Manipur issue aired at UNHRC session
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 12 2023: One Heikrujam Jodha on Wednesday delivered a statement through video conferencing regarding the prevailing situation in Manipur at the 54th session of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) being held in Geneva, Switzerland from September 11 till Friday.

In his statement given (Item No 10-General Debate on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building), H Jodha asserted that Meetei and Naga are the indigenous communities of Manipur, while Kuki community is not indigenous as they only immigrated to Manipur from Myanmar around middle of 18th century.

He claimed that since the eruption of ethnic conflict on May 3, armed Kukis militant groups led by their Myanmar origin leaders have been attacking and killing indigenes using sophisticated firearms and bombs.

Till now, 70,000 people have been displaced and are seeking shelter in refugee camps out of which 80 per cent are from indigenous community, 4000 houses have been burned, around 200 people have been killed, some of them even burned alive, 350 religious sites have been torched, a Meetei woman & a student have been raped, while many have been molested and some victims have been decapitated or faced tortures before being killed, he conveyed.

Jodha also stressed that taking advantage of the situation, narco terrorists have been carrying out heinous crimes to drive out indigenes from the foothills.

He also maintained that the prevailing conflict is not a clash between majority Hindu and minority Christian as presented on social media by the Kukis while trying to cover up their drug business.

If it had been true then Nagas, who are also Christian would have supported the Kukis, which has not happened, he reasoned.

Jodha continued that the crisis arose after the state government as part of its War on Drug campaign started large scale destruction of poppy plantations and evicted encroachers from forest lands.

As such, the demand raised by the Kukis for separate administration is pre-planned with the aim for formation of a greater homeland for Chin-Kuki-Mizo.

If the demand for separate administration by Kukis is ceded then they will be able to engage in wide spread poppy plantations and drug business without any hindrance.

Presently, 80 per cent of the lands inhabited by Kukis have poppy plantations from which they generate approximately 50 billion dollars every year by selling it in the international market, he further alleged.

Citing the aforementioned factors, Jodha urged the UN to take action to restore peace in Manipur so that every community can live without any fear along with carrying out humanitarian work for rehabilitation of victims of the present conflict.

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