Meanwhile, crowds gathered in different parts of Kangpokpi district to thwart the march by FOCS and the movement of the MST bus. They erected barricades on a national highway by placing boulders and burning tyres. Kuki organisation ‘Committee on Tribal Unity’ had on Friday stated that the peace expedition was “tantamount to breaching of buffer zones.”When the MST bus entered Kangpokpi district, the protestors attempted to prevent its movement by pelting stones. This led to a confrontation, and the security personnel used force to restore normalcy, leading to clashes.The other MST bus travelled up to Kangvai, a small town in the Kuki-majority Churachandpur district bordering Meitei-majority Bishnupur district, and returned from there. It was not known if the two buses had any passengers.In a purported video released from an undisclosed location, some Kuki-Zo village volunteers ‘reiterated’ that “there will be no free movement in Kuki-Zo areas before the establishment of separate administration, a Union Territory with legislature for the Kuki-Zo people.”Reading out from a written statement, one of them said, “Our demand for separate administration is not just a political aspiration but a necessity for our survival, security and dignity.”
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