Protesters Clash with Police Over Manipur Leaders' Attendance at Taekwondo Event Amid Ethnic Violence

Protesters in Manipur attempted to storm the Khuman Lampak Indoor Stadium in Imphal West where chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and home minister Govindas Konthoujam were present for the opening of the first Manipur State Poomsae Taekwondo Championship, prompting police to deploy tear gas, smoke grenades and stun bombs. At least three demonstrators were wounded in the initial clash and two more injured later when another group gathered in Imphal East.

The actions occurred amid a bandh protesting the killing of a 45-year-old Kuki man and a series of ethnic attacks, including an ambush in the Sunurok hills that left three Meitei men dead. Police have arrested three suspects, two of whom admitted participation. The Joint Action Committee announced a one-day cease-work protest and demanded that the government prosecute all involved before accepting the victims’ bodies. Additional unrest saw burnt effigies of MP A Sharda Devi and continued closures of markets and schools across the Imphal Valley.