UNHRC urged to address crisis, militarisation in Manipur
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 27 2023: At the ongoing 25th Meeting of the 54th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council being held at UN Headquarters in Geneva, two international NGOs raised the issues related to escalating violence in Manipur, failure of the Government of India to control the crisis and heavy militarisation of the state instead of restoring peace through dialogues.

Indigenous People of Africa Coordinating Committee representative U Jenison highlighted the violence in Manipur, which has claimed over 200 innocent lives due to the Government of India's failure to intervene effectively.

Jenison criticised the government's negligence over the past four months and its tendency to blame political parties while highlighting suffering of unarmed women protestors.

"In the name of curbing the violence, large number of central paramilitary forces have been deployed and have committed heinous act against the unarmed women protestors in various parts of Manipur.

North East India remains vulnerable to the atrocities committed by the Indian armed forces in various forms due to the imposition of AFSPA," Jenison said.

He further said, "In the recent violence we could observe the nexus between the armed groups under the Suspension of Operation with the Government of India and the central paramilitary forces as a result thousands of people are forced to displace, houses were burnt down, more than 200 people have been killed.

The central forces double sided role and pretend to act humanely could be seen in the evacuation process of the stranded people in the violence hit area," he said.

He also highlighted deployment of more than 60,000 armed forces and continuous exercise to curb the violence through large scale militarisation.

Trying to curb the violence through its military power instead of dialogue process and suppressing the voice of the people is a clear violation and need a serious attention of the council, he said while urging the council to communicate with India to stop militarisation, withdraw its troops and immediately stop the Government designed conflict in the state of Manipur.

At the same time, representing the Association for Integration and Sustainable Development in Burundi, Kh Phajaton addressed the Human Rights Council and emphasised the urgency of the Council's intervention to protect innocent lives in Manipur.

Phajaton highlighted that it is high time to call the attention of the council to intervene and act to save the innocent lives in Manipur by calling the Government of India to stop its designed conflict by instigating the various ethnic communities inhabiting in the state of Manipur and the North Eastern States of India through its military agencies and the armed groups under the Suspension of Operation.

"We observe that the Government of India has no intention to end the violence but to continue the violence due to its economic interest.

Continued violence for the last four months cannot last without funding and supplies of arms and ammunition.

It is high time to question who is funding this violence and we fear that it is being funded from within the country or from the support of outside the country which need serious attention of this council to intervene," he said.

Phajaton further maintained that the failure to protect its citizen from such violence clearly reveals that Government of India is incapable to shield its citizens and to uphold human rights.

He urged the council to communicate with India to respect the human rights of the people of Manipur and stop the violence in the state immediately.

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