Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 11 2009:
The Women's Committee of the United NGOs Mission-Manipur today strongly decried the promulgation of curfew in Imphal east and west district and demanded immediate lifting of the same.
The committee also demanded tried of the police commandos involved in the incident, state DGP and chief minister under criminal law.
In a an briefing to the media persons today at its office at Chingmeirong today members of the Women's Committee of UNM-M also expressed shocked on the killing of seven month pregnant woman Rabina in front of her two and half year old Russel in the police commandos in July 23 indiscriminating firing by the police commandos killing of Ch Sanjit and injuring to five persons.
In the briefing which members of district committees of the body also attended, they also informed that the committee will submit memorandums to the Prime Minister of the country, union home minister, Governor and chief minister of the state containing 10 points.
In the memorandum, the body is going to submit shortly, will demand tried under criminal law to those not only the police commandos involved in the incident but also officers commanding them including the DGP and the chief minister who is also the home minister stating that there is no need for a judicial enquiry into the incident as the fact of the incident has been exposed will demand.
Immediate lifting of curfew is also demanded by the body denouncing that state government is trying to suppress people's agitation by terming it as 'Anti-social activity'.
They flayed the frequent use of curfew in the knee-jerk reaction by the state government to suppress and tide over any kind of issue in the state instead of negotiating or trying to solve the problem with the people mind.
It also demanded exemplary punishment to the police officer involved in beating up women home guards for allegedly not blocking the women protestors on their way to the state Assembly on July 27 last for mistreating his subordinate and violating the gender rights of the women home guards.
Taking responsibility of upbringing and education of young Russel son of deceased Rabina in the July 23 incident, assistant to the five injured people in the incident for medical treatment, to add laws such as the principles of distinction under the International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Protocol which outline how women, children and civilians should be safeguarded in times of armed conflict, impartation of compulsory training on human rights and gender rights to the police personnel are also among other demands.
The body further would demand psycho-social support and psychological counseling of children affected directly on indirectly by the armed conflict in the state, establishment of a special high court for expedition of the cases related with killings in Manipur and bringing a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict the government and non-state actors in the interest of the public, the speakers at the briefing stated.