A call from the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights ___________________________________________________ ‘Release all political prisoners! No more killing and random arrest’ Dear Friends, The Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights would once again like to draw your attention to the case of Anthony Shing, also known as Ningkhan Shimray who went missing on 27th September 2010, at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International airport while flying in from Bangkok with Royal Nepal Airlines flight number RA 402. He was on his way to New Delhi to attend the peace talks between Government of India (GOI) and NSCN-IM scheduled to start on 29th September 2010. Preliminary investigations initiated by a human rights group in Nepal showed that he had filled in his Disembarkation Card giving his hotel address. He is believed to have cleared Nepal Immigration without any problem. After passing through Immigration, he was untraceable. Five days later, due to the mounting pressure from national and international human rights groups, the Government of India “admitted to arresting him“ And on 2nd October 2010 Anthony Shing’s wife was informed through the NSCN secretariat in Delhi that her husband was picked up from Kathmandu airport and brought to Patna (Bihar) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA); a federal agency of Indian government to combat terrorism. Subsequently, he has been languishing in Tihar Central Jail, New Delhi, on charges of procuring arms and waging war against the State (India). India is a signatory of International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and Article 2 of the convention defines ‘enforced disappearance’ as the arrest, detention, abduction or any form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with authorization, support or acquiescence of the State followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place the person outside the protection of law. Article 1 states “No one shall be subjected to enforced disappearance”. While Article 6 says “No order or instruction from any public authority, civilian, military or other, may be invoked to justify an offence of enforced disappearance”. How Anthony went missing and is now in the Jail defies any logic and reasoning and calls for strong condemnation. Anthony is one of the key persons in Indo-Naga peace talk and has participated in atleast seven rounds of talks held in India and outside. His enforced disappearance, arrest and illegal detention is not only a violation of the convention and human rights but a strong deterrent to the ongoing peace process. This year he completes three years of illegal detention in Tihar Jail In a letter from the Jail Anthony Shimray said that he will be observing a three-day fast from 27th to September 29 2013 stating 2 reasons that • all political prisoners be released without conditions to for the sake of strengthening the fragile peace process • to end killings and random arrest. In our quest for peace that is at stake NPMHR will be observing 27th September 2013 as a “Black Day” along with all supporters of peace and in solidarity with Anthony Shimray and all political prisoners a candle light vigil is being organized on the same day at Jantar Mantar at 5.00 p.m. This event seeks to bring people for peace and to condemn the elements that counter peace processes and peace itself. Quoting Anthony Shimray, “Peace is a must but peace is not made through coercive policy, arrest and suppression.” “Arrest, imprisonment and killing do not cohere with peaceful political negotiation. It is a mockery of peace talks; it is a betrayal to one’s own self.” Peace requires us to stand for the integrity of who we are, not just as a group of people, a nation or race but as humans. We seek your support and co-operation. Please join us! Naga Peoples Movement for Human Right (NPMHR) RSVP: +91 9999228582, +91 8285317362
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 16:49:10 +0000
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