The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) on Sunday asserted that people would lose confidence in the Central government if it failed to recognize the SoO Kuki militants as terrorists and treat them as such.
The COCOMI maintained that the terrorist act of attacking unarmed civilians by the SoO Kuki militants provide affable grounds for the Centre to tag them as terrorists.
Related: Will launch stir if SoO truce not withdrawn: COCOMI
Speaking to media at COCOMI office, COCOMI assistant coordinator Longjam Ratan stated that the Kuki militants had violated the SoO agreement and as such should be punished for their violation.
“Only the state government recognizing them as terrorists will not do; both the Centre and the state have to be on the same page on such serious matters and take stringent action against them,” he said.
He also urged the government to investigate if armed militants from Myanmar are involved in the ongoing stir. He further appealed to people to refrain from attacking religious places and stop spreading rumours and propaganda against other communities.
Related: COCOMI demands removal of Assam Rifles
COCOMI convenor Jitendra Nigomba welcomed the state government’s decision to remove the militants from SoO and stated that the empowerment of state forces to engage with the militants would boost the people’s confidence.
As such, he demanded authorities to annihilate the terrorist who had violated the SoO agreement and take up peace-building measures swiftly.
