Athouba, Dr Noni recount trip to UNHRC
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 13 2024:
IPSA Kangleipak working president and COCOMI spokesman Khuraijam Athouba and DM University Associate Professor Dr Arambam Noni Meitei today recounted their visit to the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) .
On their return from the 57th UNHRC session where they presented the correct narratives of the Manipur crisis and sought international attention to the crisis, Athouba and Dr Noni were felicitated today at the Keishampat office of IPSA.
The felicitation function was organised by IPSA, ACOAM-Lup, IPAK, KSA, Liyalup, Kanglamei, KIL, CLK, AKSIL, MIKL, SWA and ERDO.
KIL president RK Sanahanbi, UCM consultative committee member Yumnamcha Dilipkumar, IPSA advisor Luwangcha Chingkhei, Khuraijam Athouba and Dr Arambam Noni attended the felicitation function as presidium members.
Recounting his visit to the UNHRC, Athouba said that National and international media were flooded with false narratives about the invasion by non-indigenous people upon indigenous people of Manipur, particularly Meiteis during the initial days.
As a result, some international forums even took resolutions based on these false narratives, he said.
"We dismantled all these false narratives during our recent visit to the UNHRC with the help of the Manipuri diaspora and drew the attention of the international community by presenting factual narratives", Athouba said.
Commemorating 500 days of the Manipur crisis, a protest was held at the Broken Chair ground of UN headquarters, Geneva on September 30 .
The protest, participated by Manipuri diaspora living in Europe, gave a detailed account of how the crisis has been persisting despite deployment of a huge number of Central armed forces to the people of Europe and other parts of the world, he said.
"We made it clear that the crisis is neither religious conflict nor communal clash but invasion by Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists after they were given undue recognition and the Government of India signed suspension of operation (SoO) agreement with them", Athouba recounted.
IPSA hosted a Side Event on the same day (September 30) in room no XXV of the UNHRC building.
The event was moderated by Aston University visiting Professor Dr Elangbam Bishwajit.
Dr Arambam Noni, human rights defender Poonam Duhotia and Swiss-Bangladesh Women Association Advisor Dilara Malique attended the programme as panel members.
Athouba said that he gave a powerpoint presentation on the Manipur crisis and its relation with illegal immigration, demographic changes, opium poppy cultivation, environmental degradation, cross-border narco-terrorism and foreign origin armed groups.
"I've come across a retired army officer branding me as anti-National for taking internal matters of a country before the international community", he said.
Rejecting the retired army officer's allegation as baseless, Athouba pointed out that India is a signatory of the UNHRC.
"I don't receive any official intimation from the Government for what I spoke at the UN", he said.
Dr Arambam Noni said that attempts to break apart Manipur are becoming more pronounced although there are many treaties signed between Manipur and India and other countries.
"No countries or laws can be formed exclusively for a single community.
As such, attempts to break apart Manipur to fulfil ethno-exclusive aspiration is unacceptable", Dr Noni said recalling the statements he gave at the panel discussion programme.
The international community must be informed how the Manipur valley has been made a geographical minority and how a group of people have been opposing protection of reserved/protected forests, he said.
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