IMPHAL, December 5: The All Loktak Lake Areas Fishermen`™s Union Manipur, ALLAFUM has expressed appreciation to the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, IRCT and its 17 Asia Regional Centres from 11 countries for holding their regional meeting at Thanga area this week.
According to a release, during the meeting the international delegates had interacted with the fisher folks of Lokat Lake and had assured assistance to them.
It recalled that the former IRTC Asia regional coordinator Dr Marion Staunton had earlier visited the LoktaK Lake at Langolsabi Village on February 26, 2014, and had interacted with the fishers.
During her visit, Dr Marion had assured that she will come again with other IRCT members, it said.
Further it said during the interaction, fisher folks had shared their story of alleged torture and other human rights violation committed by State agencies since 2011.
Human rights violation including torture, manhandling of women fisher folks at Ithing and Thanga areas during peace rallies, arson, destruction of phumdis, fishing gears and other properties belonging to the fisher folks by the State forces under the provision of Manipur Loktak Lake (Protection) Act, 2006 and MLLPR, 2008, were succinctly reported, it added.
It continued that the delegates assured that torture cases will be put up at the international to ensure justice towards the fisher folks. At the same time, ALLAFUM exuded confidence that the IRCT will surely disseminate the torture accounts to the international network.