From encounter deaths to secret killings

Lai JN *

The body of Yanglem Naoba being recovered in Thoubal in first week of December :: Pix - Gyanand Naorem

Among the human rights, the right to life is the most considered, essential and deserved the greatest respect. Simply because the right to life is the fountain from which all other human rights spring. Coming to the situation of Manipur, killed someone in fake encounter or secretly without fair justice is the most concerned issue of human rights violations.

There have been 28 incidents of extrajudicial execution involving 36 victims from January to November (2012). These killings add up to those that have already been documented by local human rights organizations. From 2008 to 2009 it is documented about 603 cases committed by government security forces and about 400 cases committed by unidentified persons and non-state actors.

According to Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and UN Manipur, about 1528 people including 31 women and 98 children were killed extra judicially by the state actors since 1979 in Manipur. Of these, 419 were killed by Assam Rifles while 481 were killed by combined teams of Manipur Police Commandos and central military forces. So far, Imphal East Police Commandos killed 90, Imphal West Police Commandos 132, Bishnupur Police Commandos 15, Thoubal Police Commandos 67 and unspecified but under the name of Manipur Police Commandos 40.

When the victims were suddenly gone there come a dreadful reality of post incident and its impact particularly on young widows and their children. The socio-economic security of the victim-families is at the real risk. Many of the victims had been main bread earners; they were labourers, cultivators and small traders.

Why the victims had been targeted? The possible answer may include - a motive of the state actors that they wanted to show they were accomplishing counter insurgency activities. With the motive they targeted the victims usually on information extracted coercibly from their captives.

The captives were the surrenderees and persons detained arbitrarily by the state actors. In most of the cases the captives mentioned particulars about their estranged colleagues, acquaintances and even sometimes friends in order to avoid degrading treatment from the perpetrators. In fact, there were suspicions of the some victims that associated or simply acquainted with proscribed elements or gave accompanied without their self knowledge to one or two activities.

Again some of them were drug/substance users who fall in the hands of state actors and armed groups; they were captive slaves forcibly got involved in the illegal elements. Then there came a cycle of violation in which the informers or surrendees paid with their lives.

Is there a shifting pattern of fake encounters?
First, on November 5 there was public protest against alleged killing of a PLA/RPF official, Mr. Hijam Babu, 33 of Andro Kharam Leikai, by Assam Rifles at Lunghar village, Ukhrul District. The local and family claimed the victim was pulled up from his home by suspected security forces and whisked away in a (Jeep) Bolero on 2 November around 7 pm.
Second, on 29 November, Mr. Yanglem Naoba, 30 of Thoubal Wangma Taba was killed allegedly by some personnel of Thoubal Police Commndos at Nongangkhong Kabolambi. The locals agitated against the killing.
Third, on 30 November an unidentified woman found killed with her slit throat at Langol. After body disposed, her identity was established as Mrs. Lourem-bam (ongbi) Memchoubi, 48 of Haobam Marak Lorembam Leikai.

Do the three incidents carry an interpretation of a beginning of migration of human rights violations of extrajudicial execution in Manipur? If so called fake encounters do not continue I would like to underline some possible reason for it.

First, it seems that the activities are not rewarded further by the government; gallantry medals, promotion and monetary incentive are not accounted for the killings. Therefore a logical thought erupted gradually in the heads of the perpetrators "what is the use of doing things that no use anymore?"

Second, there have been some recent noises from the concerned human rights bodies including United Nations and international groups. The decades long tantrum from civil societies and NGOs appears to produce accumulative impact on the issue. The investigation work and charge sheets from Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) regarding 27 July-BT Road killing may also cause a deterrent kind of.

But, why the killings are continuing anyhow by shifting to a different pattern of secret killings or killed by the unidentified persons? In fact, the secret killings have been existing but the incidents were going along with the fake encounter deaths. Now, the concern is the whole perceptible migration of psychology and resources of state actors towards new secret killings leaving the endemic fake encounters behind. The violations will prolong agony and trauma among the numerous victims' families and will retain its negative socio-economy impact on society in general.

This changing pattern of killing-undertaking is carried out for the following possible reasons by state actors:

1. Monetary benefit; robbing the victims of money, valuable possessions, expensive rings, neck chains, amulets, etc. Or the victim is source of or associated with some goodies. Sometimes the benefit extraction is done with the deadly torture so if they let the victims free it will cause trouble on them or the participation of the victims is not desired further.

2. Cease the information leak out; the victims might be evidence of some undertakings that wanted to be kept secret. Some of the alleged secrets are of kidnaps for ransom and extortion bargain that involve state actors in nexus with small armed groups.

3. Emotional quench; the various personal affairs and grudges between the victims and the state actors often lead to taking revenge. The cases range from love affairs to business deals, from casual arguments to property disputes.

4. Service rendered; assassination of the political associates, business rivals or personal enmity will be accomplished by the government forces on hired basis or for a favor in various forms in return.

If secret killings go farther it will be a mere add-up fear and challenge to the previous crisis. The previous fake-encounter-deaths may juxtapose with the upcoming secret killings. The previous killings were such of high pitch tantrum from various quarters towards the deaf state and slothful judiciary. There has been a strong impunity and that will also help to surface a tolerance. Hence the future response may be defanged, diluted in producing favorable impact. Even it was not able to make a meaningful change when the fake encounters were so loud and visible, and the implication of political and conflict were so strong.

Now, I fear of a paradox that there will be a growing depletion of the political and conflict element in the issue. Here comes bigger challenge to victims' families, civil societies and human rights groups. And certainly, the biggest and real challenge lie with the psychology and behavior of the state.