SHILLONG, June 9: National People’s Party (NPP) president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday welcomed the release of 14 Kuki civilians in Manipur, describing it as a powerful humanitarian gesture and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of six Naga civilians who remain in captivity.
Appreciate the humanitarian decision of the United Naga Council (UNC), Naga tribal hohos, civil society organisations, and all stakeholders in facilitating the release of the 14 Kuki civilians detained in Senapati.
This compassionate gesture offers hope and reminds us that… pic.twitter.com/HYauBItlmi
— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) June 9, 2026
In a statement, Sangma praised the United Naga Council (UNC), Naga tribal hohos, civil society organisations and community leaders for facilitating the release, saying the move reflected the Naga community’s longstanding values of compassion, dignity, reconciliation and respect for human life.
“At a time when emotions run high and communities continue to bear the scars of conflict, the decision to place humanity above differences sends a powerful message of hope to the people of Manipur and the wider Northeast,” Sangma said.
The NPP chief commended the Naga organisations for showing “restraint, wisdom and moral courage” and appealed to Kuki civil society groups and community leaders to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring the safe and unconditional release of the six Naga civilians.
Calling the release of the 14 Kuki civilians a significant confidence-building measure, Sangma said innocent civilians should never become victims of conflict and stressed that the continued detention of civilians only prolongs the suffering of families and delays the healing process in Manipur.
“The release of the remaining captives would be a powerful step toward restoring trust between communities,” he said, while reiterating the NPP’s commitment to peace, dialogue, reconciliation and the protection of all citizens irrespective of tribe, community or faith.
The statement comes amid growing efforts by civil society organisations, church bodies and political leaders across the Northeast to secure the release of six missing Naga civilians following the UNC-facilitated release of 14 Kuki civilians earlier on Tuesday.
 president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday welcomed the release of 14 Kuki civilians in Manipur, describing it as a powerful humanitarian gesture and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of six Naga civilians who remain in captivity.){kind=link}