Manipur human rights activist addresses UN committee on state's crisis

Babloo Loitongbam, representing the Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association (EEVFAM) and Human Rights Alert (HRA), delivered a formal briefing to the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva on July 15. The presentation focused on ongoing human rights concerns in Manipur, India.

Loitongbam highlighted the 20th anniversary of Manipur's Anti-Repression Day, commemorating a protest against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). He criticised the act's continued use, stating, "Even when clear prosecutable evidence is laid out by the premier investigating agency, the Union Home Ministry always denies prosecution sanctions."

The activist also addressed the violence in Manipur, which has resulted in at least 230 deaths and displaced 60,000 people since May 2023. Loitongbam expressed concern over the government's response, saying, "The indifference of the armed forces actively increased the death toll of civilians and the cycles of raids and counter raids against the civilian population."

He called for the UN committee to declare AFSPA "incompatible with the Covenant both in law as well as in practice" and urged for recommendations aligned with India's obligations under international law.

"Individual citizens of Manipur -- irrespective of gender, age, religion or ethnicity -- have been robbed of their most basic human rights, as the Government of India systematically abdicated its Responsibility to Protect the population," Loitongbam said.

The briefing brings international attention to the ongoing crisis in Manipur and calls for accountability in addressing human rights violations in the region