SIPHRO

Newmai News Network

Imphal, January 15, 2007: The Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) stated that it would like to extend its apology and solidarity to the Hmar community and the organizations that have lodged a complaint with regard to the pending report of the Civil Society Fact-Finding Team in the press that was also “subsequently forwarded to us by the complainants”.

The NPMHR (South Sector) while issuing this statement said that “it is unethical and against the conscience of any independent human rights organizations to downplay the grievous issues of the innocent civilians with whom such organizations claimed to identify with. It is a state of affair which NPMHR cannot comply with for which we acknowledge our failure. It is in this light that NPMHR is compelled to come out with a report as part of the team”.

“A fact-finding team as ‘Civil Society Team on Internally Displaced People from Tipaimukh Sub-Divisions’ headed by Ms. Aram Pamei (NPMHR and Rongmei Lu Phuam) as the Convenor and Babloo Loitongbam (Human Rights Alert) and Joseph R. Hmar as the Co-Convenors (Hmar Students’ Association) with Wanhengbam Joy Kumar (Human Rights Law Network), and Elizabeth Hrangchal (interpreter) from 5th - 10th March 2006 investigated the alleged incident and confirmed the facts. The team interviewed the displaced people, rape victims, village authorities and concerned local organizations and cross-sections of the community as well as organizations based in Aizawl, Mizoram. They also met the CO, PBS Lamba of 13 Dogra Regiment and Captain Viplove at the army camp office. While the report of the team is being stalled, the following facts are based on the report filed by Ms. Aram Pamei”, said the NPMHR (South Sector) statement issued by its convenor Phamhring Sengul.

NPMHR then strongly condemns “the heinous crime perpetrated by the United Liberation Front (UNLF) and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) on the villagers of Parbung and Lungthulien in Tipaimukh area of Manipur.”

It alleged that the cadres of the said armed resistance groups in January 2006 raped 21 women (some of them were raped in the Church compound) and tortured 402 persons (petition filed by the Village elders of Lungthulien to the FFM Team on their visit); paraded (including women and children) and restricted people from going to work. “They fired indiscriminately, forbade people from praying, and destroyed and looted properties. It is disgraceful that such groups fighting for Justice and liberation of the people would indulge in such dehumanizing acts,” informed the NPMHR.

The Naga rights body also alleged that the underground groups (UGs) had planted landmines/IEDs in the surrounding jungles of the communities that has killed and maimed many lives adding that the extremely vulnerable situation has led people to flee their homes and villages resulting in hundreds of internally displaced people languishing in refugee camps who were supposedly repatriated but are yet to adequately rehabilitated and restituted. The NPHMR mentioned that the affected villages (during the time of the team’s visit) include: Lungthulien (70 households), Toulbung (6 households), Parbung (8 households), Rawvakawt (6 households) and Sipuikawn (2 households). “By any standard of human rights including international laws on human rights, making innocent civilians live through such horrors of life upsets humanity and cannot be justified under any circumstances. Such acts only defeat the cause these groups sought to represent and the vision they uphold,” asserted the statement.

NPMHR further stated that it was not unnatural for the Hmars to feel that the attack is on their community. “It would only communalize and add fuel to the already vexed situation. It also seriously hampers the various peoples’ movements’ efforts for peace and justice, and inter-community dialogue for mutual co-existence. It threatens to undermine and severely curb the democratic space of the various peoples’ movements without which there can be no meaningful co-existence or peace with justice. Those who hold or take up arms should be very responsible and ‘cherish life, not death’ in the interest of humanity but more for themselves,” advised the Naga rights body.

It then lamented that the rights body is extremely disappointed by the callous attitude of the State government who has done almost nothing for the victims and affected villages. It is the primary responsibility of the state government to extend minimum support to meet the immediate needs of the victims. We would like to remind the government that it should show more responsibility towards its citizens and not sweep the matter under the carpet. This is only adding salt to the wounds of the Hmar community, decries the NPMHR.

On the slow process of the outcome of the investigation said that several months have passed since the Rajkhowa Commission (RC) was set up to investigate the incident and it is unfortunate that the enquiry is being delayed because of the interference from some of the different Rights groups who were also a part of the above fact finding team. “We see no reasonable ground in stalling the commission’s investigation and it only delays justice to the victims. We challenge the wisdom of the State government and demand that it direct the RC to complete its investigation and justice be dispensed immediately without delay,” demanded the NPMHR.
The All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) and the Kuki Students Organisation -General Headquarter (KSO-GH) also asked the government as to how far the investigation has gone. But the students organisations also asked as to what steps have been taken by the government so far in the alleged Hmar women rape incident.

Meanwhile, the KSO-GH accused the state government of not doing much fr the landmine victims of Thenhjoi village near Moreh town. KSO-GH president Lunsei Taothang rued that the Thengjoi victims are now in extreme difficulties.

Source: The Sangai Express