Declaration of tribal inhabited areas as reserve forests violates Article 10 of UNDRIP, claims ZORO
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 02 2022:
The Zo Re-Unification Organisation (ZORO) has alleged that the Manipur Government's declaration of tribal inhabited areas as reserved forests was unconstitutional.
In a release, ZORO alleged that the declaration was a tactic of the State Government to grab the land of tribals violating Article 10 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) .
The organisation stated that Chin-Kuki-Mizo tribes are indigenous people and have been living in hill areas of Manipur since the pre-British era.
Stating that the organisation has taken a serious note of the encroachment on tribal lands, Zoro highlighted that it would never allow its people to be deprived of their liberty and will continue to fight for their rights.
ZORO further appreciated Dr Mark Tangmang Haokip for opposing the declaration and condemned his arrest and detention by the Government.