INDIA: Yet another innocent person killed by the armed forces in Imphal, Manipur state 

Dear Friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the murder of yet another person from Manipur by the armed forces stationed in that state. Mr. Longjam Surjit, a resident of Samurou, was killed by the officers from the 22 Maratha Light Infantry, based at Mayang, Imphal at night on 31 August 2006.  The family members of the deceased maintains that Surjit is innocent and was killed by the army when they spotted him outside his house at night. Surjit had gone out at night with his friend in search of his missing horse.

FACTS OF THE CASE:

Mr. Longjam Surjit, aged 18 years is a resident of Samurou Makha Leikai within the jurisdiction of Wangoi police station of Imphal West District. He was shot dead by the troops from the 22 Maratha Light Infantry posted at Mayang Imphal on 31 August 2006. It is alleged that Surjit was shot dead by the army when he went out looking for his missing horse with his friend Mr. Naorem Brajamani of Samurou Naorem Chaprou.

It is alleged that both Surjit and Brajamani were looking for the horse by the banks of the river Nambul. Brajamani had to stop for a while since he took time to ease himself while Surjit continued walking. While Brajamani was waiting for Surjit to return he heard ten shots from the direction Surjit had gone. Scared from hearing the shots Brajamani ran back home.

However, in the morning Surjit was found shot dead and the army claimed responsibility for the killing and claimed that they had to shoot at Surjit since he tried to fire at the army officers. The army also claimed that they had recovered arms and ammunition from Surjit, the possibility of which his family has denied.

Brajamani in the meanwhile has given his statement to the local media. In his interview Brajamani has mentioned that Surjit and he were out at night looking for the missing horse and while Brajamani and Surjit were separated he heard shots fired at a distance, which was later found to be fired at Surjit resulting in his death. Brajamani’s interview was recorded on 1 September and has also been published in local newspapers.

A meeting by the residents of the area was held at Samurou Bazar [local market] on 1st September and 3rd September in protest of the killing. In the public meeting it was decided that Surjit’s family will not claim his body from the RIMS mortuary, where the body is currently kept. Surjit’s family asserted that unless there is an independent investigation into this case and the army officers responsible for the murder of Surjit are punished and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is withdrawn from the state they will not claim the body from the mortuary.

The meeting also expressed strong resentment against the paramilitary forces and the state police of their practice of pronouncing a person guilty after killing an innocent person, by placing arms, to proclaim the person as a cadre of secessionist groups. In accordance with the decisions to launch agitation till their demands are met, the residents of Samurou and other adjoining villages had blocked the Mayai Lambi Road which connects Mayang and Samurou with other districts of Manipur. In the meeting it was also decided to further intensify the protest until their demands were met.

Extra judicial executions and custodial killings in Manipur by both the Army and the police is a regular feature. The killings are abetted by draconian laws that empower army to operate with impunity in Manipur. This is done in the pretext of aiding civilian law enforcing agencies to combat secessionist groups in Manipur. Statutory impunity is provided to the armed forces of India by virtue of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 which permits them to suspend the right to life, to kill a person on mere suspicion with full legal immunity.

Extra judicial killing of an innocent civilian, often by severe torture, by the paramilitary and the police and placing arms and ammunitions to accuse them as members of underground cadres is a common tactic used in Manipur. There is no mechanism to regulate the weapons seized by the police and the military from arrested cadres of secessionists groups and as such, the repeated use of weapons and ammunitions seized from arrested cadres of secessionist groups operating in Manipur are often reported.  There is no independent authority to verify the claims of both the armed forces and the police.

OTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Manipur was an independent country for centuries but became a British protectorate until 15 August 1947 after being defeated in the Anglo-Manipuri War in1891. After independence, a constitutional monarchy was established but the Indian government annexed Manipur on 15 October 1949 as one of its territories. Since then, Manipur, a small border province in the remote north eastern region of India, with a population of 2.3 million, has been the centre of an armed conflict. In order to control the active armed opposition groups, the Indian armed forces have been deployed under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, commencing the full scale deployment of Indian Military forces in Manipur.

Often, people are killed after being arrested from their homes and the repeated explanations by the armed forces is that they were killed when they tried to escape from the army custody. However, the explanation given by the 17th Assam Rifles [a paramilitary unit in India] in the case of rape and murder of Miss Thangjam Manorama on 11 July 2004 after arresting her from her residence at Bamon Kampu, Imphal that she was killed while attempting to flee from army’s custody led to disbelief and an outpour of anger among the people of Manipur, leading to massive agitations. This compelled the Union Government of India to institute a Review Commission of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, though nothing has happened towards the repeal process of the Act.

In the past, many cases of human rights violations such as indiscriminate firing at innocent civilians, arbitrary detention, torture and other forms of cruelty by the security forces and the police have emerged. The police and other forces often randomly fire into crowded areas. Since these forces enjoy impunity, these acts of abuse and violence mostly go unpunished. To see our previous urgent appeals regarding violations committed by security forces in Manipur please see UA-13-2005, FA-19-2004, UA-96-2004 and UA-31-2003.

Your urgent action is needed to pressure the Indian and Manipur authorities to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into these cases. Please write to the authorities named below expressing your concern in this case.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please send a letter to the relevant authorities mentioned below urging for an immediate and thorough investigation into this case so that disciplinary actions are taken against the alleged perpetrators. Please also request the authorities in India to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 of India.

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