Manorama's brother addresses UNHRC
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 13 2014 : Thangjam Manorama's brother Thangjam Dolendro Meetei addressed the UN Human Rights Council on his sister's case at an interactive dialogue, which was held to discuss the report of the Special Rappoetuer on Extra Judicial Execution.

Dolendro, who attended the dialogue session on behalf of World Barua Organization, said that AFSPA prevents the prosecution of criminal acts committed by security forces in India.

This include rapes and murders, he added.

Dolendra said, "In the night of July 10, 2004, a dozen of Assam Rifles personnel broke into my house and my sister Thangjam Manorama was accused of being an insurgent.

She was dragged out of our house, interrogated and tortured for over three hours.

No woman police was present while arresting my sister, as required by the law" .

He further said, "The next morning my sister's bullet riddled body was found on a road-side, about 3 km away from our house.

There were semen stains on her dress.

After my sister's death, Manipur broke out into a wide spread protest for the next two months" .

Dolendra said, "The Manipur Government instituted a Commission of Inquiry.

But military authorities challenged the competence of the Commission and had successfully suppressed the Commission's findings.

My family still has not seen the report" .

"The recommendation of the National Human Rights Commission, which came only in 2012, to pay some reparations for my sister's rape and murder is still blocked by the Defence Ministry", he added.

Dolendra further said, "I simply cannot understand why, for ten long years AFSPA has been used to protect the very criminals who had raped and murdered my sister" .

He added that the World Barua Organization therefore appeals the Council to join the Special Rapporteur in his call to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

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