The recent conflict in Thinungei, located in the Bishnupur district of Manipur, has been described by Govindas Konthoujam, the Minister for Home in Manipur, as a result of a misunderstanding between civilians and security personnel. The Minister made this announcement during a press conference held at the New Secretariat Complex in Imphal. He attributed the increased tension between the two groups to a rumor created by a female resident of Thinungei and led to confrontations that resulted in approximately thirty injuries. Minister Konthoujam urged that citizens seek peaceful solutions and join together to stop road blockades and trust in the investigating agencies regarding the investigation into the Tronglaobi blast, which is currently being undertaken by the National Investigative Agency (NIA).
Konthoujam stated that five people believed to be part of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA) were arrested in the course of this investigation and he expects additional developments in response to the investigation that continues. He also mentioned that in the confrontations at Thinungei, eight firearms were seized from police officers by people protesting. However, those weapons were returned to the police. Due to the continuing violence, the State Government has stepped up security measures and currently has over 34,000 law enforcement officers throughout Manipur, with an acknowledged shortfall of over 7,000 personnel. A recruitment program to fill these positions will be initiated soon.
