The Manipur International Youth Centre on Thursday stated that the ongoing situation in Manipur requires not just a response but a comprehensive strategy aimed at restoring peace, mutual co-existence and addressing the underlying issues that have fueled this conflict.
The long silence of the Prime Minister seems to reflect the geopolitical strategies of India in the Bangladesh-Burma-China-India-Manipur borderlands and the cornering of the political armed opposition groups of Manipur, stated a release.
The ongoing conflict in Manipur has witnessed a dramatic escalation in recent times, it stated.
The use of drone bombings, targeted attacks and other forms of violence have brought the region to the brink of a humanitarian crisis, it mentioned.
This situation raises serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which set forth the standards of conduct during armed conflict to protect non-combatants and civilians, it added.
The heinous attack perpetrated by Kuki militants inflicted a deep wound on innocent lives and raised profound questions about the efficacy of India’s National Defense and the protection of her citizens, it mentioned.
It stated that the deliberate targeting of civilians or civilian objects, including homes, schools, and places of worship, constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law, specifically the Geneva Conventions of 1949 that amounts to war crimes under international law, it mentioned.
These conventions prohibit attacks on non-combatants and establish the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, which are designed to limit the effects of armed conflict on civilians, it stated.
It further said that the continuous attacks on civilian populations, the burning of public properties and the misuse of ambulances for transporting armed Kuki terrorists constitute grave breaches of the Common Article 3 of the Four Geneva Conventions, 1949, under International Humanitarian Law. These acts are not merely terrorist tactics; they are crimes against humanity, the release added.
The international community has a responsibility to respond to these acts of mass atrocity crimes with urgency under the principle of the “Responsibility to Protect”, commonly known as R2P norm, it further mentioned.
Independent investigations by international bodies, like the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect are essential to determine the facts on the ground and hold those responsible accountable, it stated.
Moreover, India, as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, must take immediate steps to investigate and prosecute those responsible for war crimes, genocide and ethnic cleansing, it added.
