UNCHR sounded on kidnapping of children, women

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 13: Manipur International Youth Centre (MIYC) and Youth Collective Manipur (YCM) have sought intervention of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prevent execution of three women and three children abducted by Kuki militants and secure their release.
In an appeal submitted to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, the MIYC and YCM claimed that the 6 civilians including 3 women and 3 minors were reportedly abducted by suspected Kuki armed groups, which are under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) pact with the Government of India since 2005.
Notably, the 6 were abducted by Kuki militants from Jiribam's Jakuradhor area on November 11 when they attacked security posts and burnt several houses and shops.
The 6 missing have been identified as Yumlembam Rani Devi (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31) and her daughter Telem Thajamanbi (8), Laishram Heitonbi Devi (25), her son Laishram Chingkheinganba (2), and her youngest child, Laishram Langamba (8 months).
"We call upon the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions to take urgent action to urge the Government of India to investigate this abduction, work towards the swift release of the missing civilians, and hold the perpetrators accountable under international human rights and humanitarian law," said the MIYC and YCM.
They said, the abduction of civilians, particularly women and children, contravenes multiple principles of international human rights and humanitarian law encompassing several provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Geneva Conventions (International Humanitarian Law), basically the Common Article 3 of the Four Geneva Conventions which prohibits violence to life and person, taking of hostages, and outrages upon personal dignity.
The targeting and hostage-taking of vulnerable civilians, including women and children, underlines the severity of the situation and warrants immediate international intervention, they added.
In the appeal, the MIYC and YCM said the ongoing crisis in Manipur began with a wave of violent attacks on May 3, 2023, when armed Kuki militants launched coordinated assaults across Manipur.
"Since then, civilians—including women, children, and the elderly—have faced a harrowing range of abuses, such as abductions, extrajudicial killings, torture, and displacement," they said.
The two bodies urged the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions to urge the Government of India to conduct a thorough investigation into the abduction, ascertain the conditions of the abducted individuals, and promptly determine their whereabouts.
They urged the UN Rights body to call upon those responsible to immediately and safely release the abducted civilians, prioritising their safety and wellbeing.
The bodies called for the perpetrators to be held accountable under relevant international frameworks, including the ICCPR and Geneva Conventions, particularly common Article 3, to prevent recurrence of such incidents of abduction.
They further appealed to the UN body to facilitate the provision of essential protection and humanitarian support to civilians in the affected areas, with measures to prevent further abductions and curb violence.
The lives of the innocent women and children are in grave danger. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions should recognise this urgent situation and act swiftly to prevent further harm to the abducted civilians. "We rely on the UN’s commitment to upholding international human rights standards and protecting vulnerable individuals from violence and arbitrary detention," the MIYC and YCM said.