India, April 14 -- Thousands of Kuki-Zo women demanding denial of "unauthorised entry" into areas identified as "theirs" staged sit-ins across the ethnic violence-hit Manipur's Churachandpur district on Sunday ahead of the Meitei community's annual Cheiraoba pilgrimage to the contested Thangjing Hill range marking their new year.

The Kuki Students' Organisation, the Kuki Women's Union, and four other groups issued a statement urging Meitei pilgrims against climbing the hill along the area between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-dominated Valley and the hill district of Churachandpur. The statement said no "approach to" Kuki-Zo land will be allowed unless the Union government reached a settlement with the Kuki-Zo community under the Constitution. ...