IMPHAL, Jan 17: The report of the Independent People’s Tribunal on torture, extra-judicial executions and enforced disappearances which was organized by Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), Manipur, from December 11, 2009 to December 13, 2009 at Retreat House, Mantripukhri, will be released tomorrow at Manipur Press Club, Majorkhul, Imphal.
A release of HRLN stated that the family members of the victims of extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances testified before the three-day independent people’s tribunal which comprised of Justice KK Usha, retired Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, Justice DK Basu, former Judge of Calcutta High Court, Justice Malay Sengupta, former acting Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court, Justice Th. Sudhir Singh, retired District and Session Court, Manipur East, Justice C. Upendra, retired District and Session Judge, Manipur, (late) Justice Lisham Rabindra Singh, retired Judge of Family Court, Manipur, and Yambam Laba, former member of Manipur Human Rights Commission.
The family members had expressed their concern on the failure of the state administration to protect the basic rights of the citizens and total collapse of the legal system in terms of security, protection and enforcement of the rights of the people of Manipur. Over and above, various experts delivered their opinions, suggestions and recommendations for addressing the present phenomenon of extrajudicial killings, torture and enforced disappearances in the state, it said.
The jury recorded about 42 cases of rights violation which included 40 cases of fake encounter and two incidents of torture. Out of these 42, as many as 30 family members of the victims deposed before the jury while 12 testimonies were presented in writing by the family members without deposition, the release added.
The present report is a detailed compilation of the testimonies which were given by the victims’ relatives in front of the Jury, along with the details of each victim, incident and follow up of the matter. It also includes the views of experts, lawyers, judges, civil rights activist and journalists on various issues related to AFSPA in Manipur, recommendations by the jury and scholarly articles and analyzing Justice Jeevan Reddy committee report on AFSPA from the point of view of the relevance and implication of its recommendations. The report will also include a profile on Irom Sharmila Chanu as an indomitable figure who solely represents the saga of people brutally cornered by the mainstream society, the release of HRLN mentioned.
The tribunal was organized by Human Rights Law Network, Manipur, in collaboration with Extra-judicially Executed Victims’ Families Association (EEVFAM), Kanglei Young Women’s Socio Cultural Organization, Human Rights Alert, Eastern Rural Development Centre, NGO Forum Manipur and Human Rights Initiative.
