About Us
Introduction of COHR, Manipur
The Committee on Human Rights (COHR), Manipur, is a Human Right Organization based in Manipur, North East India. It has been working in the issues of Human Rights violation committed by state actor for the protection and promotion of right to life. The COHR is an independent and non- profitable Human Rights Organization that was established in 1993 by several civil society organizations like Kuki Student Organization, Naga People Movement for Human Rights and other civil society’s organization in the initiative of the People Democratic Movement (PDM), Manipur. It is one of the oldest Human Rights Organizations in the North East India afflicted by armed conflict and one of the founding umbrella member organizations of NE Co-ordination Committee on Human Rights (NECOHR), All India Co-ordination Committee of Democratic Right Organization (CDRO), Asian Human Rights Defenders Network as well as other International based Human Rights Organizations.
Aim and Objective of COHR, Manipur
The one of the main objectives of the Committee on Human Rights (COHR), Manipur, is to secure/enjoy the most fundamental Rights, “Right to Life” and Rights to Self Determination”.
COHR’s Publications and Case Study reports
The COHR also use to compiled and published many cases study after fact finding like Rights to Life, Human Rights Violation in Manipur, Operation Loktak, Operation Summer Storm, Militarization and Impunity in Manipur, Arming the People, etc.
COHR’s report on UN and comments/remarks on AFSPA. 1958
The COHR, Manipur takes an active role in addressing the blatant Human Rights Violations committed by security forces (SF) operating under the Armed forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958, imposed in Manipur and other North East states for the last many decades and de-facto impunity of Law Enforcing Agencies, state police, that inflicting third degree method of torture, enforce disappearance, extra judicial execution, committing fake encounter, arbitrary arrest and detention, inhuman degrading treatment, massacre, sexual harassment, etc. It has been pressuring the Government of India to respect and observe the International Human Rights Laws, International Humanitarian Laws and Domestics laws in Manipur and to repeal all emergency legislations, including AFSPA 1958 and other black laws. It has intervened in United Nation Human Rights Committee addressing patterns of violations during consideration of India’s third periodic report to UN Human Rights Committee in 1997. The Committee regrets that some parts of India have remained subject to declaration as disturbed areas over many years- for example the Armed Forces (Special power) Act has been applied throughout Manipur since 1980 and in some areas of that state for much longer – and that, in these areas, the State party is effect using emergency powers without resorting to article 4, paragraph 3, of the covenant. Therefore: …… It also submitted reports on human rights violations at the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nation Human Right Council in April 2008, 2012 and 2016. The COHR not only one of the signatories but also it actively joined in submission of memorandum on the situation of Human Rights defenders of Manipur to Ms. Margaret Sekaggya, the special UN Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Mission of the UN Special Rapporteur, Mr. Ccristof Hyens, on Extra Judicial, Summery or Arbitrary Execution to India, Ms. Rashida Manjoo, UN Special Rappoteur on Violence Against Women, Violence Against Women of Manipur during their visit in other parts of India and Manipur, etc. All these Special Rappoteures recommended to repeal Armed Forces Special Power Act, (AFSPA) 1958 and other anti people legislations. The resistance against AFSPA-1958 is no longer confined to only opposition parties or civil society but official bodies also including the National Human Rights Commission, the Union Home Ministry’s Committee to Review the AFSPA (2005), the second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007) and the working Group on Confidence-Building Measures in Jammu & Kashmir (2007) all have recommended to repeal it. The Amnesty International also recommended to repeal AFSPA.