Published on: September 5, 2025
REVISED SUSPENSION OF OPERATIONS (SOO) PACT TIGHTENS NORMS FOR KUKI-ZO GROUPS
REVISED SUSPENSION OF OPERATIONS (SOO) PACT TIGHTENS NORMS FOR KUKI-ZO GROUPS
NEWS
- The Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement was first signed in 2008 after Kuki-Naga clashes.
- Around 2,200 cadres under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) were entitled to a monthly stipend of ₹6,000.
- Stipend payments stopped after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023.
HIGHLIGHTS
Key Provisions of the Revised Pact (2025)
- Validity & Oversight
- Pact valid for one year.
- Monitoring mechanism strengthened through inspections and Aadhaar-linked identity verification.
- Stipend Disbursement
- Payment only via Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.
- Applicable only to cadres present in camps during inspections.
- Manipur Police to issue photo identity cards.
- Camp Regulations
- KNO and UPF permitted six camps each (reduced from 14).
- Camps cannot be near populated areas, highways, conflict zones, or Myanmar border.
- Cadre Identification
- Government to maintain a verified cadre list with personal details and photographs.
- Foreign nationals to be removed from group leadership or cadre lists.
Commitments by Insurgent Groups
- Must abjure violence and follow the Constitution and territorial integrity of Manipur.
- Prohibited from:
- Ties with other armed groups (domestic or foreign).
- Recruitment of new cadres.
- Offensive operations against security forces, rival groups, or civilians.
Security Provisions
- Security forces (Army, Assam Rifles, CAPFs, State Police) will not operate against groups if they comply with pact conditions.
Future Roadmap
- The SoO pact to be followed by a tripartite dialogue (Centre, Manipur Govt., KNO/UPF).
- Aim: Negotiated political settlement within a time-bound framework under the Constitution.
