Further arrests and ill-treatment of human rights defenders by security forces
Human rights defender, Mr Jiten Yumnam, has allegedly been ill-treated following his arrest by police commandos at Imphal Airport on 14 September 2009. Jiten Yumnam is an indigenous youth activist and the secretary of the NGO Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD), an organisation working on environmental rights in North East India.
Jiten Yumnam is a journalist, human rights advocate and environmental activist in the state of Manipur. He is a deep understanding about the economics and its effects. He is from the indigenous population of Manipur. He is a part of the group, Center for Research and Advocacy Manipur (CRAM) along with many other human rights groups have been involved in protesting against the exploitation of natural resources and human right violations in the Manipuri state.
On September 14, 2009 the Manipur State Police Commando Unit arrested Jiten Yumnam along with eight other persons. The series of events that culminated in the arrest and detention had invoked worldwide condemnation against the Manipur state administration. It is widely believed that the arrest was to end a mass protest going on in the state against the extrajudicial execution of two persons on July 23, 2009.
Before releasing the detainees, the government dropped the charges against them. In the meanwhile an investigation is ordered into the 23 July murder. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will investigate the case.
The AHRC and Front Line Defenders are monitoring the developments in Manipur, in particular the investigation into the 23 July incident, and the security of human rights defenders like Jiten who were part of the mass protest.
Human rights defender, Mr Jiten Yumnam, has allegedly been ill-treated following his arrest by police commandos at Imphal Airport on 14 September 2009. Jiten Yumnam is an indigenous youth activist and the secretary of the NGO Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD), an organisation working on environmental rights in North East India.
On the same day a combined team of Singjamei Police and Imphal West Police Commandos raided the office of the All Manipur United Club Organization (AMUCO) and arrested seven of its members: Sungchen Koireng, Likmabam Tompok, A. Soken, Irom Brojen, Toarem Ramanda, G. Sharat Kabui and Thiyam Dinesh. The eight human rights defenders are facing multiple charges including “attempting to wage war.”
Front Line is concerned that these arrests form part of a crackdown on human rights defenders following civil society protests in response to an alleged extra-judicial killing or “fake encounter” by police commandos in which a former militant and a young pregnant woman were killed on 23 July 2009. Front Line previously raised the case of seven human rights defenders who were arrested following these protests on 20 August 2009.
On 14 September 2009 at approximately 12.30 pm, Jiten Yumnam was in Imphal airport boarding a plane to Delhi when he was arrested by a team of police commandos who arrived in two vehicles bearing registration No. 1842 and 1846 from the Imphal Airport. No arrest warrant was shown. Jiten Yumnam was going to Delhi to apply for a visa allowing him to travel to Thailand and New Zealand to attend an environmental conference.
After arresting Jiten Yumnam, the police team drove to Kwakeithel, Imphal, where the AMUCO office is situated. The police then arrested Sungchen Koireng, Likmabam Tompok, A. Soken, Irom Brojen, Toarem Ramanda, G. Sharat Kabui and Thiyam Dinesh. The eight defenders were taken to the police commando’s complex at Minuthong, Imphal West. On receiving information of his arrest, Jiten Yumnam's family members went to the Singjamei Police Station under whose jurisdiction he had been arrested. The police denied any report of his arrest.
On 15 September, the eight abovementioned human rights defenders were brought before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Lamphel and remanded in police custody until 29 September 2009. It is reported that a case has been registered against the eight arrested defenders under Section 121/121‐A of Indian Penal Code (IPC), “attempting to wage war” and “conspiring to commit offences against the state”, Section 16/18/39 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section O of the Official Secret Act which deals with “unlawful acts of supporting or motivating insurgents.”
At approximately 5.00 pm that day, the eight defenders were reportedly taken to the J.N. Hospital at Porompat, Imphal East. They were then returned to the custody of Indian Police Service (IPS) at Imphal.
On 17 September Front Line received a medical certificate from the J.N. Hospital that Jiten Yumnan had been treated for an electric shock. Therefore Front Line is deeply concerned about the ill-treatment of Jiten Yumnan while in custody.
Front Line also believes that the ongoing repression of human rights defenders in Manipur is in direct retaliation for their organisation of peaceful protests against extra-judicial killings by the security forces.
