of the Indian Constitution and the Manipur Village Authorities Act 1956. Consequently, any movement in this road has been monitored by the Village Volunteers. However, on no occasion have the Village Volunteers stooped as low as to fire at civilians escorted by Security Forces as claimed by the WCKCSOs. The claim is completely unfounded and false.
“Throughout the conflict, the Tangkhul Nagas have always maintained a defensive stance while the Kukis have been repeatedly attacking the Tangkhul Nagas left, right and center. Despite this, the WCKCSOs have the audacity to constantly shift the narrative towards the Tangkhul Nagas as the perpetrators.
“One should not say one thing and do another. Similarly, the Kukis should not play victim in the ongoing ethnic conflict when it was them who lit the fire in the first place and continue to fan the flames of conflict without any remorse or moral judgment” added the statement of the Media Cell,.Working Committee, TNL.
