Manipur peace appeal follows chief minister's Sinai Camp visit

A Manipur peace appeal accompanied Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh's visit to Sinai Camp in Kangpokpi district on Sunday, after security forces took control of the facility. He urged residents to surrender illegal weapons and help end violence, according to an official statement.

The chief minister said the persistence of a gun culture prevented both development and durable peace. He also told security personnel that protecting residents and their property was central to their work.

He emphasised that searches and combing operations must avoid harming innocent civilians. During the visit, he praised the CRPF's CoBRA unit for its part in the operation at the camp.

Officials brief chief minister on security operation

The Manipur peace appeal followed a joint operation involving CoBRA personnel, state police and other security agencies. Authorities said the operation came after three firewood collectors were killed in Imphal East district.

According to the Chief Minister's Secretariat, security forces found 17 people allegedly using false identities to impersonate registered cadres. Officials said the camp was intended to accommodate about 150 cadres.

Sinai Camp had been designated for the Kuki National Army and Kuki Liberation Army under the Suspension of Operations arrangement. The official statement described Sunday's visit as the first by a serving chief minister to a designated camp under that framework.

Singh inspected the premises and received briefings from CRPF and Assam Rifles officers on the operation and local security conditions. He later met representatives of civil society organisations and residents of the surrounding area.

The wider Suspension of Operations agreement was first signed in August 2008 by the Union and Manipur governments with militant groups under two umbrella organisations. State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam has said the latest agreement expired on September 4, 2026, and had not been renewed or extended.

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