Ethnic violence : MHRC serves notice on Govt, AR
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 19 2023: The Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has served notice on the Centre, State Government, DGP and DG Assam Rifles IGAR South to submit status reports on the present crisis.

A bench of the Commission comprising Chairperson Justice UB Saha and Member KK Singh was hearing a petition filed by one Khwairakpam Amujao (80), president of All Manipur Chakpa Lois (SC) Community Development Association.

While directing the respondents to submit the status reports on or before August 24, the next date of hearing, the MHRC instructed them to also inform about the steps that have been taken up and are going to be taken up by the State and Central Government regarding allegations mentioned in the complaint.

The Commission also asked the Centre and State Government to inform it about the steps that are going to be taken up for stopping the killing of innocent people and burning down of the houses of both communities by the "Kuki extremist/militants" in the name of ethnic problems in the State of Manipur.

Notably, the Commission had first heard the complaint petition on July 14 .

The complaint noted that houses of innocent people belonging to both the Meitei and Kuki communities have been burnt and people on both sides have been killed by the violence that first erupted on May 3 .

The complaint stated that people including those belonging to the Scheduled Caste community have been killed and hurt by the violence and farmers are unable to tend to their fields as they are threatened regularly by the Kuki extremist/militants.

It also prayed for preventing the "atrocities" of the Assam Rifles.

The complainant prayed for proper deployment of the State and Central forces to control the armed suspected Kuki militants and save the innocent people of both the communities.

The complainant sought direction from the Commission to register proper FIRs against cases of killing, causing injury and missing cases of people belonging to SC and other communities.

He sought adequate security arrangement for the safety of the farmers including the farmers of the SC community and to control suspected armed Kuki militants; relief materials, ex-gratia from the Government to the affected persons of all communities including the SC after proper verification of their Nationality; direction to the Centre and State Government authorities to rebuild houses of all affected people including those of the SC community.

The complainant sought the attention of the MHRC to cases of violation of human rights and failure of the State and Central authorities/forces to prevent such violations.

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