Special Correspondent
Ukhrul, July 25:
The United Naga Council (UNC) has approached the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders, seeking international intervention over what it alleges are serious human rights violations and threats to the rights of Indigenous Naga communities in Manipur.
In a communication submitted on July 24, the UNC alleged that Indigenous Nagas are facing territorial dispossession, cross-border armed attacks, extrajudicial killings and inadequate domestic accountability. Citing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), it urged the UN to initiate independent scrutiny of developments along the Indo-Myanmar border.
The Council alleged that authorities were considering changes to sections of the Indo-Myanmar border without obtaining the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous communities, claiming the move could affect ancestral Naga land in Chandel district.
The submission also referred to the Leilon Vaiphei abduction and killing of six Naga civilians, describing the incident as an extrajudicial execution, and cited alleged attacks on Naga villages along the international border. It further questioned the effectiveness of domestic investigations and alleged that political circumstances had undermined accountability.
The UNC urged the United Nations to seek an immediate halt to any unilateral border changes, facilitate an independent international fact-finding mission, and press for impartial investigations into the killings. It also called for adherence to the 2015 Indo-Naga Framework Agreement and protection of Indigenous rights in accordance with international law.
The communication was jointly signed by UNC president N. Lorho and general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang. There was no immediate response from the Government of India or the Government of Manipur to the allegations.