Steps to rectify UN report on track
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 28 2023:
In a significant milestone, the petition of the World Meetei Council (WMC) which seeks review and rectification of the United Nations (UN) press release on Manipur violence has surpassed 100,000 signatures.
The Council, in a statement, said that the milestone was achieved on November 26 while the total signatures stand at 111,996 with the figure still counting.
The count will be closed officially on December 2 (Saturday) .
Saying that the petition along with the total number of signatures will be submitted to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (UN-OHCHR) through the official channel, the WMC appealed to those who haven't signed the petition to sign the petition and gather signatures from their families and friends at (https://chng.it/T6bgrDD7DT) .
The WMC went on to state that their petition disputes portrayal of the conflict as religious and gender based, incited by hate speech and the characterisation of the Kuki community as an ethnic minority and their portrayal as victims.
The petition also addresses the grave consequences of the alleged ethnic cleansing of Meeteis in Kuki dominated districts on May 3, marking the onset of the ongoing violence, the Council said.
Additionally, the petition exposes the primary cause of the issue which is motivated by the common goal of the Kuki groups, militant factions operating under Suspension of Operation (SoO) and their political representatives to establish a separate Nation "Zoland '', 'which never existed' .
The WMC said, "On October 23, 2023, the World Meetei Council, representing the Meeteis in India and Meetei diaspora around the world, including numerous individuals from various communities, launched the petition which has united to amplify a collective voice representing hundreds of thousands of individuals.
This plea seeks a re-evaluation and amendment of the UN press release to ensure a more equitable and comprehensive understanding of the issue." .
Continuing that obtaining 100,000 online signatures amidst internet ban was a formidable challenge, the WMC expressed optimism that the UN-OHCHR will now re-assess the 'biased' press release.
"Our voice must not go unheard," the Council said.
Accusing the UN of seemingly endorsing the global propaganda of the Kuki community by 'unjustly favouring them', the WMC claimed that the press release of the UN lacks balance and impartiality, potentially perpetuating a divisive narrative.