The Kuki Liberation Army–Letkholun (KLA-L) on Wednesday released a press communiqué declaring that “no Kuki-Zo MLA has the mandate to participate in the formation of a Popular Government in Manipur under the present circumstances,” asserting that the position reflects the “collective will, political resolve, and aspirations of the Kuki-Zo people.”
In the statement, the KLA-L said its stance of non-participation is “neither arbitrary nor negotiable,” describing it as “a conscious, unified political decision born out of sustained injustice, persecution, and the complete erosion of trust in the existing administrative and political framework of the State.” The group added that “any attempt to undermine or bypass this collective decision amounts to a direct defiance of the people’s will.”
Issuing what it called a “clear and final warning,” the KLA-L stated that “any Kuki-Zo representative who chooses to participate in the formation of a Popular Government shall be deemed to have acted in betrayal of the collective voice of the Kuki-Zo people.” According to the communiqué, such representatives would be acting “in their personal capacity and without the consent, approval, or moral authority of the people they claim to represent.”
The statement further warned that the KLA-L “will be compelled to initiate decisive and uncompromising measures – political, organizational, and disciplinary- against any individual daring to defy the collective mandate.” It added that “any untoward developments arising from such participation shall rest solely and squarely on the shoulders of the participating Kuki-Zo MLAs,” who, it said, “must be prepared to bear full responsibility for the consequences of their actions.”
Describing the current situation as “a moment of historic reckoning,” the KLA-L said “the Kuki-Zo people will not tolerate opportunism, political convenience, or personal ambition being placed above collective dignity, justice, and survival.” The communiqué concluded by asserting that the group “remains steadfast in defending the political will of the Kuki-Zo people” and called upon representatives “to act with conscience, courage, and accountability.