Case IND 051007
Assault/ Beating/ Torture and Ill-treatment/ Fear for safety/ Risk of impunity
The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in India.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Centre for Organisation Research & Education (CORE), a member the SOS-Torture network, of the assault, beating, torture and ill-treatment of over 52 villagers[1] belonging to indigenous Meitei and Maring communities of Umathel, Kakching Khunou and Kalikalok Maring villages in Manipur, India, during the night of 30 September 2007 to 1 October 2007 by members of the 21st Assam Rifles (AR) [2].
According to the information received, members of the 21st Assam Rifles (AR), stationed in Waikhong and Pangaltabi, entered every house of Umathel Mathak Leikai and Makha Leikai after they had been reportedly ambushed by an armed opposition group (allegedly belonging to PREPAK People's Revolutionary Army of Kangleipak) in Umathel on 30 September 2007 at around 10:30pm[3].
They reportedly herded off all the women to the Kakching Khunou College complex while all the men were taken, stripped and severely thrashed on the road. All the men including elderly persons and minors were forcefully made to lie with their faces on the ground and expose their backs and buttocks. They were then beaten with sticks, logs, rifle butts and kicked with boots. The villagers were also reportedly verbally abused in Manipuri and a language unknown to them. A woman shopkeeper in Umathel Bazaar told that the AR personnel ransacked her shop and took away different items. Villagers were then prohibited to go out of their houses and those who were outside were reportedly beaten up indiscriminately.
According to the same information, during the night of 30 September 2007, the AR reportedly sent for reinforcements after the firing and some additional troops went to Kalikalok Maring village. The AR personnel reportedly spitted into the mouth of some villagers and during the beatings no specific questions or reasons were asked nor given to the villagers.
These events lasted until 8:00am on 1 October 2007 and reportedly only ceased when local media reporters and the local police arrived.
While some of the villagers received medical treatment by a local doctor, many were scared to go back to their houses of fear of reprisals by the AR. 28 of the victims were taken to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital at Imphal and another 12 were taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital at Porompat, Imphal East for further treatment.
According to the information, on 3 October 2007, the villagers of Umathel informed that the troops of AR came again inside the village and threaten the villagers that the remaining villagers who were not beaten up will be beaten. In the morning the troops reportedly came with sticks and spread themselves throughout the village, and interrogated innocent youth who came across them on the road.
The International Secretariat of OMCT expresses its deep concern over these events, particurlary with regard to the climate of impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators. OMCT calls on the authorities to order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law. Further, as an elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, India should guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in India urging them to:
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of the above mentioned villagers and guarantee medical treatment if necessary;
ii. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. Guarantee that adequate compensation is awarded to the victims;
iv. Ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standard.
Addresses
- Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, President of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi 110004, India, Fax 91 11 233 82365/ 91 11 237 11 772
- Shri Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, Prime Minister's Office, Room number 152, South Block, New Delhi, Fax: + 91 11 2301 6857
- Shri Shivraj Patil, Union Minister of Home Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, 104-107 North Block, New Delhi 110 001 India, Fax: +91 11 2309 2979.
- Justice K. G. Balkrishnan, Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court, Tilak Marg, New Delhi -1, Fax: +91 11 233 83792, Email:supremecourt@nic.in
- Justice Rajendra Babu, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India, Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi 110 001, Tel: +91 11 230 74448, Fax: +91 11 2334 0016, Email: chairnhrc@nic.in
- Mr. Okram Ibobi Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur, Chief Minister's Secretariat, Babupara, Imphal, Manipur, India, Fax: 91 385 222 1817, Email: cmmani@hub.nic.in
- H.E. Mr. Swashpawan Singh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative to the United Nations (Geneva), Rue du Valais 9, 1202 Geneva, Tel: +41 22 906 86 86, Fax: +41 22 906 86 96, Email: mission.india@ties.itu.int
- Mr. Dipak Chatterjee, Ambassador, Embassy of India in Brussels, 217 Chaussee de Vleurgat, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: +32 (0)2 6489638 or +32 (0)2 6451869
Please also write to the embassies of India in your respective country.
Geneva, 05 October 2007
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply
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[1] A list of 39 victims was collected so far till the time of this appeal. See Annex.
[2] The Assam Rifles are the paramilitary force of the Government of India, operating in Manipur to counter the insurgency activities of the armed opposition groups in Manipur. Various extra-constitutional emergency measures, including the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 reportedly provide special powers to the armed forces of India while operating in Manipur, including the right to kill on mere "suspicion" and granting legal immunity for their involvement in human rights violations. The Union Government of India instituted a Review Commission of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, in 2004. The Committee has recommended that the Act be repealed however nothing has reportedly happened with regard to the repeal process of the Act.
[3] According to the information received, on 30 September 2007 at about 10:30pm, a convoy of the 21st Assam Rifles (AR) came from Pangaltabi to Waikhong along with three vehicles (one bullet-proof Gypsy jeep, one Tata 407 min truck and an ambulance). When the AR troops arrived at Umathel in front of the Kakching Khunou College along the Imphal-Sugnu Road, unknown cadres of an armed opposition group (allegedly to belong to PREPAK Red Army under CO-II) reportedly ambushed the AR troops by using sophisticated weapons. An exchange of fire reportedly lasted for about 30 minutes. One AR was reportedly shot dead and another was injured during the incident.
