MIYC calls for protecting human rights
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 09 2024: In connection with the observance of International Human Rights Day 2024, Manipur International Youth Centre (MIYC) has called for renewed commitment to protecting human rights, highlighting the urgent need to address longstanding injustices and ongoing violations in Manipur.

Theme of the observance this year, "Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now" underscores the importance of safeguarding human rights to create a just and equitable future, said MIYC in a statement.

The Centre called upon governments, civil societies, and individuals to reaffirm commitinent to human rights and to address the historical injustices and ongoing violations in Manipur.

"On this International Human Rights Day, we urge the global community to prioritise justice, dignity, and freedom for all, including the people of Manipur".

MIYC outlined the deeply troubling human rights situation in the state, which has persisted since Manipur's controversial merger with India in 1949."The imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in 1958 has led to decades of militarisation, extrajudicial killings, and widespread abuses," it maintained, adding that indigenous communities have faced cultural erosion, economic exploitation, and the denial of self-determination.

According to the youth organisation, the humanitarian crisis in Manipur worsened following the May 3, 2023, Kuki aggression, with ethnic violence leading to mass displacement, destruction of homes, and a climate of fear and mistrust.

"Hostage-taking, killings in captivity, arson, and destruction of essential infrastructure are rampant," continued MIYC, terming such acts as violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

It also termed the deliberate blockade of highways, burning of oil tankers, and trucks carrying food and medicines as clear war crimes.

Demanding accountability for these atrocities to restore faith in the rule of law, the youth body advocated for self-determination, a fundamental human right enshrined in Article 1 of both the Inter national Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

The denial of this right continues to fuel unrest in Manipur and undermines global human rights efforts, it contended.

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