IT News
Imphal, April 25:
The International Human Rights Association, Manipur chapter, expressed strong condemnation to the arrest of its Secretary Thangkhanlen Haokip of Kholep Village by the Manipur Police today.
The IHRA in a statement demanded explanation from the home department over the reason for the arrest without official notification. It also questions the charges for his arrest.
“It is very unfortunate that even a Human Rights activist becomes a victim of injustice under the totalitarian government of Manipur. The government is but meddling with the rights of the people instead of promoting and defending them as it should. The government has to provide welfare for its citizens and not suppress them under any circumstances and therefore, it violated Article 5 of the UDHR which stated that No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”, the IRHA Manipur Chapter said.
The statement further said that Suppression of Freedom of Expression is a violation of Human Rights. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guaranteed that Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Since free speech is logically guaranteed as a human rights, even by Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution of India, the state government should refrain from such business for mutual trust, understanding and cooperation between the government and the people. Freedom of speech is censored only in the authoritarian government.
The IHRA said that the state government should remind that the Supreme Court of India had nullified Section 66A of the Information Technology Act (IT Act) since it violated Article 19 (I) (A) of the Constitution of India. No one shall be arrested for posting any post on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Linked In, etc.
