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UN Human Rights, USCIRF Petition to Protect Human Rights in Manipur

I sent a detailed petition to different authorities to seek their intervention for the protection of human rights and right to freedom of religion for people in the Manipur state of India. A part of the petition is given below.

To                                                                                                                                             July 25, 2023

Mr. Volker Türk
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson, 52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland

Mr. Abraham Cooper
Chair
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
732 N. Capitol Street, N.W.
Suite A714, Washington, DC 20401

Copy for Immediate Action to:

1. Mr. Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State
2. Mr. Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, EU

And other international agencies working in the fields of human rights and religious freedom rights of citizens in all parts of the world.

Subject: Petition to seek intervention of the international agencies such as OHCHR, USCIRF, and others to protect the human rights and right to freedom of religion in the Manipur state of India.

Relevant Laws and Regulations for the Petition: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, USCIRF recommendation for Country of Particular Concern, Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, establishment of a special international court like International Military Tribunal of Nuremberg, deployment of UN peacekeeping force in India, and the Security Council’s Chapter VII authority.

Petition by: Rakesh Raman, who is a journalist and human rights defender

ABOUT THE PETITION

The Indian state of Manipur is facing increasing state-sponsored violence aimed to harass, persecute, attack, and drive out people belonging to the minority Christian community. 

The violence includes arson, murders, loot, and rapes by the criminals who masquerade as Hindu protagonists. While the government is not taking any action to stop the violence that began almost two months ago, the connivance of the state and national authorities in the crimes tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

Since there is no domestic forum to get justice for the minority Christian community of Manipur, I am filing this petition to OHCHR, USCIRF, and other international judicial and political forums for a speedy resolution to protect the lives and rights of persecuted people of Manipur.

Although some opposition political outfits and supporters of harassed Christians are holding peaceful protests in New Delhi and other parts of India, such protests do not succeed in authoritarian regimes such as India. 

In fact, such peaceful protests by the oppressed citizens have repeatedly failed in the autocratic nations such Belarus, China, Israel, Myanmar, Russia, Syria, and so on. Rather, the protesters are being attacked, incarcerated, tortured, or even killed by the police and security forces.

Therefore, an independent international judicial forum like the OHCHR or USCIRF is required to protect the rights of persecuted minorities of India. And for the immediate protection of Manipur people from criminals and police brutality, OHCHR should deploy a dedicated team of officials in India.

The OHCHR should invoke the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly Article 18: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion…” to protect the rights of people in Manipur.

You can click here to download and study the full petition on Manipur that I sent today (July 25, 2023) to different international authorities.

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Rakesh Raman
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Founder, RMN Foundation [ Website ]
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