AMKIL, Nupi Samaj, Tammi Chingmi, NLANL, NIMPAL, ANUL-Bishnupur, Thoubal Ima, Macha Leima, EECHAL, EEVFAM, UPF, NIPCO, MAPI Council, CADA, AMPFA and a students’ body warned that Meitei Leepun would be held responsible for misleading the public if it fails to provide concrete evidence to support its allegations.
TFM Desk
In defiance of Meitei Leepun (ML)’s warning to the public to avoid engaging with human rights defender Babloo Loitongbam or face consequences, 16 civil society organizations strongly condemned acts of mob justice, such as threatening his family and preventing him from speaking at public events.
In a joint press statement, the 16 organizations demanded proof of ML’s accusations that Babloo Loitongbam accepted money and conducted financial transactions with Kukis. They warned that ML would be held responsible for misleading the public if it fails to provide concrete evidence to support its allegations.
The statement was issued by Apunba Manipur Kanba Ima Lup (AMKIL), All Manipur Women’s Social Reformation & Development Samaj (Nupi Samaj), All Manipur Tammi Chingmi Apunba Nupi Lup (Tammi Chingmi), Nongpok Leingak Apunba Nupi Lup (NLANL), Nongchup Imphal Palem Ima Apunba Nupi Lup (NIMPAL), Apunba Nupi Lup (ANUL) Bishnupur, Thoubal District United Women’s Development Organisation (Thoubal Ima), Manipuri Chanura Leishem Marup (Macha Leima), Ereipak Enaat Chanura Loinsinlon (EECHAL), Extra-Judicial Execution Victim Families Association Manipur (EEVFAM), United Peoples’ Front (UPF) Manipur, National Identity Protection Council (NIPCO), Manipur Peace and Integrity Council (MAPI Council), CADA, All Manipur Progressive Farmers’ Association and a students’ body.
Maintaining that Babloo may be punished through proper legal procedure if he is at fault, the CSOs said the acts of mob justice like threatening his family and banning him from speaking on public platforms are highly condemnable and appealed to the State Government to look into the matter and uphold the rule of law.
Stating that Babloo Loitongbam is one of the most prominent human rights defenders in Manipur, they said he fought boldly to safeguard the rights of Manipuri people who were facing security forces’ excess under the impunity guaranteed by AFSPA.
He exposed the draconian nature of AFSPA before the whole world how many Manipuri youth were killed and several women raped by security forces since the early 1980’s, the CSOs said.
They further said that Babloo Loitongbam raised the issue of rampant human rights violations by the Indian armed forces in Manipur under the cloak of AFSPA in the name of suppressing insurgency.
On July 15 this year, Babloo Loitongbam spoke at the UN Human Rights Council on human rights violations, extra-judicial killings, and other repressive measures unleashed by armed forces under AFSPA in Manipur, they said.
The CSOs maintained that even today, Babloo Loitongbam has been fighting relentlessly for Manipuri people’s rights. He raised the issue of killing as many as 1,528 people by security forces in fake encounters at the Supreme Court and fought for justice. The case is still going on, they added.
They claimed that his persistent, selfless efforts drew the attention of Amnesty International and other UN bodies to Manipur. As a result, incidents of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings significantly decreased. This, they stated, exposed India to global criticism as a nation notorious for widespread human rights abuses in Manipur.
The CSOs questioned who was responsible for securing the release of drug lord Lukhosei Zou, noting that the public would not have forgotten the prominent figures in the current government involved in the process. They claimed that the incumbent government, having exerted control over both the judiciary and the executive, managed to get Lukhosei Zou acquitted, leading to his subsequent release.
After the State Government refused to file an appeal with the Supreme Court, Babloo and his associates took the matter to the apex court, where the case is ongoing. Despite this, Babloo has continued his fight for human rights, according to the CSOs. They emphasized that Babloo has been tirelessly opposing fake encounters and the drug trade, questioning whether those attacking him are, in fact, indirect supporters of these illegal practices.
It also questioned whether Babloo’s selfless efforts have become a major source of concern for the Government of India and certain other powerful individuals.
Regarding ML’s allegations on Mya Kyay Mon, the CSOs clarified that she is a Burmese Buddhist from the Karen community, not Kuki. She had obtained Norwegian citizenship before being arrested by the Assam Rifles at Khudengthabi on August 9, 2022, and was subsequently handed over to the Moreh police station. According to the Assam Rifles’ statement, Mya Kyay Mon had entered India on May 24, 2019, and her visa had expired at the time of her arrest. After being presented in court, she was granted bail with the assistance of HRA lawyers, who are empanelled with the Manipur Legal Services Authority to aid asylum seekers from Burma.
She was required to appear in court for her ongoing trial and was housed in a women’s shelter. The entire process was conducted openly, with no discretion or secrecy. The CSOs stated that making baseless allegations against Babloo Loitongbam in relation to Mya Kyay Mon is unacceptable. They further urged the State Home Department to issue a clarification on the current status of her case.
“We need to view the current conflict through the lens of our Idea for Manipur. Meiteis cannot eliminate all Kukis, and Kukis cannot eliminate all Meiteis. It’s crucial to identify which group of Kukis must be confronted and which group we must coexist with,” the statement read. It also noted that JCILPS has never labeled all Kukis as outsiders. They recognize Kukis who settled in Manipur before 1951 as citizens, meaning they are part of a united Manipur, it added.
COCOMI also stated that the current conflict was initiated by armed Kuki narco-terrorists who infiltrated from outside Manipur. The CSOs emphasized, “Regardless of the situation, we are determined that the Meiteis must prevail in this conflict for the sake of a united Manipur and the future of the Meitei community.” They questioned what wrongdoing Babloo had committed in this conflict and urged all parties to present concrete evidence to the public instead of making baseless or fabricated allegations.
The CSOs emphasized that they, along with human rights defender Babloo Loitongbam, have been addressing various issues in Manipur for the past 30 years. They urged the public to review the contributions of different organizations, including Meitei Leepun, in both past and present major issues concerning Manipur. Additionally, they called on the people to discern who the real traitors are and who are genuinely working in the state’s interest. The CSOs further questioned whether certain individuals are conspiring to distract the public and weaken the Meitei community by fostering internal conflicts.
Babloo trashes Meitei Leepun’s claims
It may be noted that Babloo issued a statement claiming that on September 23 morning, some 50 young men came to his house and threatened his family that if he comes out in any public domain then his family will face consequences.
“This is following a press conference by Meitei Leepun (ML) the previous day levelling false charges on me as well as warning people against working with me,” he said.
Reacting to the Meitei Leepun’s allegations, he denied receiving money from Kuki. He said “I have been working as a human rights defender for the last three decades. I believe in the peaceful co-existence and co-development of all communities in Manipur. I have no financial transaction with any Kuki militant outfit or individuals. Therefore, the allegation that I have received money from the Kukis is unfounded.”
He asserted that as a human rights defender I stand up for the right of every person to seek asylum in another country when they are facing persecution in their own country. This includes asylum seekers in India from Myanmar through the medium of appropriate institutions like a functioning Regional Foreigner Registration Office or by giving access to UN High Commissioner for Refugee to offer its humanitarian services in Manipur, he said. “It is through a clear and transparent Refugee Policy where their basic rights including their right to return to their home country when the situation improves, that the land rights of the indigenous people will be preserved and not the other way round” he said
On the ML’s allegation over “PDF Women Wing Commander” Ms. Mya Kyay Mon, Babloo said, “She was referred to Human Rights Alert (HRA) as a woman prisoner in distress. As empanelled lawyers under the Manipur Legal Services Authority, HRA offered legal aid, secured her bail and referred her to a women’s home in Imphal pending her trial.
He emphasized that Mya Kyay Mon is a citizen of Norway and is of Burma-Buddhist origin. She is not a Chin nor a Christian as widely circulated online. “The only charge levelled was that of overstaying her visa. There is no other charge against her. To the best of our knowledge, she is still detained in Imphal jail. The allegation that I have accompanied her to the UN and the US to raise funds is factually incorrect as she is still placed under judicial custody by the State authority,” he said.
He also denied being in touch with any Manipur Meitei Association Bangalore functionaries. “The “upcoming program of a Naga-Kuki-Meitei meeting” to frame the Meiteis for genocide is another figment of imagination and I have no idea about it, whatsoever, he said.