23.08.2006 - Source: BBC News

Assam state: Santhal tribesmen kill 2 couples and a teenage girl who they suspected of practising witchcraft in 2 separate incidents in Kokrajhar district ("'Witchcraft' families killed") [ID 17432]

Document(s): Open document

14.02.2006 - Source: Reporters Sans Frontières

Kashmir, Manipur, Mumbai: Wave of violence against Indian media by separatists and armed religious groups ("Black week for press freedom as violence explodes in Kashmir, Manipur and Mumbai") [#44067],  [ID 6967]

Document(s): Open document

09.11.2005 - Source: Asian Centre for Human Rights

Report on field-visit to Karbi Anglong district where conflict between Dimasas and Karbis, started by murder of 3 Dimasa auto-rickshaw drivers on 26 September, left 90 persons dead and more than 44,000 internally displaced ("Lessons Not Learnt by Assam: Ethnic cleansing and internal displacement in Karbi Anglong and NC Hills") [#41524],  [ID 6968]

Document(s): Open document
ACHR Review 98/05

10.02.2005 - Source: BBC News

Assam: Assam Rifles soldier who allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl, arrested along with 2 local women who helped him in the crime ("Indian soldier in child rape case") [#28911],  [ID 6969]

Document(s): Open document

16.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on People’s Liberation Front of Meghalaya (PLF-M) [ID 6984]

"[...]The claimed objective of the PLF-M is economic development of the Garo Hills, as well as better educational opportunities for the Garo tribes in Meghalaya. It also demands a separate state for the Garos. In this regard, Chengku Momin, the ‘minister for information and publicity’ of the PLF-M had warned all the non-Garos, in March 2001, not to contest the State Assembly and district council elections slated for 2003. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2004 - Source: UK Home Office

Women´s situation in Assam ("Country Report - October 2004") [#28325],  [ID 6970]

"[...]6.254 In 2003 the Government of Assam Planning and Development Department issued a Human Development report for the state of Assam. In a chapter entitled Women: Striving in an Unequal World, the report states, "Despite their contribution, they [women] continue to be severely disadvantaged, and even discriminated against. In most fields of professional endeavour, women have had to struggle to reach the top, in the process of combating indifference, occasionally even obstruction and hostility. At the other end of the economic scale, women are deprived access to basic services, and relegated to subservient yet physically demanding roles. In this context the position of women in Assam is no different from that of women in other regions of the country. In fact, in some respects women in Assam are even more disadvantaged."[88](p106) [...]"

Document(s): Open document

11.09.2004 - Source: Asian Centre for Human Rights

Background report on National Human Rights Institutions in South Asia ("Commissions and Conflicts: Briefing Papers on the Role of National Human Rights Institutions in Conflict Situations") [#25938],  [ID 6971]

"[...]The investigation processes of the NHRC allow the police to be judge and jury. In a complaint (No.100/3/2002-2003) on 23 September 2002, Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network (AITPN) sought intervention of the NHRC against police atrocities including torching of the houses at Hojaipur village under Diphu police station, Karbi Anglong, Assam on 25 August 2002. According to the information provided by Dimaraji Mohila Samaj (Dimaraji Women’s Organisation), Hojaipur branch of Assam, a combined police team comprising of the Central Reserve Police Force, Black Panthers and Assam Police under the command of Mr. K K Sarma, Superintendent of Police of Karbi Anglong attacked the Hojaipur village. The police team allegedly dragged the villagers out of their houses and torched the houses to ashes along with their belongings without any provocation. Many innocent villagers were rendered homeless after the houses were burnt and were reduced to destitute. The security personnel surrounded the village and did not allow the villagers to recover anything from the burning houses. Referring to the atrocities committed by the Superintendent of Police, the Dimaraji Mohila Samaj further alleged that he had perpetrated similar atrocities at Dhansiri and other parts of the region.
In its reply on 14 November 2002, the Director General of Police, Assam simply attached the report filed by Superintendent of Police Mr K K Sarma against whom AITPN had filed the complaint in the first place. Mr Sharma reported that “the socalled victims of the petitioners have burnt their own houses themselves for reason known to them!” Such a bizarre procedure where the accused can act as judge and jury of his own conduct is unfair, unreasonable, unjust and unacceptable... Such travesty of justice will continue unless the NHRC is able to conduct independent investigation and stops relying on the report of the alleged perpetrators.
[...]"

Document(s): Open document

29.07.2004 - Source: South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre

Article on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), arbitrary arrests, executions, torture ("Losing hearts and minds. It’s easy when you use laws like the AFSPA (HRF/102/04)") [#24547],  [ID 6972]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

24.05.2004 - Source: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Annual report on conditions affecting refugees and asylum seekers in 2003 ("World Refugee Survey 2004") [#22816],  [ID 6973]

"At least 650,000 persons were internally displaced in India. Among the displaced were 250,000-450,000 Kashmiris, an estimated 250,000 members of tribal groups in northeast India, an unknown number of persons, mostly Muslims, in Gujarat State in western India. The government impedes international access to internally displaced persons, and labels them migrants. [...]

Displacement in the Northeastern region. All of the seven states in the region have major displacement due to ethnic strife and insurgency. Most of the violence in the area by rebels has been directed against ethnic non-Bodos and Bengalis civilians. The Indian government continued to deny foreigners access to most of the northeast. In Assam state communal rioting between ethnic Dimasa and Hmar erupted in March, displacing hundreds. One report noted 25 percent of the population in the North Cachar Hills fled their homes. Hmars drove ethnic Pnars were out of their homes for allegedly assisting the Dimasas. Fighting between the ethnic Meites and the Nagas during 2003 displaced an unknown number of persons in the Manipur hills, as well as Benaglis near the Assam-Manipur state border. Overall it is estimated that more than 20,000 persons fled their homes in Assam state during 2003."

Document(s): Open document

25.02.2004 - Source: US Department of State

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003 ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003") [#19765],  [ID 6974]

"During the year, there were reports that Bodo-Santhal ethnic clashes continued. More than 87,000 persons lived under poor conditions in relief camps in Assam as a result of the ongoing violence between Bodos and Santhals. On November 15, Assam separatists prevented candidates from Hindi-speaking state of Bihar from applying for jobs. It was reported that soon after, Bihar youths attacked and injured 50 persons from Assam. As a result, ULFA began attacking the Hindi-speaking persons, killing 40 and displacing 17,000. [...]

Santhals were non-recognized refugees in Assam, and human rights groups estimated that 200,000 lived in relief camps. The Santhals were being sheltered in 100 camps in Assam; conditions in such camps were extremely poor, and the Assam government claimed it did not have the resources to improve the conditions of the relief camps. [...]

Numerous tribal movements demanded the protection of land and property rights. The Jharkhand Movement in Bihar and Orissa and the Bodo Movement in Assam reflected deep economic and social grievances among indigenous peoples. As a result of complaints, largely tribal-populated states were created in 2000 from the Jharkand area of Bihar and the Chhattisgrah region of Madhya Pradesh. There was also some local autonomy for tribal people in the northeast. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

25.02.2004 - Source: US Department of State

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003 ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003") [#19765],  [ID 6975]

"[...]The Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Disturbed Areas Act remained in effect in several states in which active secessionist movements exist, namely, in Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, and parts of Tripura. The Disturbed Areas Act gives police extraordinary powers of arrest and detention, which, according to human rights groups, allowed security forces to operate with virtual impunity in areas under the act. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act provides search and arrest powers without warrants (see Section 1.d.). [...]"

Document(s): Open document

25.02.2004 - Source: US Department of State

USDOS: Assam: Children routinely trafficked from Assam ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003") [#19765],  [ID 6976]

"[...]Press reports indicated children were routinely trafficked from Assam into Haryana and other North Indian states for sexual slavery under the pretext of entering into arranged marriages. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

05.01.2004 - Source: BBC News

Assam: The founder of a separatist rebel army United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) from north-eastern India says he was tortured after his capture ("Captured rebel: India tortured me") [#18575],  [ID 6977]

Document(s): Open document

25.11.2003 - Source: BBC News

Assam: hundreds of people left the state after outbreak of ethnically motivated violence targeting Biharis and Hindi-speakers that left more than 40 people dead and app. 160 people injured ("Fearful settlers flee Assam attacks") [#17856],  [ID 6978]

Document(s): Open document

23.11.2003 - Source: BBC News

Assam: 2 immigrant workers killed by suspected ULFA rebels in continuing ethnic clashes over jobs ("Two die in Assam ethnic clashes") [#17846],  [ID 6979]

Document(s): Open document

14.11.2003 - Source: BBC News

State of Assam: police stepped up measures to protect Hindi speakers following threats from The United Liberation Front of Assam ("Assam on alert after rebel threat") [#17618],  [ID 6980]

Document(s): Open document

13.11.2002 - Source: International Freedom of Expression Exchange

Assam: police harassment and intimidation of journalist and human rights activist Lachit Bordoloi, allegedly for his coverage of police corruption in Nagaon District ("PEN concerned for the safety of journalist and human rights activist Lachit Bordoloi") [#9653],  [ID 6981]

Document(s): Open document

11.11.2002 - Source: Amnesty International

Assam: journalist and human rights defender harrassed and intimidated by the police after he published an article about police corruption in September 2001 ("India - UA 332/02") [#9482],  [ID 6982]

Document(s): Open document

29.08.2001 - Source: Amnesty International

Around 1100 people have "disappeared" in Jammu and Kashmir since 1990/ "disappearances" are used by security forces and police to combat insurgency ("India: Day of the "disappeared" - still no justice for the victims") [#3809],  [ID 6983]

Document(s): Open document
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