The Kuki National Organisation (KNO) is a political organisation that currently serves as an umbrella organisation for about a dozen Kuki-Zo militant groups in Manipur, India.[2] It was established in 1988, with the aim of representing the interests of the Kuki-Zo people in northeast India and northwest Myanmar (Burma). The organisation operates alongside its principal armed wing, the Kuki National Army (KNA).[3]
Until 1986, the Kuki people of Manipur participated in the Greater Mizoram movement of the Mizo National Front. The signing of the Mizo Accord left them in the lurch, and also created a "security void" with respect to the Naga militant group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) formed in 1980. NSCN had the agenda of creating "Greater Nagalim" containing all the Naga-inhabited areas in various states, in particular Manipur.[4] Naga areas were interlaced with Kuki villages in northern hills of Manipur. The Naga integration movement resorted to the use of threat and forcible eviction of Thadou Kukis living among their midst.[5]
The Kuki National Front (KNF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), along with its armed wing Kuki National Army (KNA), were formed in the face of these developments in 1988.[6][7] Whereas KNF is based in Kangpokpi,[8] KNO operates in all the Kuki-inhabited areas in India and Myanmar, except for Nagaland.[9]
Structure and leadership
The Kuki National Organisation was founded in 1988, with P.S. Haokip serving as its president and the supreme commander of the Kuki National Army. Anton Kuki holds the position of Home Secretary within the organisation. The late Brigadier Vipin Haokip was the first Chief of Army Staff of the Kuki National Army, succeeded by Colonel S Robert in January 2005.[10]
The leadership of the Kuki National Organisation includes various cabinet members such as Khaikholun, Lalminthang Vaiphei, SNG Haokip, Amitabh TS Haokip, Zale’n Kuki, Joshua Haokip, Th. German Haokip, David Thangboi, Kamkhenpao Zou, Thangboi Karong, and Thangsang Hmar. Each member holds a specific portfolio ranging from public relations to medical affairs.[10]
Objectives
The primary objective of the organisation is to advocate for the rights and recognition of the Kuki people. They seek the resurrection of Zale’n-gam, the traditional homeland of the Kukis, which spans across parts of northeast India and northwest Myanmar. The organisation aims to achieve recognition of Zale’n-gam's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the possibility of statehood within India and Myanmar.[10]
Armed groups
The Kuki National Organisation operates primarily in the mountainous districts of Manipur, India, and adjoining areas in Assam, as well as in the Kabaw valley of Myanmar. The Kuki National Army, the armed wing of the organisation engaged in guerrilla warfare against the military junta in Myanmar between 1991 and 1999.[10]
While the principal armed wing of the KNO is the Kuki National Army, it has since been joined by numerous other armed groups including:[2][11]
Hmar National Army [HNA], led by L.S. Lungtau and Thang song Hmar[12]
Kuki National Front (Military Council) [KNF–MC], led by Th. German Haokip
Kuki National Front (Zogam) [KNF–Zogam], led by Joshua Haokip
Kuki National Front (Samuel) led by T. Samuel Haokip[13]
Kuki Liberation Army (Manipur) [KLA] led by Khaikam Wilson Touthang
Kuki Liberation Army (Assam) [KLA]
Kuki Liberation Army/Kuki Liberation Organisation led by Timothy Khongsai
Kuki Revolutionary Army (Unification) [KRA–Unification]
Kuki Revolutionary Army [KRA] led by David Hangshing
Pakan Reunification Army, led by Zecky Anal
United Konrem Revolutionary Army [UKRA], led by Thangboi Karong
United Old Kuki Liberation Army (United Minority Liberation Army) led by K. Khaling
United Socialist Revolutionary Army [USRA], led by Lalminthang Vaiphei
Zou Defence Volunteer (Pakap), led by Pakap Anthony and Kamkhenpao Zou
Zomi Revolutionary Front [ZRF], led by P.S. Hangshing and David Thangboi
Three of these groups were earlier under the United People's Front. They switched to KNO in October 2010.[11]
Negotiations and external associations
The Kuki National Organisation has pursued both peaceful negotiations and armed struggle to achieve its objectives. In India, they have submitted memoranda to various government officials since 1995, appealing for recognition and statehood. In Myanmar, they have engaged in violent conflict against the military junta.[10]
The KNO/KNA has been involved in various incidents, including clashes with rival militant groups, encounters with security forces, and instances of violence against civilians. The organisation has faced challenges and confrontations in its pursuit of Kuki rights and statehood.
Publications and support
The group has published several books authored by its president, P.S. Haokip, addressing Kuki history, customs, and ideology.
↑ Yambem Laba, The search for Kukiland, Imphal Free Press, 16 December 2012. ProQuest1238765740
↑ Tohring, Violence and identity in North-East India (2010), p. 45: 'According to P.S. Haokip: "The Kuki National Organization explicitly states that issues concerning Kukis in Nagaland are separate from those related to Kuki in other parts, such as in present day Manipur, Assam, Tripura, and Burma."'.
Arora, Vibha; Kipgen, Ngamjahao (2017), "Demand for Kukiland and Kuki ethnic nationalism", in Vibha Arora; N. Jayaram (eds.), Democratisation in the Himalayas: Interests, Conflicts, and Negotiations, Taylor & Francis, pp.161–185, ISBN9781351997997
Haokip, Thongkholal (2023), "Home and Belonging in Northeast India", in Amit Ranjan; Diotima Chattoraj (eds.), Migration, Regional Autonomy, and Conflicts in Eastern South Asia: Searching for a Home(land), Springer Nature, ISBN9783031287640– via ssrn.com
Kipgen, Nehginpao (October–December 2011), "Ethnic Conflict in India: A Case Study of the Kukis and the Nagas in Manipur", The Indian Journal of Political Science, 72 (4): 1043–1060, JSTOR41856539
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