The Kuki Organization for Human Rights (KOHUR) has urgently reached out to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Balla, requesting immediate intervention regarding the ongoing detention of over 60 Myanmar nationals of Kuki ethnicity in Imphal Central Jail. KOHUR has raised significant constitutional and humanitarian issues, particularly focusing on two detainees who remain imprisoned despite having completed their sentences.
In separate memoranda addressed to NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian and the Governor, KOHUR labeled the situation as a “grave violation” of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, as well as a breach of international human rights conventions that India is bound to uphold.
KOHUR drew parallels with previous gubernatorial notifications that allowed for the relocation of Indian Kuki undertrials from conflict-prone areas to safer, Kuki-majority districts like Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal. They argued that similar protections should be afforded to Myanmar Kuki detainees.
“These detainees may be foreign nationals, but they hold deep cultural, linguistic, and familial connections to the indigenous Kuki population in Manipur,” KOHUR emphasized in their representation. “Denying them relocation solely based on their nationality is discriminatory.”
KOHUR Chairperson H.S. Benjamin Mate described the ongoing detention of these individuals beyond their sentences as “a clear instance of arbitrary incarceration and a miscarriage of justice.” He urged authorities to honor the principle of equal protection under the law.
The organization has demanded the immediate release of the two detainees held beyond their sentences, the swift transfer of all Myanmar Kuki undertrials to safer, Kuki-majority districts, and the initiation of a governmental inquiry to avert future instances of discriminatory detention.
KOHUR further cautioned that extended confinement in Imphal jail poses serious risks to the physical and psychological well-being of the detainees. In their letter to the Governor, they called for action on humanitarian grounds, stressing the potential for renewed communal tensions.
While the NHRC has yet to issue an official statement, internal sources suggest that the matter may soon be reviewed with urgency. Legal experts and human rights advocates continue to advocate for strict adherence to constitutional protections and international detention standards.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/story/kuki-rights-body-seeks-urgent-release-of-myanmar-nationals-held-in-manipur-jail-1251310-2025-07-27?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2025-07-27 16:16:00
