New Delhi — Leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the apex socio-political body of the Kuki-Zo tribal communities in Manipur, met with senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials in New Delhi on Friday to discuss the situation in the northeastern state and their demands.

Chairman Henlianthang Thanglet and the three other members of the KZC delegation met MHA Adviser A.K. Mishra and Joint Director Rajesh Kamble. The delegation included Spokesperson Ginza Vualzong, Coordinator Ajang Khongsai, and Finance Secretary Richard Hmar.

The KZC leaders said they would disclose details of the meeting on Saturday. However, sources in the council said the delegation told MHA officials about the precarious situation in tribal areas. The KZC also told officials about the alleged biased role of some security personnel and how the tribal people are being deprived by the state administration.

The Kuki-Zo conglomerate of 13 organizations and 10 tribal MLAs has been demanding a separate Union Territory administration for Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal areas.

The meeting with MHA officials comes as Manipur grapples with ongoing ethnic violence. The conflict, which erupted in May 2023, has resulted in at least 250 deaths, more than 1,000 injuries and the displacement of more than 60,000 people.

Last week, the KZC urged Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to deploy neutral central security forces to address the ethnic crisis and demanded a Union Territory.

The tribal leaders met with the governor in Churachandpur district headquarters during Bhalla’s maiden visit and submitted a memorandum. The memorandum further demanded the sanctity of hill-valley buffer zones and re-demarcation of district police jurisdictions.

The memorandum states that the security situation has not improved in over a year and a half of killings and displacements, with citizens still facing daily risk of death.

“One and a half years after the violence began, Kuki-Zo community people’s homes and properties are still being set on fire and destroyed. To date, almost 7,000 homes have been demolished, over 220 Kuki-Zo community people have lost their lives, over 360 places of worship were destroyed, and about 40,000 have been made homeless,” the memorandum said.

The governor, on his maiden visit after assuming office on Jan. 3, visited Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts on Jan. 7. During his interaction with various civil society organizations, he appealed to the leaders to work collaboratively with the administration in peace-building efforts.

Bhalla visited relief camps in the two districts, interacting with displaced people staying there since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023.