Says deceased church leaders are ‘Thadou Martyrs’
Imphal, May 13 (MExN): The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) has strongly condemned the attack on a team of Thadou Baptist Church leaders on Wednesday morning, and declared the deceased as “Thadou Martyrs.”
The attack took place around 10:30 am when two vehicles, a white Bolero Neo and a white Bolero BS6, were ambushed and fired upon at point-blank range between Kotzim Village and Saheibung Village, the organisation said in a statement.
The TIM identified the deceased as Rev Dr Vumthang Sitlhou, Rev Kaigoulun Lhouvum and Pastor Paogoulen Sitlhou. It described the attack as “brutal and cowardly” on innocent, peace-loving church leaders who were travelling on a spiritual and official mission. It further added that the martyrs laid down their lives in the service of God and the Thadou community.
‘Thadou is not Kuki,’ asserts TIM
“The Thadou people, a distinct ethnic community, have repeatedly become victims of the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur due to misidentification,” the TIM asserted and strongly reiterated that, “Thadou is not Kuki.” The Thadou Baptist Association India (TBAI) is an independent body and is not affiliated with the Kuki Christian Leaders Forum (KCLF), Kuki Baptist Convention (KBC), or Kuki Christian Church (KCC), it asserted.
TIM further stated that two of the survivors, Rev SM Haopu, Executive Secretary of TBAI, and Rev Kaikhothang Singsit, Pastor of Centre Church TBAI, Kangpokpi, had participated in the Thadou Convention Guwahati 2024, where “the distinct identity of the Thadou people, separate from the Kuki label, was formally reaffirmed and declared.”
“Thadou is a distinct ethnic group of people. Thadou is not Kuki, or underneath Kuki, or part of Kuki, but a separate, independent entity from Kuki. Any organization that incorporates “Thadou” but espouses Kuki and mis-portrays Thadou as Kuki or a part of Kuki is illegitimate and does not represent Thadou people and interest,” the organisation stated.
Appeals to Manipur Govt for justice
Meanwhile, TIM has appealed to the Government of Manipur and the Government of India to identify the perpetrators, hand them over to central investigative agencies, and bring all those responsible to justice. It also demanded an immediate stop to the killing of innocent people, a decisive military crackdown on militants, an end to the politics of appeasement toward radicals, and concrete steps to heal the wounds of Manipur.
Perpetrators must claim responsibility
The perpetrators must claim responsibility and clearly state the reasons for their actions, TIM added.
Citing past incidents, the organisation said the Thadou people have continued to fall victim to violence due to misidentification or deliberate attempts to involve the community in agendas that do not represent them, including the killing of an innocent Thadou, Nehkam Jomnhao, by Kuki militants in 2025.
TIM urged all groups and individuals not to exploit or politicise the incident, but to pursue justice, peace, and accountability.
