ASIA/INDIA – Hostage crisis in Manipur: Christian religious leaders mediate for release and peace

Imphal – A delegation of Christian religious leaders from Manipur and other northeastern Indian states is attempting to mediate the ethnic conflict in Manipur. This conflict, which erupted between the Kuki and Meitei communities, has now also involved the Naga, a third ethnic group residing in Manipur. The religious leaders will visit the Kangpokpi and Senapati districts in particular, in an effort to de-escalate the ongoing hostage crisis. The trigger was the murder of three Baptist pastors on May 13 in the Kangpokpi district . On the same day, 20 men – six members of the Naga community and 14 members of the Kuki community – were kidnapped by their respective armed groups in retaliation for the unrest following the attack. There has been no news of the hostages since. The United Naga Council stated that two pastors are among the six hostages. In the chaotic situation, two Salesian brothers were also kidnapped but later released . Representatives of the Northeast India Baptist Council and the Manipur Baptist Convention are involved in the mediation initiative. The delegation first met with the Chief Minister of Manipur, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, to discuss the tensions between the tribal communities. The religious leaders offered their mediation services and received support from political authorities, who, according to the Chief Minister, are counting on the religious representatives to “resume dialogue and restore peace.”
A group of Christian representatives is meeting with representatives of the Kuki; a second group is holding talks with representatives of the Naga to subsequently find common ground in the ongoing hostage crisis. Amid the tense situation, the United Naga Council has imposed a blockade, while the Kuki have called a general strike. The blockade has brought hundreds of trucks to a standstill on NH-02 , disrupting transport to Kuki-populated areas and Imphal, a city with a predominantly Meitei population. This is fueling fears of shortages of essential goods. While the Kuki have suspended all public and private activities, the Kuki-Zo-Council , which has also suspended these activities, has asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for intervention by the central government. There are fears of a large-scale ethnic conflict between the Naga and the Kuki. During the funeral of the three Baptist pastors killed in an ambush on May 13, Haominlun Sitlhou, the son of Pastor Vumthang Sitlhou, one of the three victims, publicly forgave his father’s killers. Thousands of worshippers attended the service at the grounds of the Thadou Baptist Association India in Motbung. Pastor Vumthang Sitlhou was known in the region for his active commitment to peace and reconciliation, as well as for his efforts to coordinate and unite Christian communities from various ethnic and tribal groups. Haominlun Sitlhou commemorated his father’s work and appealed to the main organizations involved in the conflict in the region to release the hostages and take concrete steps toward peace in Manipur.

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