IMPHAL, April 8: The United NGOs Mission Manipur (UNMM) has strongly condemned the degraded statement “Come out Women Folk. Now the WAR has begun. I command 2000 soldier” during the stand- off between public and AR troops at Noney made by the present CO (Commanding Officer) of 8th Assam Rifle, Rajiv Choudhury posted at Noney (Longmai).
According to a release of UNMM, such act by the CO is violation of the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms Discrimination Against Women. He should be tried under Violence Against Women Act at the first Track Court. The statement declaring war against the civilians with strong term was done under the shadow and influence of the Special Power of Armed Forces Special Power Act 1958(AFSPA). UNMM also strongly condemned the inhuman and degraded treatment and harassing of the innocent civilians at Noney Bazar on April 6 by team of 8th Assam Rifle posted at Noney (Longmai). The harassment and ill-treatment of any actors/ individual after arrest in custody is a war crime, it said.
The Assam Rifle has the allegation that they arrested one of the cadres of ZUF from Noney which led to the arresting and the harassing of innocent people is a crime against law of the country (without proper reason and investigation). The Court has to decide whether the person is a member of the armed Group or not. It also clearly proved that people of Manipur are under the army rule, not under Democracy.
India has kept the people of North East India under the AFSPA for the last 56 year. It also deeply understand as to what kind of relationship are established between Indian Armed Forces and armed groups at Noney area. UNMM also condemned the arresting of the civilians and harassing them with ill-treatment like wild animals.
The 24th AR posted at Khudengthabi along Imphal-Moreh highway has been harassing passengers of every vehicle with detention like under military rule. On February 9, 2015 even the Rural Development Minister, Francis Ngajokpa and MLA OK Korungthang were also detained several minutes by 24 AR Posted at Khudengthabi under the command of Maj. Rockey. Now, AR posted at Khudengthabi and Tengnoupal have disallowed vehicle movement along National Highway (Now Asian National Highway)-2 along Imphal-Moreh Highway in the night, it said.
Moreover, KBS. Maniam, a community leader was detained and harassed for 2 hrs from 10:30 PM -12:30 AM by troops of 9th AR posted at Moreh, Chandel, Manipur (Indo-Myanmar border) led by Colonel Anand Atreya on the night of November 26. Those officers involved in such crimes against humanity are still posted in their respective post without initiating any trial.
The UNMM has demanded punish Officers/soldiers of the Assam Rifle who committed heinous crimes against humanity and bring them under trial as per law of the land, to terminate all officers of Assam Rifle who committed crimes to innocent people, to stop the harassment, torture and detention of the civilians in the National Highways, to remove the posts of AR, which are being posted unnecessarily and stop harassing innocent people, to remove AFSPA for some months on trial basis in some districts, to review the special power given to Security Personnel. They are responsible for carrying out various crimes against humanity and crimes against International Law (India being one of the largest Democracies in the World) and to compensate appropriately the victims of the incidents, it said.