The apex body of the Kuki tribes, Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), on Sunday endorsed the position of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF) in their ongoing dialogue with the Central Government, reiterating that a separate administrative arrangement is the only viable path to lasting peace and security for the Kuki-Zo people.

In a statement issued on December 14, KIM commended the KNO and UPF for maintaining a consistent stand on the long-standing demand for a Union Territory with a legislature, describing it as a reflection of the collective will, aspirations and historical political consciousness of the Kuki-Zo community.

The organisation asserted that the prolonged ethnic conflict in Manipur has caused deep and irreversible fractures, rendering any meaningful reintegration with the Meitei community untenable under the present circumstances. It said the scale of suffering, displacement and loss endured by the Kuki-Zo people represents a lived reality that cannot be ignored or minimised.

Reaffirming its position, KIM clarified that the demand for separate administration is neither confrontational nor exclusionary, but a democratic and peaceful assertion of the community’s right to dignity, safety and self-governance. Such an arrangement, it said, is essential to ensure protection, equity and effective political and administrative representation.

“The demand is the only viable solution towards lasting peace, dignity and self-governance,” the statement said, adding that political and administrative frameworks must align with ground realities to prevent further alienation and injustice.

KIM also urged the Central Government to continue engagement with sincerity and sensitivity, taking into account the lived experiences and legitimate concerns of the Kuki-Zo people, and to move decisively towards a resolution that ensures long-term stability, justice and peace.