The 2023 Human Rights Report by the US State Department has brought attention to significant abuses in Manipur following ethnic conflict in May 2023. This report also highlighted other issues such as raids on BBC offices and cases of transnational repression, including the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
In Manipur, the report detailed the ongoing conflict that has resulted in the death of 175 individuals and displaced over 60,000 people since May last year. It mentioned instances of violence, rapes, assaults, and destruction of property, along with criticisms of the government’s response, which has been deemed ineffective.
Furthermore, the report pointed out a concerning trend of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests, and the use of criminal libel laws to stifle dissent. It also highlighted the raids conducted at BBC offices in India and the government’s actions to ban a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The report did not shy away from discussing human rights abuses in other regions like Jammu and Kashmir and areas affected by the Maoist insurgency. Additionally, it mentioned the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, indicating a pattern of extrajudicial actions by state agents.
In response to these findings, US officials urged India to uphold its human rights obligations and commitments. The report has sparked discussions and debates regarding the state of human rights and governance in various regions, calling for greater accountability and action to address these issues effectively.
