Lift curfew & restore Internet, Meghalaya Peoples’ Human Rights Council urges Government

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Peoples’ Human Rights Council (MPHRC) has urged the State government to lift curfew that has been imposed in certain areas of Shillong city and also restore communications.

In a press statement issued on Sunday, MPHRC chairman, Dino DG Dympep said, “The Government must lift the curfew, restore means of communication and use more peaceful methods to engage with the protestors.”

On December 12, curfew was imposed in areas under the Lumdiengjri and the Sadar Police Stations even as mobile Internet services were suspended for 48 hours; and the ban has not been lifted till Sunday.

The MPHRC also said that it supports implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) throughout the State of Meghalaya to curb influx and also to protect the indigenous people from the outsiders.

Expressing concern on the growing protests and movements by civil society organisations against the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, the MPHRC chairman also said, “The current peaceful protests against the CAA have been met with violence in which many people have been injured and curfew have been clamped in certain areas of the city with a shut-down of the Internet.”

“We condemn the use of force by the Police and the government for restricting civic freedom of movement, assembly and communication. We urge the authorities to respect the right of the masses to peaceful assembly, while all sides should refrain from resorting to violence” the MPHRC release added.

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