Manipur: UNLF-K slams govt over 'unchecked illegal migration,' citing demographic threat

Imphal: The proscribed United National Liberation Front-Koireng group (UNLF-K) has accused the government of allowing unchecked illegal migration that has disturbed the demographic balance of Manipur, placing its indigenous communities at risk.

On the occasion of its 61st foundation day on Sunday (November 23, 2025), the UNLF-K issued a statement signed by M. Shak-Hen, Secretary of Publicity.

It alleged that “illegal immigrant Kuki armed groups” were being used to destabilise the region and that the violence had helped the Centre entrench deeper divisions, confining the Meitei population to the valley and adopting a “colonial strategy” involving demographic alteration.

The UNLF-K further claimed that the 2023 ethnic conflict was not spontaneous but a “planned and sponsored operation” aimed at damaging social ties between the hill and valley communities.

The outfit also accused central security forces of bias, stating that their role during the movement of displaced persons and in operations against armed groups reflected what it called “partisan involvement.”

Addressing the youth, particularly those who had taken part in “defensive actions” during the 2023–24 conflict, the UNLF-K urged them to rise above immediate anger and recognise a larger historical responsibility.

It also called for protecting Manipur’s territorial integrity, which it described as a “duty” that must be carried out by an aware and committed younger generation.

The outfit encouraged youths to join its organisation and said their courage and resilience, demonstrated during the recent conflict, must be channelled into a disciplined political movement.

The UNLF-K is a separatist Meitei insurgent group active in Manipur and aims to establish a sovereign and socialist Manipur.

The outfit was founded on November 24, 1964.