Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribal community, on Thursday, 22 May 2026, extended an ongoing total shutdown across Kuki-Zo inhabited areas by another 48 hours, citing the continued detention of 14 community members by rival groups since May 13. The shutdown, which had originally been called for three days following the killing of three Baptist Church leaders, now stretches further as tensions between Kuki-Zo and Naga communities in Manipur show no sign of immediate resolution.

Why the Shutdown Was Extended

KIM Information and Publicity Secretary Janghaolun Haokip said the extension was made necessary by the continued hostage-taking of Kuki-Zo individuals in Naga-dominated Senapati district. “The unconditional and immediate release of all hostages remains of utmost importance and continues to be our primary concern,” Haokip said in a statement. He added that despite “barbaric killings of three Kuki-Zo church leaders on May 13” and rising tensions since, the community had “continued to exercise maximum restraint and responsibility in the interest of peace and coexistence.”

Kuki-Zo Goodwill Gestures on Record

Haokip stated that even as the hostage crisis unfolded, the Kuki-Zo community ensured “free and safe passage to more than 200 Naga individuals” as a humanitarian gesture. The President of the Maralui Karalimei Swijoikang (Maram Students' Union) was also released on humanitarian grounds, according to the statement. On 14 May, five Naga individuals were released by the Kuki-Zo side along the IT Road as a further de-escalation measure.

Haokip also recalled that during the Litan incident in Ukhrul district on 11–12 March 2026, the Kuki-Zo community facilitated the safe release of 21 Tangkhul Naga hostages, even though two Kuki-Zo individuals were killed and two others were assaulted during the same episode.

Scale of the Hostage Crisis

A police official confirmed that more than 40 people from both the Kuki and Naga communities had been held hostage by various groups across Kangpokpi district and Senapati district following the May 13 incidents. According to the official, around 30 people from both communities were released on 14 and 15 May following sustained efforts by authorities, community leaders, and civil society organisations (CSOs). Central and state security forces have been conducting joint search operations across Kangpokpi, Senapati, and adjoining districts for the ninth consecutive day to rescue those still in captivity.

Church Leaders and Government Efforts

A 10-member delegation of church leaders has been visiting Naga-inhabited Senapati district since Tuesday as part of mediation efforts. The delegation had earlier met Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Monday to discuss the ethnic crisis in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts. During their field visit, the church leaders held meetings with representatives of the United Naga Council (UNC), the Naga People’s Organisation (NPO), and other civil society bodies at the UNC office in Senapati, focusing on pathways to ease the crisis.

Regional Alarm and Naga Protests

Members of the Naga community have been staging protests across multiple districts, demanding the release of villagers from their community still in captivity. Meanwhile, the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), an apex body representing eight major student organisations from the northeastern states, expressed “grave concern” after a meeting in Guwahati over “repeated incidents of ambushes, killings, abductions, and intimidation of innocent civilians.” NESO warned that such incidents have created “an atmosphere of fear, insecurity, and instability across the region.”

This is the latest flashpoint in Manipur’s prolonged inter-community conflict, which has claimed dozens of lives and displaced thousands since ethnic violence first erupted in the state in May 2023. How quickly the remaining hostages are secured will determine whether the shutdown is lifted or extended further.