Manipuri scribe abducted by gunmen, released after several hours

Guwahati: A senior journalist from Manipur in northeast India was abducted by a group of armed militants in the early hours of 11 February 2025 from his residence at Uripok locality in Imphal. Yambem Laba (69), who also served Manipur Human Rights Commission as its member, was not even given time to change the night dress by the gunmen. Later a video, where Laba was heard making a confessional statement about his views on an insurgent group, was released in the morning hours.

Laba admitted that he mistakenly termed the Pambei faction of UNLF as a surrendering outfit, but the rebel group was engaged in a ceasefire with the Union government in New Delhi. In a local television talk show, Laba made the comment on Monday night while analysing the current political turmoil in Manipur which continued to boil even after the resignation of State chief minister N Biren Singh on Sunday. He also apologized that his public statement was not correct.

Associated with a national English daily, simultaneously published from New Delhi, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Siliguri, Laba was released by the same day at noon. Mentionable is that the militants fired many rounds in front of his home a few days back. The police quickly launched a search operation to rescue the outspoken scribe, who regularly expresses personal views on social media about the political crisis faced by the Myanmar bordering State for the last several months.

Earlier, the Geneva-based global media safety and rights body Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expressed serious concern over his abduction and demanded an immediate and unconditional release. The PEC even urged the local authorities as well as Prime Minister of India to take appropriate initiative to get Yambem Laba freed from custody of banned militants who have been waging a war against New Delhi for decades.

“No journalist, even if he/she criticizes the State and non-State actors on a regular basis, must be physically intended. The media persons have the liberty to put their views which are legally and logically correct, but that may turn bitter for the politicians and armed militants. Unless there is any personal character assassination, the scribe’s views should be accepted by the authority and society as a whole,” said Blaise Lempen, president of PEC .

PEC’s south Asia representative Nava Thakuria added that Manipur has been witnessing communally-flared conflicts between the majority Meitei people and minority communities including the Kukis. Since May 2023, over 250 people have been killed and more than 60,000 residents were displaced. A large number of public and private properties in various parts of Manipur belonging to both the communities have been targeted, vandalized and even burnt down.