The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has strongly rejected the recently released Independent People’s Tribunal (IPT) report of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), calling it a biased and politically motivated document that vilifies the Meitei community while legitimising the separatist aspirations of Chin-Kuki groups.

In a statement issued on behalf of the people of Manipur, COCOMI described the tribunal’s findings as “misleading, engineered, and deliberately structured to appease separatist agendas.” It accused PUCL of selective omissions, fabrication of facts, and shielding the role of armed Kuki-Chin groups involved in the violence, while repeatedly naming Meitei organisations.

Citing specific examples, COCOMI argued that the report falsely claimed the Manipur High Court had directed the state government to recommend Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meitei community, a claim the former Chief Justice has denied. It also dismissed the report’s version of the outbreak of violence in May 2023, saying the first incidents of arson occurred in Churachandpur when mobs attacked Meitei homes, and not in Imphal as suggested.

The organisation further criticised the report for what it called a “one-sided depiction of victimhood,” portraying only the Kuki-Zo communities as victims while ignoring the forced displacement and attacks faced by the Meiteis. It accused the Tribunal of endorsing separatist narratives, justifying poppy cultivation by overlooking its links to narco-terrorism, and omitting the role of Kuki-Chin armed groups that have publicly admitted their involvement in the conflict.

COCOMI also took issue with the report’s conclusion that differences between the communities are “unbridgeable,” pointing out that many members of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Paite-Hmar-Thadou communities have already begun returning to Imphal except those allegedly restrained by separatist groups. The committee described the report’s historical claims about Meitei relations with the Indian state as “fabricated and demonising,” arguing that Meiteis have consistently contributed to the Indian armed forces and to national achievements in various fields.

Declaring the PUCL-IPT report to have “no legitimacy and no credibility,” COCOMI announced that it would organise a public review to expose what it termed as misrepresentations and falsehoods. It also vowed to initiate legal action against PUCL and the tribunal members for defamatory statements and attempts to legitimise separatist aspirations.

Reiterating its commitment to safeguarding Manipur’s integrity, the committee said it would continue mobilising civil society, intellectuals, and legal experts to counter propaganda “masquerading as human rights.” The statement concluded that Manipur does not need “fabricated reports designed for separatist propaganda,” but truth, fairness, and collective resolve to restore peace and unity in the state.