IMPHAL, June 25: The Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) and its autonomous humanitarian service Human to Humane Transcultural Centre for Torture and Trauma Victims (H2H) commemorated the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture today in a simple function at its premises in Imphal. Victims of torture supported by H2H released a report `Report of Torture in Manipur 2014- 2015`, said a statement of the CORE.
It said on December 12, 1997, the UN General Assembly proclaimed June 26 the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture with a view to the total eradication of torture.
This year marks 28 years since the UN Convention against Torture came into effect. Importantly too, this year marks 18 years since India signed the Convention against Torture but has failed to ratify it in Parliament, thereby failing to make its provisions applicable in India`™s domestic law. India remains today, one of many states where torture is not clearly prohibited by law where victims of torture are not entitled to redress, including rehabilitation and reparation, it continued.
The theme is `Right to Rehabilitation`. Torture continues in 141 countries. Though torture is absolutely prohibited internationally by human rights law and by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, from the USA to South Africa, from Egypt to India to the Philippines, it continues to be widely practiced still. Therefore, professional and successful forensic investigation and rehabilitation of the tortured have become very important for victims of torture to get justice and reparation. The culture of silence that is imposed and encouraged needs be shaken off by the sustained collective efforts of the people of Manipur, the statement said.
Since the year 2000, for the last 15 years, the Centre for Organisation Research & Education (CORE) has been observing this solemn day every year, jointly with various partners, individuals, government agencies including law enforcement officers and other stakeholders such as women and youth groups, in the trust and hope that the eradication of torture in Manipur and across the entire nation would become a reality. In the year 2001, CORE launched a community based outreach programme to support young torture victims in Manipur. This programme, a decade later in 2010, evolved into a clinic-cum-outreach humanitarian service named the Human to Humane Transcultural Centre for Torture & Trauma (H2H), which has been supported by the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (UNVFVT) since 2011. Since its inception, H2H has treated over 500 registered survivors of torture, of which 200 continued to receive treatment and rehabilitation services during the period from 2014 till date, it said.