Manipur violence: Meitei Alliance seeks UN intervention over Jiribam killings

The Meitei Alliance has sent a memorandum to the United Nations calling for immediate intervention in the ongoing human rights crisis in Manipur following the horrific events that took place in Jiribam. The appeal comes after the abduction and brutal murder of six individuals from a relief camp in Borobekra by alleged Kuki militants. The Meitei Alliance  said that the community already suffering from violence and displacement has been subjected to extreme atrocities, including sexual violence, killings and the destruction of relief camps.

On November 11, 2024, a group of six members from the Meitei community was abducted from a makeshift relief camp in Borobekra, a town in the Jiribam district of by armed Kuki militants. These individuals—three women and three children, including two infants—were taken from their shelter and subsequently murdered in cold blood. The bodies of the victims were later found in appalling conditions.

Among the victims were Yurembam Rani Devi (68), Telem Thoibi Devi (31), Telem Thajamanbi Devi (8), Laishram Heitombi Devi (25), Laishram Chingkheinganba Singh (2.5 years), and Laishram Lamnganba Singh (8 months). The bodies of the children were particularly gruesome, with one infant found with his head smashed, part of it missing and the other child’s head and arms missing. The 8-year-old girl showed signs of multiple sexual assaults, while the three women were also victims of sexual violence before being killed.

As if the killings were not enough, on the same day, the relief camp where these families were staying was set ablaze, leaving survivors without shelter or any means of security.

The violence did not stop with these horrific murders. Two elderly male family members of the victims—Laishram Barel Singh (60) and Maibam Kishore Singh (70)—were also murdered by the same terrorist group. Laishram Barel Singh's body was found nearly 100% burnt.

Despite the fact that over 70,000 central security forces had been deployed in the state, there was no attempt to prevent the abductions or rescue the victims in time. The lack of immediate intervention by the Indian government, despite the presence of these security forces, has been widely criticized. 

The Meitei Alliance said that these attacks are not isolated incidents but part of a larger pattern of systemic violence against the Meitei community, which has been ongoing for months. The group argues that these acts meet the threshold for war crimes and crimes against humanity as defined under international law. The violence, the targeting of women and children and the destruction of relief camps clearly violate multiple provisions of international human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

These crimes have occurred despite the deployment of a large number of security forces in the region, leading to widespread concerns about the lack of accountability and the apparent impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators. The Meitei Alliance’s memorandum to the UN urges immediate action to ensure that those responsible for the violence are held accountable.

The organization has made several key demands, including the establishment of an independent fact-finding mission to investigate the atrocities, identify the perpetrators, and recommend appropriate actions under international law. The alliance has also called for the appointment of a Special Rapporteur to monitor the human rights situation in Manipur and report to the UN Human Rights Council. Furthermore, the Meitei Alliance is urging the UN to press the Indian government to take swift and decisive action to dismantle terrorist networks in the region and protect the civilian population.

The Meitei Alliance has also requested that the United Nations mobilize humanitarian support for the displaced populations in the relief camps, with particular focus on the needs of women and children. The ongoing crisis has left tens of thousands of people without shelter, safety, or basic necessities, and urgent humanitarian assistance is needed to prevent further suffering.

The Alliance demanded the United Nations to intervene without delay, calling the current inaction a failure of the international community to uphold its responsibility to protect vulnerable populations. “The world must not remain silent while such atrocities are allowed to continue,” the Meitei Alliance stated in its memorandum. “Immediate intervention is necessary to prevent further loss of life, restore security and dignity to the victims, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”

Also Read: Manipur erupts in protest, rally against AFSPA reimposition and Jiribam killings