'I Believe in Peaceful Co-existence of All Communities,' Says Babloo Loitongbam

He and his family were openly threatened by members of the radical group Meitei Leepun.

Two days after he was threatened by the members of a radical Meitei group who accused him of collaborating with the Kuki community amidst the ethnic conflict in Manipur after which his family was openly threatened in their own home, human rights defender Babloo Loitongbam has asserted that the Meitei Leepun has levelled "false charges" on him.

In a statement issued on 24 September, "On the morning of 23 September 2024 some fifty young men came to my house and threatened my family that if I come out in any public domain then my 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."

The Quint's detailed report on the same can be found here.

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Loitongbam is the director of Human Rights Alert – and has been advocating for human rights for three decades. The following is his full statement on the threats issued against him and his family by the Meitei Leepun.

On the morning of 23 September 2024 some fifty young men came to my house and threatened my family that if I come out in any public domain then my 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. The video clips of press conference as well as the visit to my home have gone viral in social media. Therefore, in public interest, I am placing the following facts:

1. 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.

2. 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. 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.

3. The women referred to in the ML press conference as the “PDF Women Wing Commander” is Ms. Mya Kyay Mon. 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. She 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.

4. I am not in touch with any functionaries of the Manipur Meitei Association Bangalore. 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.

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Speaking to this reporter, a senior security official said that Manipur Police is "aware of the matter" (of the threats issued to Loitongham) – and was "treating it like a criminal case". The Quint also called the Chief Minister's Office, but they refused to comment on the incident. A response is also awaited from the DGP office; the article will be updated as and when they revert.

The public warning to Loitongbam comes on the heels of Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on 17 September – which marked 100 days of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in office – that his government is in contact with both Kuki and Meitei groups in an effort to restore peace in Manipur.

Manipur has been in a state of civil war between the Meitei and the Kuki communities since 3 May last year. More than 200 have died, and more than 50,000 continue to be internally displaced as they reside in relief camps.

The Quint had interviewed Meitei Leepun leader Pramot Singh in his house on 9 June 2023. Singh had claimed that Kukis are "outsiders", and that the violence in the state was due to a "game designed by them." The full interview can be found here.

For more than a year, Manipur has been torn apart by ethnic violence. Hundreds have died, and thousands have been displaced, with their future still uncertain. The Quint has been relentlessly reporting on the conflict in pursuit of facts, untold stories, and the truth. Apart from the risks involved in reporting from a conflict-ridden area, such reports require both time and resources. YOUR support helps us in our endeavour.

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