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KukiPaiteethnicclashof199798Wikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

ThisconflictinvolvedtwoethnicgroupsinChurachandpurdistrictinManipur,India,thePaiteand
theThadoulanguagespeakingKuki,whohadbeendisplacedfromfurthernorthinManipur.
LocalPaiteprefertocallthemselves"Zomi"ratherthan"Kuki",whilelocalThadousprefertocall
themselves"Kuki"eithernamecanapplytoeithergroup.(SeeMizopeoples#Name.)Lasting
fromJune1997toOctober1998italsodrewinsmallerethnicgroupsandbytheend"over50
villagesweredestroyedandsome13000peopleweredisplaced.".AccordingtotheManipur
government'sofficialrecord,theclashclaimedthelivesof352persons,injured136andreduced
4670housestoashes.[1]Themajoritymovedtoareassurroundingthedistrictcapitalof
ChurachandpurandMizoram,wheretheywerehousedinmakeshiftrefugeecentresinschools,
hospitals,andotherbuildings.SeveralhundredIndianArmysoldiersweremovedinto
Churachandpurwiththepurposeofrestoringorder.Thiswasnotsuccessful,however,and
outbreaksofviolencecontinueduntilthechurchbrokeredaceasefireinOctober1998.
By1997agroupofminortribes(includingtheHmar,Zou,Vaiphei,Gangte,Simte,andZomi)led
bythePaiteandoriginallynamed"TheSevenTribes"hadbeenrenamedthe"Zomi
ReunificationOrganization"orZROwithamilitantwingnamedthe"ZomiRevolutionaryArmy"
(ZRA).TaxationdemandsbytheKNF,tensionovertheuseoftheZominomenclaturewhichthe
KNFsawasamoveagainsttheKuki(inferioritycomplex)aswellasabeliefthatthePaitewere
supportingtheNaga,enemiesoftheKuki,allescalatedintoviolence.[2]
TheimmediatecauseoftheKukitribePaitetribeconflictwastheJune24,1997Saikulincident
whenextremistsfromtheKukiNationalFront(President),aKukiinsurgentgroup,[3]linedup20
villagersandshotatthem,killingnineandwoundingfour.[4]

PeaceProcess
ThefirstagreementofpeacewasinitiatedbydignitariesfromMizoramPeaceMission,namely,
PuC.Chawngkunga,PuH.ZathuamandPuF.Lawmkimawhichwassignedbyboth
representativesoftheKNF(P)andtheZRO,atMataDaminChurachandpuronJuly8,1997.
However,thisagreementwasbrokenbytheKNF(P)militantswhoinvadedMatavillageonJuly
10,1997.
Peaceworkersreorganisedaforumforreaffirmingthehardsoughtpeaceagreement,and
broughtthewarringcampstoanothernegotiationparleyonJuly18,1997whereinprevious
peaceagreementwasdulyreaffirmed.However,thattoo,wasabortedbytheKNF(P)by
deliberateactsofaggressionsonthevillagesofLeijangphai,TallianandSavaipaihinwhich13
(thirteen)houseswereburntdown.
Asatokenofcustomaryapologyformowingdownteninnocentpersonsandinjuringotherfour
personsonthenightof24June1997,atSaikulVillagebytheKNFtherebydraggingthetwo
communitiesintoconflict,theKukiInpiofferedafeastbykillingafourleggedanimal,abull
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(Bongchal),on29September1998.Inaverycordialatmosphereandmutualtrust,thefeastwas
happilysharedtogetherbyleadersoftheKukiInpiandtheZomiCouncil.Inresponsetothe
goodgestureshownbytheKukiInpi,theZomiCouncilshowedtheirgoodnessandlovefor
peaceintheformofkillinganotherfourleggedanimal,apig(Vohchal),thefollowingday,30
September1998,whichwashappilysharedtogetherbybothcommunityleaders.
Agreement:Boththepartiesagreeduponthefollowingpoints:
1.That,thenomenclaturesKukiandZomishallbemutuallyrespectedbyallZomisandKukis.
Everyindividualorgroupofpersonsshallbeatlibertytocallhimselforthemselvesbyanyname,
andthenomenclatureKUKIandZOMIshallnotinanywaybeimposeduponanypersonor
groupagainsthis/theirwillatanypointoftime.
2.That,anypersonwhohasoccupiedorhasphysicalpossessionofanyland/private
building/housesandquarterswrongfullyandillegallyduringtheperiodofclashesshallreturnand
restoretotherightfulowners,suchlandsandbuildings.
3.That,noKukiorZomimilitantshallindulgethemselvesinanyforciblecollectionoffunds,
taxesetc.,againsttheircounterpartnomenclaturebeitfromtheGovernmentOfficials,
individuals,contractors,andbusinessestablishments.
4.That,allpointsofMoUsbetweentheKukiInpiandtheZomiCouncilshallbeoperativeand
bindingtoallconcernedpersonsandpartiesincludingthegovernment.
Signedthis1October1998onbehalfofKukisandZomisrespectively.
Sd/(AlbertGenGoukhupMate)President,KukiInpiChurachandpur
Sd/(K.Vungzalian)Chairman,ZomiCouncil

References
ManipurGovernor'sAddresstotheAssemblyon9031999
ZRO/ZRA
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]

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1.^Rodger,AlisonJMikeTooleBabyLalnuntluangiV.MuanaPeterDeutschmann(2002).
"DOTSbasedtuberculosistreatmentandcontrolduringcivilconflictandanHIVepidemic,
ChurachandpurDistrict,India".BulletinoftheWorldHealthOrganization.80(6).
2.^RebeccaC,Haokip(2007)."TheKukiPaiteConflictInTheChurachandpurDistrictOf
manipur".InLazarJeyaseelan.ConflictmappingandpeaceprocessesinNorthEastIndia
(PDF) .NorthEasternSocialResearchCentre.Retrieved4February2014.

3.^"KukiNationalFront" .SouthAsiaTerrorismPortal.Retrieved31January2014.
4.^Hangmi,PeterZamhen(6October2010)."ThePaiteKukiClashesandrestorationof
Normalcy." .khawvaiphei.com.Retrieved31January2014.

Externallinks
Bloodbrothers:ManipuronceagainonthebrinkassmallertribesaredrawnintotheKuki
Nagaconflict

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