CPDM Statement of solidarity on 23 July 'fake encounter'
- Campaign For Peace & Democracy (Manipur) -
Press Statement 19 September 2009

Annexure 1
CPDM Statement of solidarity
to the ongoing protest against the 23 July fake encounter in Manipur

Press release
Dated 19 September 2009

Ref: CPDM /PS/ 20090919-1

The ongoing reign of terror unleashed by the Ibobi led SPF government in Manipur, in an attempt to suppress the month long protest against the fake encounter of 23 July at the heart of the Imphal city in Manipur, has undermined the very essence of democracy enshrined in the Constitution of India.

Despite the government’s attempt to charge the insurgents for the crime the Tehelka photographic exposition had clearly revealed to the entire world that the unrestraint firing at the crowded city, that had led to the killing of a pregnant women Th. Rabina and bullet injury of five others, was a fake encounter perpetrated by the Manipur Police Commandos.

It is also very clear that the medical attendant Ch. Sanjit was murdered in the custody under false implication to cover up the real culprits of the crime. Both the Chief Minister Ibobi who had tried to silence the truth with a fabricated report that he had presented to the State Assembly and the DGP Y. Joykumar who had flatly rejected the Tehelka report are responsible for the subsequent popular discontent against the fake encounter.

This is not the first instance of political criminality of defending the security personnel who had carried out fake encounters to materialise the selfish designs of promotion to higher rank and looting of property. Instead of addressing the public concern over the issue of security in the wake of unrestrained fake encounters perpetrated by the security personnel, Ibobi and his handpicked DGP are flatly labelling wrong charges against the civil societies that are demanding for justice.

Several civilians are tortured, injured and civil society offices are raided and several members are booked under the draconian National Security Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in the name of maintaining law & order. As a result of the institutionalisation of state terrorism and political criminality inherent in the modus operandi of suppression of the people’s democratic voice, the people of Manipur are left with no peaceful and democratic options to assert for legitimate their civil and political rights. This is against democracy.

* CPDM strongly believe that the act of suppression of popular demand for justice against the government that has failed on the front of providing security to the people cannot be a substitute for justice.
* CPDM extended solidarity to the ongoing struggle of the people of Manipur for a peaceful and democratic Manipur free from state terrorism and the oppressive authoritarian rule of the Okram Ibobi led SPF Government.
* CPDM strongly condemned the Ibobi government for its political criminality and urged upon Mr. Ibobi and his handpicked DGP to step down both on moral and political grounds.
* CPDM demanded that the casualty suffered by the civilians during the repression be adequately compensated and that the political prisoners who are booked for their democratic ideology and for spearheading the demand for justice be unconditionally released with full dignity and physical integrity.

Sd/-
Malem Ningthouja, Campaign For Peace & Democracy (Manipur) (CPDM)
Praksah Rao, Commuist Gadhar Party of India (CGPI).
Manabhanjan, Janpaksh.
Vijay Singh, Revolutionary Democracy (RD)
Abhinav, Disha Student Organisation.
Neelima, Nishant,
Hari Mandit Pandey, IPTA
Buddhesh, Gargi Pubishers & Distributers.
Dr. Mrigank, Naujawan Bharat Sabha (NBS)
Arjun Prashad Singh, People’s Democratic Front of India (PDFI)
Rosa Basanti, New Trade Union Initiatives (NTUI)
Alok Kumar, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS)
Akhilesh Gaur, All India Communist Party – Stalinist, (AICP-S)
S. Ajad, NMSS.

Annexure 2

CDRO statement against state terrorism in Manipur

Press Statement
17.9.09

The agitation which began in Manipur following the disclosure in Tehelka of the damning photo sequence of the cold blooded killing of Ch Sanjit and pregnant woman Rabina Devi, the state government of Manipur has unleashed a terror campaign against protestors.

Instead of heeding the voices of the people demanding that action be initiated against the government leader/s who sanctioned, as well as Manipur commandos who committed custodial killings, and that the culture of impunity be ended, there has been systematic crackdown on the protestors themselves. On the one hand eight members of the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation have been arrested, five of them booked under National Security Act and their offices raided and plundered.

Manipur police has also arrested Y Jiten, joint secretary of Citizens Concerns on Dam and Development, which is spearheading a campaign against Tipaimukh project and charged him under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). On the other hand the state government along with Congress and CPI parties has also launched a campaign of calumny against Apunba Lup and spreading rumours about women protestors as well as members of local sports clubs and organizations.

These developments are fraught with danger and are designed to justify commission of crimes committed by the security and police forces and to incite violence, the very situation the government claims it wants to curb. We fear that is meant to legitimize and and perpetuate the state of impunity, which comes in so handy to throttle all legitimate forms of organized protest. We fear that young men and women of Manipur will once again become cannon fodder for the security forces to do what they like.

We, therefore, urge the state government to stop this crackdown and to make them appreciate that protesting against crimes of the state government, its police force or Indian security forces are not crushed by recourse to arbitrary actions. We strongly emphasise that this crackdown will only attenuate the rule of law instead of ending impunity which is of utmost urgency.

Co-ordinators (CDRO)

Asish Gupta (PUDR), Ningreichon (NPMHR), Kranti(APCLC)
17.9.09

Statement endorsed by:

Association for Democratic Rights (AFDR, Punjab), Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC),
Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR, West Bengal),
Bandi Mukti Morcha (West Bengal),
Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR, Mumbai),
Coordination for Human Rights (COHR, Manipur),
Human Rights Forum (HRF, Andhra),
Lokshahi Hak Sangathana (LHS, Maharashtra),
Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS, Assam),
Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR),
Organisation for Protection of Democratic Rights (OPDR, Andhra),
Peoples Committee for Human Rights (PCHR, Jammu and Kashmir),
Peoples Democratic Forum (PDF, Karnataka) ,
PUCL Chhattisgarh,
PUCL Jharkhand,
PUCL Nagpur,
PUCL Rajasthan,
PUCL Tamilnadu,
Peoples Union For Democratic Rights (PUDR, Delhi),
Peoples Union for Human Rights (PUHR, Haryana).