Imphal, May 23: Both the Governments and armed groups have been seriously threatening and violating human rights in numerous cases by abusing power resulting in an atmosphere of fear and anxiety gripping the common people all over the world, said the Amnesty International Report 2007 released in the Political Science Department of Manipur University today.

The function organised by the Centre for Peace Education Manipur (CFPEM) in collaboration with Amnesty International, (AI) India was attended by Chairman of the Manipur State Human Rights Commission (MHRC) Justice WA Shishak, Prof Ksh Bimola, president of the Kuki Movement for Human Rights (KMHR) Dr T Lunkim and Dean of Social Sciences MU Prof Joykumar as chief guest, president and guests of honour respectively.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice WA Shishak observed that in the effort to safeguard the integrity of a Nation, the Government resorts to extra-judicial forces and encourages its armed forces to abuse power and violate human rights.

Such activities of the Government only serve as a major factor contributing towards disintegration of the country.

The same phenomenon is being witnessed in the State of Manipur, he noted.

To ward off such a grave situation, people should be alert and eradicate all kinds of gaps among them so as to bring about harmony in the society.

Only then, the cases of human rights violation can be reduced to a certain extent, Shishak remarked.

Prof Joykumar asserted that majority of the issues plaguing a State are created by the Government and armed groups operating in the State, he added.

Such deviation from their designated duties by these professionals is also a contributing factor for the innumerable cases of human rights violation in different States of the world, he said.

Joykumar called upon the people to bring about an understanding among the people belonging to different professions so that rights of each citizen can be protected.

The Amnesty International Report made a grim note of the adverse impacts on the peoples of North East India due to continued imposition of the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 in the region.

It also highlighted the importance of making a serious study of the effects of AFSPA on socio-economic and cultural rights of the people in addition to the numerous cases of human rights violation under the immunity guaranteed by the infamous Act.

As a part of the release function, a documentary film based on the lives of people victimised by the armed conflict situation was also screened.

The documentary film was produced by the Manipur Women Gun Survivors' Network.

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