IT News
Imphal, Mar 24:
During the ongoing 55th UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Switzerland, Khuraijam Athouba, spokesperson of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), has raised concerns over what he termed as an “alarming trend” regarding India’s northeastern states—Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram—being used as conduits for illegal drugs and arms, with origins traced back to Myanmar and crossing the porous Indo-Myanmar borders.
Athouba highlighted the fragile geo-political situation of India’s northeastern states, aggravated by the influx of unaccounted-for illegal immigrants from Myanmar due to ongoing unrest in the region. He emphasized that this influx has severely impacted inter-ethnic harmony, leading to a decline in human rights standards and peaceful coexistence among ethnic communities.
According to the COCOMI representative, the surge in cross-border movement has further destabilized the region, with a significant number of refugees engaging in illicit activities, including encroachment on reserved forest areas. Recent years have witnessed a worrying rise in the confiscation of illegal drugs and arms, totaling an estimated value of 18 billion dollars seized in Manipur, 16 billion in Assam, and 1.6 million in Mizoram, all originating from Myanmar.
Furthermore, Athouba highlighted the rampant opium/poppy cultivation in Manipur, particularly by immigrant groups, which has reached unprecedented levels, resulting in the destruction of almost 18,000 acres of land, extensive deforestation, and posing a threat to the survival of indigenous populations.
The Home Minister has attributed the ongoing violence in the region to illegal immigration and narcotics trafficking from the border.
Khuraijam Athouba appealed to the UN council to convene relevant human rights forums and implement necessary mechanisms to safeguard fundamental human rights and ensure the security of indigenous peoples. This includes strengthening cross-border cooperation to combat illicit drugs and arms trafficking, supporting sustainable livelihoods to discourage poppy cultivation, mitigating environmental degradation, and facilitating international cooperation to address the involvement of foreign terror networks in the region.
This marks Khuraijam Athouba’s third address at the UNHRC session, which is scheduled to conclude on April 5, 2024.
