JIRIBAM: The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, or KOHUR has condemned in no uncertain terms the recent bombings of Kuki villages in Mongbung and Sejang in which Meitei militants have led the attacks with the support of state forces.
The military-grade weapons were used in civilian areas that led to widespread destruction and forced many Kuki residents out of their homes, KOHUR said.
These are very clear cases of human rights violations and the bombings have heightened tensions in this already unstable region, Kohur said; these acts are part of a greater, state-supported drive to drive out Kuki communities.
But the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (Kohur) presents some important points in support of its claims about the recent bombings of Kuki villages:.
They claim that even though no militant activity has been present in the targeted villages, the villages have been continuously bombed where heavy artillery has been used to maximize civilian casualty.
KOHUR further claims that state security forces are abetting Meitei militants as they argue that while destroying Kuki villages, the Meitei villages are intact, which, according to them, is a kind of ring of state involvement.
The organization also claims that such attacks are against international human rights conventions and states that the inability or unwillingness of the Manipur government to ensure security to its people is a betraying sign for their active involvement.
KOHUR further claims that the bombers are part of the overall conspiracy towards ethnic cleansing of Kukis from the region.
The bombings are part of a larger ethnic violence plan which has an aspect of fire-setting and targeted killings, all targeting the elimination of the Kuki presence in the state.
KOHUR urged the Government of India, the United Nations, and international human rights organizations to conduct an independent investigation of the bombings and the involvement of state forces.
They demand immediate protective measures for Kuki communities and accountability for those they identify as culprits behind what they deem "state-sponsored genocide."
H. Benjamin Mate, Chairman KOHUR said the Kuki people would not remain silent in the face of genocide. He urged the international community to step in and put an end to the ethnic cleansing campaign against the Kuki population.
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