Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of civilians being held hostage by armed groups in Manipur, warning that their continued captivity reflects a deepening human rights crisis amid the authorities’ ongoing failure to protect people from escalating ethnic violence in the state.
Twenty people have been taken hostage by armed groups from the Kuki and Naga communities in Manipur following escalating inter-ethnic tensions and a worsening security crisis across the state’s hill districts. In recent weeks, the conflict between the Kuki and Meitei communities has expanded to involve a third ethnic group, the Nagas. The latest hostage taking cases mark the most serious escalation of violence since May 2023, when clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities left hundreds dead.
“The armed vigilante groups responsible for these abductions must immediately release all hostages and provide information on the fate and whereabouts of those still missing. Civilians must never be targeted, abducted, or used as leverage in ethnic or political disputes. Families have the right to know where their loved ones are and to communicate with them without delay,” said Aakar Patel, Chair of Board, Amnesty International India.
