New Delhi: As the gunfight in Moreh has persisted since December 30, reports published by Imphal-based media outlets have implicated the Kuki National Army (KNA), the Kuki National Army Burma (KNA-B) and the United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) in the ongoing conflict.A body called the ‘Village Volunteers, Tengnoupal District (Eastern Zone)’ later issued its own “clarification” on such reports on Tuesday (January 2) denying that the aforementioned groups were involved in the gunfight.“The news report … blaming KNA-B, KNA, UKLF involved in the Moreh gunfight is totally false. It is a concocted and baseless allegation made by Meitei media and chief minister N. Biren Singh to conceal the stationing of Meitei militants, Arambai Tenggol, among the Meitei police commandos in Moreh town [sic],” the Village Volunteers stated in a press note.It went on to allege that a ‘combined force’ of Meitei police commandos and militants “went to [the] Chavangphai [area] and abducted two innocent Kuki-Zo civilians” before trying to burn the settlement down.Three Meitei people died in the following gunfight that erupted when “village volunteers [were] compelled to fire upon the state-sponsored terrorist groups”, the note also said.“Dragging the names of all those unrelated groups – KNA-B, and others – is just a ploy to plot [sic] the “Kuki-Zo” community in bad light and to bring in more Meitei militants and Meitei commandos to Moreh town.”The note urged all valley-based and some national media outlets to adhere to “media ethics”.It is noteworthy that in Manipur, the media is predominantly based in the Imphal Valley.Since May 3, there has been no coverage in the valley-based media of people living in the state’s hill regions.When asked why they do not cover hill areas, members of some valley-based media said they were unable to enter these areas as they belonged to the Meitei community.Many Kuki people question why the valley-based media, if they so wished, couldn’t cover hill areas through phone calls and publish stories from the perspective of their residents.The situation in Moreh remains tense as the gunfight continues.One Border Security Force jawan and at least three policemen were injured last night in Moreh.On Monday (January 1), four members of the Meitei Pangal community were killed in Thoubal district.A Pangal individual who prefers not to be identified told The Wire that people in police uniforms had “killed our people”.
