Human Rights Violation – Manipur News

Death of woman at Andro police station ; Four policemen suspended

Imphal, August 03 2017: In connection with the controversial death of Mutum (O) Indira inside the toilet of Andro police station, four police personnel have been placed under suspension. Responding to a call attention motion raised by Opposition Member Kh Joykisan regarding the controversial death, Chief Minister N Biren who is also in charge of […]

Pak Baloch reply: Northeast

New Delhi, Sept. 17: Pakistan on Friday night threatened to escalate an increasingly bitter subcontinental debate over terrorism and killings in Kashmir by highlighting alleged human rights violations by India in Manipur, Mizoram and Assam at the UN, after New Delhi accused Islamabad of excesses in Balochistan. Amid a continuing tit-for-tat at the UN Human […]

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2016/09/pak-baloch-reply-northeast/

Why AFSPA in a Democratic Country like India ?

By URIKHIMBAM JENISON The people of the North Eastern region of India, particularly Manipur, suffer the most since the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers Act), 1958. It has been more than 50 years since the people of Manipur have been living with this lawless law or rather the Act to be precise.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2016/02/why-afspa-in-a-democratic-country-like-india/

The Telegraph: Manipur film unveils Myanmar’s ‘Hell Hole’

By -Khelen Thokchom Imphal, Oct. 24: Ningthoukhongjam Bobo, a youth from Imphal who had spent more than four years of his prime in a Myanmarese jail, returned home after serving

By -Khelen Thokchom

A poster of the film Keishal jail-dugi fadoksing, a Manipur film depicting human rights violation in Myanmar jail

Imphal, Oct. 24: Ningthoukhongjam Bobo, a youth from Imphal who had spent more than four years of his prime in a Myanmarese jail, returned home after serving his term to the “shock and horror” of his family as it had already taken him to be dead and performed his last rites.

A Manipuri feature film, Keishal jail-dugi fadoksing (Prisoners of Keishal jail), inspired by Bobo’s near-death experience, will tell the audience how horrifying Myanmarese jails (which Bobo describes as “hell hole”) are and also highlight its gross human rights violations.

At the age of 20, Bobo, who wanted to supplement his family’s income, went to Manipur’s border township of Moreh and was arrested by Myanmarse military from the neighbouring country’s Tamu town, for reasons unknown to him.

He spent three months in a military lock-up before he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by a local court on the charge of entering Myanmar without valid documents.

After a local television channel telecast an interview, Bobo’s ordeal came to light. The film, which is expected to hit the screens next month, is set to horrify viewers.

“I think mine is a story that needs to be told. I want to highlight the horrible, inhuman and degrading treatment meted out to prisoners by the Myanmar military,” Bobo, who played his own role in the film, said.

He further said he wanted to highlight the plight of prisoners in Myanmar to attract international humanitarian and rights bodies so that human rights of the prisoners are respected.

In the adaptation, Bobo plays the role of Loya, a drummer who went to Tamu town to earn a living. He was arrested while travelling in an autorickshaw in that country. His ordeal begins here.

The film depicts how he was confined in a small cell, denied food, forced him to eat mud cakes and dry bark for survival. Human excreta and urine were poured over him.

Bobo’s arrest came at a time when Myanmarese military was mounting a crackdown on pro-democracy activists of the country. He also witnessed how these activists were tortured and brutalised.

The story of the film is written by well-known singer Tapta and directed by Satyajit B.K. The film is a Plus Media production.

The dialogues in the film are mostly in Burmese. Bobo had learnt the language during his time in the lock-up and the jail. His knowledge of the language helped the other actors.

The beauty of the film is that all the characters look like real Burmese people.

The film’s premier was held last night. The crowd thronged Imphal’s Bheigyachandra open air theatre.

The film will remind viewers the scenes of Rambo IV, in which Rambo helps a group of mercenaries rescue a Western humanitarian aid team helping Karen tribe people from the clutches of Tadmadow soldiers.

The director and Bobo said depending upon the success of the film, a second part depicting his life in the jail would also be produced.

Given last night’s success, the film is sure to become an instant hit.

Source: The Telegraph

Sehao villagers in Manipur flee homes after Kuki Millitant group KNLF unleashes violence

IMPHAL, May 11: Following the brutal assault on five villagers of Sehao and six labourers engaged in the construction of PMGSY road allegedly by cadres of KNLF, many Sehao

Villagers of Sehao flee homes after KNLF unleashed violence

IMPHAL, May 11: Following the brutal assault on five villagers of Sehao and six labourers engaged in the construction of PMGSY road allegedly by cadres of KNLF, many Sehao villagers including women and children have started fleeing their homes in fear since last Saturday evening.

On receiving the news about the incident, a team of Kuki Student`s Organization (KSO) Khengjoi Block and former ADC Member of Songjang Constituency Paokhosei Haokip along with a media team visited the villagers and the victims who are taking shelter at the outpost of 6 Dogra Regiment located at Kemdo today.

The assaulted villagers have been identified as Seikhomang Haokip, 27 son of Late Jamkhotil Haokip, Chief of Senam; Seichon Haokip, 30 son of Late Onthang Haokip; Lunsei Haokip, 35 son of Thangsat Haokip; Lunkhosat Haokip, 29 son of Thangsat Haokip; Jamkhongam Haokip, 38 son of Late LimseiHaokip.

While the labourers assaulted by the KNLF have been identified as Sh Subash, 44 of Keirao Wangkhem (Work Supervisor), JCB driver Kh Subash, 30 son of Kh Ibo of Wabagai, JCB driver S Herojit, 19 son of Kanhai of Nongmaikhong, JCB driver Salam Romesh, 28 son of S Thoiba and JCB 2nd driver Chungkham Naoba, 20 son of Ibohal of Sekmaijing.

According to the victims, two armed cadres of Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF) brutally assaulted the five JCB Drivers and a villager near Sehao village while returning back from a work site at around 6 pm last night. The cadres also assaulted four other villagers and the work supervisor who came to search the JCB drivers after they failed to return for long. After beating black and blue using woods, the armed cadres also threatened to kill all the villagers if they inform the army and media persons about the incident.

Fearing reprisal from the armed outfit, the villagers were compelled to flee their homes along with the labourers and took shelter at the Out Post of 6 Dogra Regiment. The Officers and personnel of 6 Dogra Regiment administered first aid treatment to all the assaulted individuals besides providing shelter and food for the villagers till Sunday morning.

After interacting with the villagers, Paokhosei Haokip, former ADC Member of Songjang and KSO Khengjoi Block made a temporary arrangement to accommodate the villagers at Khangbarol BDO Office as the villagers refused to return to the village fearing dire consequences.

Speaking to media persons, Seikhomang Haokip, Chief of Sehao who is also the vice president of KSO Khengjoi Block said that the incident of last night was not the first atrocity meted out by the KNLF cadres upon the villagers. There had been an incident where cadres of the armed outfit indiscriminately fired several rounds in the villagecreating fear psychosis among the villagers particularly to the women and children, he added.

Moreover, the cadres of the outfit also kidnapped one labourer engaged in the construction of the PMGSY road from the village on April 22 last but the labourer managed to escape from the captors. There had been another incident in which a Shaktiman Driver was tortured some days back. Since the said armed outfit established their designated camp at Semol, villagers of the area particularly the Sehao villagers cannot settle peacefully, lamented the Village Chief.

While appealing the concerned authority to shift the KNLF designated camp from the area, Seikhomang Haokip said that the villagers will not return to their homes until and unless the concerned authority shifted cadres of the outfit from their Semol designated camp.

Strongly condemning the action of the KNLF Cadres, Paokhosei Haokip who is also the Chief of New Songjang Village said such mindless action and atrocities of KNLF upon the innocent villagers and labourers should be condemned by all. He expressed gratitude to the 6 Dogra Regiment for providing assistance to the aggrieved villagers.

CORE condemns AR’s reported ill-treatment of villagers in aftermath of bomb attack

IMPHAL, September 3: The Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) has strongly condemned the reported bomb blast near the AR post located at Old Samtal (Samat) Village in Chandel

IMPHAL, September 3: The Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) has strongly condemned the reported bomb blast near the AR post located at Old Samtal (Samat) Village in Chandel District in the early morning of August 26 that was claimed by an armed non-state organisation and the cruel and inhuman ill-treatment and torture by the 3rd AR towards the inhabitants of the village after the bomb-attack.

According to a press release of CORE, villagers including children and child bearing women were ill-treated and forced to parade throughout the whole day in the rain without food.

Three persons were also brutally assaulted inside a house and many children were found to be huddled up in a small hut in fear as was reported in the local media, it said.

The following day, on August 27, two villagers, Lhunkhojam, 57 and Jamkholin, 36 along with their families were expelled from the village by order of the post-commander major Sooter charging them of being behind the bomb attack.

However, due to forced banishment, the family of Lumkhojam had to abandon his aged father who could no longer walk due to old age, it said.

Despite being a State party to the Geneva Conventions which stated that no harm must come to the civilians, India is encouraging brutal localised autocracies in its border areas in the name of counter-insurgency operations and management of security threats to the State, it said.

The organisation strongly condemns the inhuman torture and ill-treatment of the villagers by the 3rd Assam Rifles and also urged the government to take full responsibility of the situation and to ensure immediate welfare and rehabilitation of the villagers and ensure their immediate return to their homes from where they were forcefully evicted by the AR.

It has appealed to the government to halt the continuing threats and terrorisation of the villagers by the AR and restore peace in the village, it said.