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Home arrow New arrow Asia arrow Urgent! 

Appeal for Support Urge the Government to Stop Extrajudicial Killings in Manipur Print
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Sub:  Appeal for Support Urge the Government to Stop Extrajudicial Killings and Suppression of People’s Movement in Manipur, India and repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958.
 
Dear Sir/Madame,
Our organization has been informed that two people, Mr. Chungkham Shanjit, (27), s/o, Chungkham Khellen of Khurai Kongba Sajor Leikai, and Ms. Thockchom Rebina, (23), w/o Thockchom Chinglensana of Lamsang, Imphal West were killed and five others were seriously wounded in an indiscriminate firing by Manipur Police Commandoes on 23 July 2009 at Khwairamband Bazaar in Imphal, Manipur in the ongoing counter insurgency operation. We feel that the pictures of TEHELKA, a weekly based in New Delhi, taken before and after execution of Mr. Chungkham Shanjit by the Manipur police commandoes  (http://www.tehelka.com/story_main42.asp?filename=Ne080809murder_in.asp), clearly confirms the execution as another case of fake encounter contradicting the statement of the Government of Manipur and the Police which charged that Mr Chungkham Shanjit (D2) was killed in a retaliatory firing with subsequent recovery of a 9 mm pistol and 4 live rounds of ammunitions from him and that he was a member of Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF), one of the resistance groups fighting for Right to Self Determination of Manipur. 

We would like to extend our solidarity with the Apunba Lup and the people of Manipur launching an ongoing series of democratic protest demanding punishment of the Police commandoes involved in the carnage and to end killings of civilians in fake encounters in Manipur. It is unfortunate that the Government has announced indefinite curfew in Manipur from 4 August 2009, violating peoples' right to movement and their right to pursue democratic demands, which is still in force despite occasional relaxation for limited hours.

We would like to condemn the arrest of several leaders of APUNBA LUP, including former coordinator of the Apunba Lup, Phurailatpam Deban of Singjamei Waikhom Leikai, Th Naobi, Assistant coordinator from Singjamei Thongam Leikai and Dayananda Chingtham, member of AMUCO who were now charged under Indian Penal Code section 188/121/121-A/147/148/149/427/34, 7 Criminal Act and 18/39 Unlawful Activities and Prevention Act, 1967.  Sunil Karam, Cordinator of Apunba Lup was also arrested and charged with IPC Section 124-A/435/34, 7 Criminal Act and 39 UA (P) Act. All the arrested leaders of APUNBA Lup were presented before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal, Manipur on 10 August 2009. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate announced the detention of four of the Apunba Lup leaders under the National Security Act, 1980 (NSA) under which they were to be detained without trial for one year. Ms. Leimapokpam Nganbi, 40, of Haobam Marak Irom leikai, Imphal West District was further remanded into judicial custody for another 15 days by the Manipur police.

The leaders detained under NSA, 1980 were
1) Thounaojam Surjit alias Naobi 36, son of Th Sanayaima of Chanam Pukhri Mapal,
2) Phurailatpam Devan, 41, son of Ph Brajabihari Sharma of Singjamei, Imphal West District, Manipur
3) Dayananda Chingtham, 45, son of Ch Nanda Kishore of Uripok Basaspati Leikai,
4) Karam Sunil, 38, son of K Kokil f Ithai Khunou Bishnupur, residing at Keishamthong Top Leirak.

We express our condemnation with the police excess that has led to serious injury of Mr. Naorem Prakash of Langthabal Kunja in police firing to curb a rally against the 23 July carnage from Langthabal Kunja to Kyamgei Pal Ahanbi in Imphal West district on 6 August 2009. Mr. Prakash remained in serious life threatening condition at the JN Hospital, Imphal and has been referred to All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi. An empty case of AK 47 rifle has already been recovered and it is unfortunate that the Manipur police have denied their involvement in the injury of Mr. Prakash.
 
We are concerned with the announcement of the Government of Manipur on 5 August last for a Judicial Inquiry into the Khwairamband Bazar carnage of 23 July and suspension of 6 Police commandoes involved in the incident as previous instances of such numerous commissions of inquiries instituted under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 had failed to prosecute any armed forces personnel involved in violations in Manipur . The report of the judicial inquiry into the infamous case of rape and murder of Miss Thangjam Manorama Chanu by 17 Assam Rifles on 11 July 2004 is still concealed and perpetrators of the heinous crimes remained without prosecution. Indeed, the UN special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial Execution, Philip Alston, reported to the UN Human Rights Council in 2007 that despite the Govt of Manipur ordering numerous inquiries into alleged extrajudicial executions, none of them ultimately reached any meaningful conclusions and to justice.  

We are aware that Manipur has become a killing field after the Govt of India responded military to the peoples’ right to self determination movement. We are concerned that India’s military response to political demands of the indigenous peoples with enactment of emergency legislations, such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA), has led to blatant human rights violations. The AFSPA derogates non derogable rights, right to life and right to Justice. Extra judicial executions , fake encounter killings, rape of women, torture, arbitrary detentions of innocent civilians by the armed forces  are widespread. 
 
We are also aware that no legal proceedings against armed forces of India involved in human rights violations can be instituted without the permission of the Government , which has led to a pattern of impunity.

We therefore call on the Government of India to:   
•    Prosecute the Police commandoes involved in the Extra Judicial execution of Chungkham Shanjit and Thockchom Rebina on 23 July 2009 by Manipur Police Commandoes and for injuring five others
•    Facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Ph Deban, Th Naobi, Dayananda Chingtham, Sunil Karam, leaders of Apunba Lup and Ms. L. Nganbi, detained on 5 August 2009 and drop all charges against them under IPC, UAPA and Criminal Act and NSA 1980.
•    Prosecute police commandoes involved in the injury of Mr. Naorem Prakash on 6 August 2009.
•    Repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2007 and the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions and the Justice Jeevan Reddy Commission.
•    Stop fake encounters and state sponsored killings in Manipur
•    Permit the visits of UN Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights, especially the UN Special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial Executions, Mr. Philip Alston and James Anaya, Special Raporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedom of indigenous people to visit and assess the human rights violations in Manipur
•    To adopt a political approach, rather than military, in resolving the armed conflict in Manipur  
Please write to 

Mr. Okram Ibobi,
 Chief Minister & Home Minister of Manipur,
Chief Minister's secretariat Babupara,
Imphal 795001 Manipur  INDIA,   Tel: +91 385  2221833,  2220137 (O);
2220136, 2222683 (R) Fax: + 91 385 2221817, 
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

SEND COPIES TO:

Pratibha Patil Devi,
President, Office of the President,  Rashtrapati Bhawan,
New Delhi, 110004 INDIA Tel: +91 11 3016767 (Joint Secretary),
3014507 (Personal Secretary),  Fax: +91 11 3017290,
3014570E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   or  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi-110001 INDIA
Tel: +91 11 23074448, Fax: +91 11 2334
0016E-mail: mailto:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
Mr. Chidambaram , Hon'ble  Ministry of Home Affairs,
Griha Mantralaya Room
No. 104, North Block Central Secretariat, New Delhi 110001
INDIA  Fax: +91 11 2301 5750, 2309 3750, 2309 2763
Email:  websitemhaweb@ mha.nic.in

Chairperson Manipur State Human Rights
Commission Room No. VIP-II, State Guest House
Sanjenthong, Imphal-795001 Manipur
INDIA Tel: +91 385 2410473 (O) / 2447438
(R),   Telefax: +91 385
2410472E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
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