Athouba alerts UNHRC on conflict in Manipur
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, March 23 2024:
Khuraijam Athouba, who is spokesperson for Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and vice-president of International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA), highlighted challenges arising from illegal influx from Myanmar and its adverse effects on the inter-ethnic harmony and human rights in the Northeast at the ongoing 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Friday, Addressing the session while focusing on the precarious geopolitical situation in India's Northeast region, Athouba's presentation during General Debate Agenda Item-5 on Human Rights Bodies and Mechanisms, expressed grave concerns, stating, "India's Northeast region's fragile geopolitical position, compounded by an unaccounted illegal influx from Myanmar due to the ongoing unrest has severely disrupted inter-ethnic harmony.
It has led to a significant deterioration of human rights and peaceful coexistence between ethnic communities" .
Elaborating on the destabilising impact of cross-border movements, he said; "The surge in cross-border movements has further destabilised the region, with a majority of refugees seeking sanctuary in India's Northeast regions and indulging in all forms of illicit activities encroaching reserved forest areas" .
Athouba said, "The confiscation of unlimited drugs and arms from the region in the recent year is alarming.
Drugs worth 18 billion dollars were seized in Manipur, 16.88 billion dollars in Assam, and 1.6 billion dollars in Mizoram, with all the drugs originating from Myanmar" .
Moreover, Athouba drew attention to the extensive opium poppy cultivation in Manipur, and its detrimental effects on the environment and indigenous populations along with pointing out extensive opium poppy cultivation in Manipur, particularly by immigrant groups has reached unprecedented levels, in almost 18,000 acres, consequently leading to massive deforestation, degrading the environment and threatening the survival of indigenous populations.
Claiming involvement of foreign terror networks in the ongoing violence in Manipur, Athouba asserted that acknowledgment of foreign terror networks' involvement in the ongoing Manipur violence in the Indian Parliament underscores gravity of the situation with even the Home Minister attributing the violence to illegal immigration and narcotics from across the border.
Highlighting the pressing challenges facing the northeast region, he also urged the UN Human Rights Council for international attention and concerted efforts to address the underlying issues of illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and environmental degradation.
Urging immediate attention of the United Nations (UN) to assess the prevailing situation in Manipur by a special UN rapporteur at the earliest, Athouba urged the Council president for urgent intervention in the dire human rights situation in Manipur, where indigenous communities are embroiled in a serious conflict exacerbated by gross border narco-terrorist groups and armed militants who are under the suspension of operation agreements with the Government of India.
He maintained that over 70,000 people have been displaced since May 3, 2023 with their fundamental rights under serious threat.
The conflict involving cross-border immigrant armed groups has escalated into a full-scale war in a multinational region in Southeast Asia with recent attacks against state forces at Moreh border town using heavy artilleries testifying that the immigrants' armed groups have unlimited access to arms from Myanmar and Bangladesh, said Athouba, whose speech on Thursday was for the second time in the ongoing Geneva session.
He also expressed alleged that duplicity of India is deepening the crisis further.
The 55th session of the UNHRC began on February 26 and will conclude on April 5, 2024 .
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