The NHRC has independently noted a media report stating that a minimum of 13 individuals lost their lives in a shootout in Leithao village near Saibol in Tengnoupal, Manipur, on Monday.
The Commission has noted that if the media report is accurate, it raises a significant concern about human rights violations. The reported incident suggests a failure on the part of law enforcement agencies and the deployed forces to maintain peace and order in the state, according to the NHRC.
Consequently, notifications have been issued to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police in Manipur, seeking a thorough report within a fortnight. The report should encompass the status of the police's filed FIR and the measures implemented by the state government to avert comparable violent occurrences across the state.
The Commission has also noted that the 13 reported deaths in an area that had been peaceful since the unrest in Manipur in May are extremely concerning. The state and its people have already endured significant hardship. It is firmly emphasized that it is the responsibility of the state to safeguard the lives and property of its citizens, both private and public, and to foster unity and goodwill among the various communities.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been inundated with complaints since May 2023 from individuals, NGOs, and human rights activists, all claiming that human rights have been violated during violent incidents in Manipur. These issues are currently under review by the Commission's Full Bench and were extensively deliberated during its Camp Sitting in Guwahati, Assam on 17 November 2023. The government officials of Manipur, alongside the complainants' representatives and members of civil society, were also in attendance during these discussions.
Based on a media report from December 5, 2023, the village has nine houses and approximately 120 residents. Fortunately, no villagers were reported as casualties. The report indicates that this is the deadliest day of violence in Manipur this year, following the outbreak in May.
The commission suspects that the victims of the violence may be militants from Myanmar, as the nearby hills from Leithao are a known pathway used by them to enter Manipur from Myanmar.
