India’s north-eastern state of Manipur is on high alert after authorities recovered the bodies of six women and children, who reportedly belonged to the majority Meitei community.Meitei groups have alleged that they were kidnapped and murdered by armed groups of the minority Kuki group. The police, however, have not confirmed this.
The news sparked a fresh wave of violent protests, prompting authorities to snap internet services in some parts of the State over the weekend. The two ethnic groups have been locked in a deadly ethnic conflict since last May, which has killed 200 people and displaced thousands. On Saturday, protesters ransacked and torched the houses and offices of at least a dozen lawmakers, mostly from the State’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Police have arrested 23 people in connection with the violence and authorities have imposed an indefinite curfew and suspended internet services in Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley and Bishnupur district.
At least 20 people – both Kukis and Meities – have died in flare-ups that have erupted between the two ethnic groups this month. (BBC)
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