Kuki rights body seeks urgent release of Myanmar nationals held in Manipur jail

The Kuki Organization for Human Rights (KOHUR) has submitted urgent appeals to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Balla, seeking immediate intervention in the continued detention of over 60 Myanmar nationals of Kuki ethnicity in Imphal Central Jail. The organization raised serious constitutional and humanitarian concerns, particularly highlighting the case of two individuals who remain incarcerated despite completing their sentences.

In separate memoranda addressed to NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian and the Governor, KOHUR described the situation as a “grave violation” of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution — the right to life and personal liberty — and a breach of international human rights conventions to which India is a signatory.

Drawing comparisons to earlier gubernatorial notifications that permitted the relocation of Indian Kuki undertrials from volatile zones to safer, Kuki-majority districts such as Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal, KOHUR emphasized that similar protection must be extended to Myanmar Kuki detainees.

“These detainees may be foreign nationals, but they share deep cultural, linguistic, and familial ties with the indigenous Kuki population in Manipur,” stated KOHUR in its representation. “Denying them relocation on the basis of nationality constitutes discriminatory treatment.”

KOHUR Chairperson H.S. Benjamin Mate called the continued detention of individuals beyond their sentence “a clear instance of arbitrary incarceration and a miscarriage of justice,” urging authorities to uphold the principle of equal protection under the law.

The rights body has demanded:

The immediate release of the two detainees held beyond their term;

The urgent transfer of all Myanmar Kuki undertrials to safer, Kuki-majority districts;

The launch of a governmental inquiry to prevent future instances of discriminatory detention.

KOHUR further warned that prolonged confinement in Imphal jail could seriously compromise the physical and psychological safety of the detainees. In its letter to the Governor, the group appealed for action on “purely humanitarian grounds,” emphasizing the risk of renewed communal tensions.

While the NHRC has not yet released an official statement, internal sources have indicated that the matter may be considered for urgent review. Legal experts and human rights observers continue to press for adherence to constitutional safeguards and internationally accepted detention standards.