Manipur News

IMPHAL, October 22: The talks between the All Tribal Students`™ Union, Manipur and the State government held from 9 am to 2 pm today has produced a positive outcome with the students`™ body and the government reaching an agreement.

In a press meet held at its Nagaram office this evening after negotiating with the government, ATSUM president Maun Tombing said the Chief Minister, deputy Chief Minister, several ministers, the Chief Secretary and directors of various departments represented the government.

ATSUM is satisfied with the results of the talks as the government has agreed to concede 80 percent of the RoTO Phase three charters of our demands, he added.

We made various demands in the education and health sectors, and raised issues relating with the police jurisdiction in boundary land records and governance of the State, Tombing said.

The government has assured to create several posts in various departments of the State which are lying vacant, he said, adding the government later assured to publish it in the State gazette after reviewing the orders from the various departments.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/govt-agrees-to-concede-80-percent-of-atsum-roto-demands/

IMPHAL, October 22: A consultation on Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 at Meghalaya resolved to sensitise the student community of the North East on the human rights consequences of the prolonged imposition of AFSPA in the region, said a NESO statement.

North East Students`™ Organisation (NESO) supported by the Khasi Students`™ Union (KSU) organized a `North East Consultation on Human Rights: Soliciting People`™s Opinion on Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958`™ on October 21 at the Shillong Club, Shillong.

Former chief information commissioner of Meghalaya GP Wahlang attended the consultation as the chief guest.

Advocate Alester Diengdoh, Rev PBM Basaiawmoit and Babloo Loitongbam, human rights defender spoke as resource persons.

According to the statement, after a thread bare discussion, the consultation unanimously resolved to demand the repeal of AFSPA and similar draconian state laws like the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act and Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act, to translate the AFSPA text and other related literature into vernacular languages in order to deepen the understanding by the communities and demand the establishment and effective functioning of human rights institutions like the National Human Rights Commission, State Human Rights Commission, Women`™s Commission, Right to Information Commission etc. in all the North Eastern States to protect the human rights of the people.

The consultation also resolved to pressure the Members of Parliament from the North East region to raise the issue to repeal AFSPA in the Parliament and to ensure that the issue of repeal of AFSPA in the list of priorities of NESO, it said

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/sensitise-students-on-human-rights-consequences-of-afspa-imposition-neso/

Imphal, October 22: A consultation on the issue of Inner Line Permit System and Rights of the Indigenous People was held today at Chandel.

The program held at Chamdil Khubul village in Chandel District was organized by Chamdil Khubul Social Welfare, Arts and Cultural Association (CKSWACA). Anal Naga Tangpi (ANTA) president Kohring, vice-president PS Jailngam and finance secretary TS Ismail Church leaders along with various village chiefs and civil society leaders of the district attended the consultation.

United NGO Mission, Manipur`™s president U Nobokishore and human rights activist Jiten Yumnam participated in the discussion and expressed serious concern over the uncontrolled influx of

non-locals in the state of Manipur including Chandel district.

Nabokishore expressed his apprehension that the indigenous population in the State could be reduced to a minority in their own land some day. He also expressed deep concern over the aggression shown by the government in taking up developmental projects in cooperation with multinational companies.

Following the employment of a large number of labours by the construction agencies couple with massive plans for further construction of infrastructure projects, the participants revealed their fear that the influx of non-locals in large numbers could destroy the economic, cultural and social system of the indigenous people.

Jiten Yumnam said a huge immigration leading to socio-cultural, political and economic assimilation with the indigenous people living in the territory of Manipur is a clear violation of the guidelines of International Covenant on Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Indigenous People.

The participants in the consultation therefore unanimously expressed the need for a regulation to control the influx of non-locals into the territory of indigenous people by respecting their rights as outlined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous People, 2007.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/consultation-on-ilp-system-and-rights-of-indigenous-people-held-at-chandel/