[Reader-list] Fwd: On the arrest and torture of Indigenous Activist Jiten Yumnam

[Danny Butt]

Greetings all

Does anyone on the list know anything about this issue? I've just  
received the forward.

Cheers

Danny
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September 16, 2009

[ Recipient list below, petition and original at http://apiyn.org/home/?p=216 
  ]

Sir / Ma’am,

Jiten Yumnam, member of the Coordinating Committee of the Asia Pacific  
Indigenous Youth Network (APIYN), was arrested at Imphal Airport  
around 12:30 pm (India standard time). On the same day, at around 3:00  
pm, seven identified executives of the All Manipur United Club  
Organization (AMUCO) were also arrested after a combined team of  
Singjamei Police and Imphal West Police Commandos raided their office.  
The seven executives were Sungchen Koireng, Likmabam Tompok, A. Soken,  
Irom Brojen, Toarem Ramanda, G. Sharat Kabui and Thiyam Dinesh.

Reports stated that an FIR case has been registered against the eight  
arrested men (including Jiten Yumnam) and booked under Section 121/121- 
A of Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 16/18/39 of Unlawful Activities  
(Prevention) Act and Section O of the Official Secret Act. Section  
121/121-A of the IPC deals with “attempting to wage war” and  
“conspiring to commit offences against the state”. Sections 16/18/39  
of UA(P) deal with “unlawful acts of supporting or motivating” of what  
the State considers as “insurgents”.

Aside from being a founding member of the APIYN, Jiten Yumnam is also  
the Joint-Secretary of Citizens' Concerns on Dam and Development  
(CCDD) that had been vocal and active in motivating youth engagement  
in constructive dialogues with Governments in the background of  
development aggression and militarization in North East India. Jiten  
Yumnam has also demonstrated great wisdom and boldness while raising  
public awareness against construction of Big Dams, besides his in- 
depth knowledge of the way International Financial Institutions (IFIs)  
design and fund mega projects in the name of climate change  
mitigation. Jiten Yumnam, by the time of his arrest, was actually on  
his way to Bangkok for another international meeting on the United  
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and shall  
proceed to New Zealand for the Indigenous Climate Connections (ICC)  
afterwards.

Jiten Yumnam also worked dedicatedly to raise awareness of the youth  
and the people by being a field reporter of Imphal Free Press and as  
freelance writer in Manipur Mail, The Sangai Express and the Imphal  
Free Press. He also published several materials that shook  the  
Government like the "Insidious Intrusion of International Financial  
Institutions in India's North East" (2008);  "Militarization and human  
rights violations in Manipur" (December 2006) published by Asian Human  
Rights Commission in Hong Kong; “Mapithel Dam amidst Militaristic  
Development in Manipur” published in The Sangai Express last 14  
December 2008; “Damned Hearings of Tipaimukh High Dam in Manipur”  
published in New Nation, Bangladesh last May 5, 2008; and “Development  
Aggression: Imphal Airport and University Expansion” published in the  
Imphal Free Press  (March 15, 2008).

We express grave concern for the arrest of indigenous youth activist  
Jiten Yumnam and the AMUCO officials. The arrests last September 14  
are not isolated cases, but actually part of the Government’s efforts  
to repress and oppress criticisms from its concern people. India is  
known to have used undemocratic Federal and State legislations to  
charge activists in attempts to immobilize processes that embarrass  
Governments.

We also express serious alarm over the impunity with which citizens of  
that region are subjected to. These unjustifiable acts should end now.  
We demand that Police and law enforcement elements take the issue with  
utmost seriousness. APIYN and the world’s indigenous peoples, with  
concerned international agencies, state our abhorrence to the  
increasing cases of human rights violations in Manipur and demand the  
Government of India to ensure that its federal unit in Manipur:

1.    Ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Jiten  
Yumnam and the AMUCO officials, and provide safety and return to their  
family and work;
2.    Ensure that they shall be given the opportunity to speak and  
defend themselves in due process;
3.    Retract from the policy of “cutting-off” activists individually  
and systematically;
4.    Stop any form of repression and oppression to indigenous peoples  
activists and shall always use democratic spaces in resolving issues  
and concerns to the people of India;
5.    Stop state violence to its people.

Mr. OKRAM IBOBI
Chief Minister & Home Minister of Manipur,
Chief Minister's secretariat Babupara,
Imphal 795001 Manipur INDIA,
Tel: +91 385 2221833, 2220137 (O); 2220136, 2222683 (R)
Fax: + 91 385 2221817,
Email: cmmani at hub.nic. in

Pratibha Patil Devi,
President, Office of the President, Rashtrapati Bhawan,
New Delhi, 110004 INDIA Tel: +91 11 3016767 (Joint Secretary),
3014507 (Personal Secretary),  Fax: +91 11 3017290,
3014570
E-mail: presssecy at alpha.nic.in  or  Pressecy at Sansad.nic.in

Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi-110001 INDIA
Tel: +91 11 23074448, Fax: +91 11 2334
0016E-mail: mailto:  chairnhrc at nic. in

Mr. Chidambaram , Hon'ble  Ministry of Home Affairs,
Griha Mantralaya Room
No. 104, North Block Central Secretariat, New Delhi 110001
INDIA  Fax: +91 11 2301 5750, 2309 3750, 2309 2763
Email:  websitemhaweb at mha.nic.in

Chairperson Manipur State Human Rights
Commission Room No. VIP-II, State Guest House
Sanjenthong, Imphal-795001 Manipur
INDIA Tel: +91 385 2410473 (O) / 2447438
(R),  Telefax: +91 385
2410472E-mail: mhrc at man.nic. in
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