Sat Dec 07 17:26:12 UTC 2024: **Delhi Press Conference Demands Justice for Manipur Massacre Victims**
NEW DELHI (December 8, 2024) – Family members of six Meitei women and children abducted and murdered in Manipur’s Jiribam district last month held a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday, demanding swift justice. The victims were killed during an attack on November 11, after a reported gunfight between security forces and Kuki-Zomi-Hmar militants near Borobekra police station. Their bodies were later found in the Barak River.
Sandhiya Begum, whose two sisters were among the victims, emotionally appealed for the death penalty for those responsible, questioning how innocent women and children could be caught in the ongoing ethnic conflict. Telem Uttam Singh, who lost his wife and daughter, recounted his harrowing experience discovering the tragedy while working in Meghalaya and finding their bodies days later. His son, Nongyai, described hiding during the attack.
The press conference, organized by Meitei civil society organizations, highlighted the lack of government compensation and demanded four key actions: the swift identification and prosecution of the perpetrators; the designation of Kuki-Zomi-Hmar village volunteers in Jiribam and Pherzawl as a terrorist organization; compensation for the victims’ families; and a government job for a family member of each victim. A representative of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) stated that while the government has offered assurances regarding compensation and the terrorist designation, no compensation has been received yet.
The case has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The incident occurred in Jiribam, a district where both Meitei and Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities are minorities, and which saw a surge in violence in June 2024 following two murders. The ongoing conflict has caused widespread displacement and heightened tensions.
First Piper 