annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Manipur
March 2004, Huidrom Shyamsunder alias
Amujao, son of H Ibomcha of Wabagai
Awang Leika, was reportedly shot dead at
a place near Oriental Social Association,
Wabagai Awang Leikai by the PREPAK. 7
The conflict between the security
forces and the armed opposition groups
led to internal displacement. Over 600
villagers of ten remote villages in and
around Sajik Tampak area, near the Indo-
Myanmar border, in Chandel district had
to flee leaving behind all their belongings
in the wake of a flush out operation
launched by the security forces against the
armed opposition groups in April 2004. 8
The villagers’ movements were restricted
and any goods brought from outside were
thoroughly checked. Restriction was even
imposed on the farmers to sow seeds for
cultivation in their paddy fields. As a result
some of the villagers reportedly suffered
from starvation. 9
II. Atrocities by security forces
i. Arbitrary, summary and extrajudicial
executions
The statistics of National Human
Rights Commission belie the arbitrary
deprivations of the right to life in Manipur.
NHRC did not register a single case of
custodial death in 2000-2001 and 2001-
2002 in Manipur. It registered only one
death in judicial custody in 2002-2003. 10
On 2 March 2004, Assam Rifles
personnel allegedly extrajudicially
executed one Irungbam Samananda, son
of (s/o) Ramdho of Pungdong-bam
Awang Leikai at Nongpok Sanjen-thong
under Lamlai Police Station, Imphal.
While the Assam Rifles personnel
claimed to have killed the deceased in an
encounter and recovered one 9 mm pistol,
one hand grenade and one WT set from
his possession, the family members and
the villagers alleged that he had been
picked up by the Assam Rifles from his
residence at about 11 p.m. on 29 February
2004 without issuing any arrest memo.
When local Meira Paibis protested and
tried to stop illegal arrest of Samananda,
the troops reportedly took him way
through another road. The deceased was
wearing Khudei (a loin cloth) at the time
of the arrest and was bare-footed; but the
dead body was found wearing army
booths. 11
On 7 March 2004, troops of 28 Assam
Rifles reportedly killed three youth Md
Azad Khan of Sangaiyumpham,
Khumanthem Somorendro alias Somo and
Thangjam Binoy both of Wangjing
Lamding Khumanthem Leikai at Kshetri
Leikai under Thoubal police station. The
Assam Rifles claimed that they were
underground activists, and that one AK 47
rifle, one country-made carbine, one
pistol, four SLR bullets and one detonator
were recovered from them. However,
family sources said that they were killed
after being picked up from their
residences. 12 On 4 October 2004,
Thangjam Binoy’s mother Thangjam
Ibempishak Devi filed a complaint with
the Manipur Human Rights Commission
against extrajudicial killing of her son. 13
On 9 March 2004, troops of 33rd
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