The report on human rights status in Manipur 2022 with focus on major human right challenges being faced by people of Manipur was released on Monday. Its several recommendations included lifting the ban on political groups which are advocating the right to self-determination and stop the arbitrary arrest, torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial execution of its members.
The report, which was submitted for consideration in the fourth round of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Government of India on March 30 by the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the UN (CSCHR), was released at the Human Right Alerts conference hall, Kwakeithel Thiyam Leikai, Imphal on Monday.
“The first round of UPR was completed in 2011. The Indian Government was reviewed on April 10, 2008, wherein the governments of the UK, Germany and Canada raised the issue of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, and 18 recommendations were issued to India by the Human Rights Council,” CSCHR convenor Phulindro Konsam said.
The second cycle of UPR was completed in 2012, he said. The Government of India was reviewed again in May 2012. For that review, the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (CSCHR) placed three documents, Phulindro added.
He recalled that the (CSCHR) Manipur submitted its joint stakeholders’ submission report, ‘Broken Promises and Abdicated Obligations’ on the status of human rights in Manipur to the UN Human Rights Council for consideration during the examination of India in the third cycle of Universal Periodic Review on May 4, 2017.
The 4th cycle report submission of the CSCHR focusses on major human right challenges being faced by people of Manipur.
The report included recommendations to drop reservation on common Article I of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights.
It gave recommendations to let the people of Manipur freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.
It further gave recommendation to lift the ban on political groups which are advocating the right to self-determination, and stop the arbitrary arrest, torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial execution of its members.
It also recommended initiating a humane, inclusive, comprehensive, transparent and sustainable conditions by respecting all the universally recognised human rights in the geo-politically sensitive region of Northeast India.
Phulindro said that the report was divided into three sections. They are ‘Suspension of right to life’, ‘Entrenched Impunity’ and ‘Political solution to Armed Insurgency’.
Phulindro said its member organisations include Committee on Human Rights (COHR), Manipur Extrajudicial Executions Victim Families Association (EEVFAM), Manipur, Families of the Disappeared's Association Manipur (FIDAM), Human Rights Alert (HRA), Human Rights Law Network, (HRNL) Manipur, Just Peace Foundation (JPF), Movement for People’s Right to Information (M-PRIM), North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF), Threaten Indigenous People’s Society (TIPS) and the United People’s Front (UPF) among others.
