Dear Friends,

Warm greetings from Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network & Northeast India Women Initiative for Peace.

MWGSN & NEIWIP believes in the human right of every woman, man, youth and child to peace. War and violence result in the systemic and sweeping denial of civil and political rights, along with economic, social, and cultural rights as scarce resources are expended on weapons and preparation for war. Whats more, the aftermath of wars can be destructive and devastating on the lives of the people that are constantly exploited and assaulted. Our work continues and we resolutely stand by our belief that enduring peace will be attained only when all human rights are fulfilled. We continue our journey in ensuring that the human rights of all persons to peace is inextricably linked to all other human rights - rights that are universal, indivisible, interconnected and interdependent.

In our first issue of 2024, we shared articles and stories covering three key issues related to our work. This is followed by important news from Northeast India where MWGSN and NEIWIP have been working for the past 15 years.

Northeast India Women Initiative for Peace (NEIWIP)

Northeast India Women Initiative for Peace (NEIWIP) is a network of women organizations that are working for peace in the northeast region of India. Northeast India comprising of the eight states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim is facing the onslaught of multiple armed conflicts since the late 1940s. A level of militarization has engulfed India's Northeast under the garb of insurgency and counter-insurgency. And in the process women are assaulted, humiliated, raped and murdered during conflicts which are not of their making. NEIWIP brings together women from all over Northeast states to strategize an action plan to strategise an action plan for building peace, providing justice and political rights in the region ruptured by years of conflict.

Recent MWGSN & NEIWIP Activities

"5th Northeast India Indigenous Women Peace Congregation" successfully held at Don Bosco Institute, Kharguli, Guwahati on 24 March 2024

News from Northeast

ASSAM Christian community in Assam seeks government intervention amid rising targeted attacks Source: Northeast Now, 11 March 2024 The Christian community in Assam has appealed to the state government to address rising concerns regarding incidents targeting Christians and their institutions by Hindutva groups.On Monday (March 11), the United Christian Forum (UCF) Golaghat met with Assam governor Gulab Chand Kataria to submit a memorandum outlining their grievances... read more>> CAA row: Owaisi raises concerns over exclusion of Muslims from NRC in Assam Source: Northeast Now, 16 March 2024 Asaduddin Owaisi, Lok Sabha MP and leader of AIMIM, raised concerns regarding the status of approximately 1.5 lakh Muslims who purportedly were excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.... read more>> AFSPA extended in four Assam districts for six months Source: Northeast Now, 29 March 2024 The Assam government has extended the purview of the draconian armed forces special powers act (AFSPA) in four districts of the state for an additional six months, starting from April 01... read more>> MANIPUR 415 Myanmarese kids given polio drops Source: e pao.net, 3 March 2024 In a step towards ensuring health and well-being of the Myanmarese children seeking refuge in Kamjong district, around 600 children were given polio drop on the 'National Immunization Day' on Sunday... read more>> Manipur: 6,746 illegal Myanmarese nationals detected in state till February 27, says CM Biren Singh Source: India Today, 4 March 2024 Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday told the assembly that 6,746 illegal Myanmarese nationals have been detected in the state from May 3, 2023, to February 27 this year... read more>> Manipur Crisis: Reconciliation team set up Source: Imphal Free Press, 6 March 2024 Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, a reconciliation team has been set up under the Chairmanship of HAC DinganglungGangmei. He disclosed this while giving reply to a short duration discussion raised by MLA Th Lokeshwar and MLA K Meghachandra in the state assembly session on Monday... read more>> Talks held with Kuki MLAs to restore peace: Biren Source: e pao.net, 6 March 2024 Chief minister N Biren has said that the Central government is not remaining silent over the situation in the state as could be comprehended from hosting three rounds of talks with the Kuki MLAs and other MLAs of the state to resolve the crisis... read more>> Manipur deports first batch of Myanmar citizens Source: East Mojo, 8 March 2024 Months after violence began in Manipur, the state has finally started deporting Myanmar residents staying in the state illegally. On Friday, CM Biren Singh said in a tweet: "First batch of Myanmar nationals who entered India illegally deported today... read more>> Another 28 Myanmar nationals flown to Moreh Source: e pao.net, 10 March 2024 The state government on Saturday flew out 28 Myanmar nationals who had entered the state illegally, via two helicopters to Moreh so as to deport them to Myanmar. According to a press report, the state government... read more>> Manipur: Meitei village Kwatha Khunou set ablaze by alleged miscreants Source: India Today NE, 11 March 2024 Kwatha Khunou, the last village in Manipur to have withstand the ongoing violence and primarily inhabited by the Meitei community, has been set on fire allegedly by miscreants... read more>> Fencing of India-Myanmar border is a monumental step: Manipur CM Source: Northeast Now, 11 March 2024 Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh has lauded the central government for its decision to completely fence the India-Myanmar border in the Northeast. Manipur CM N Biren Singh has termed the decision of the central government to completely fence the India-Myanmar border as a "monumental step"... read more>> 3,500 farmers affected by Manipur violence get aid worth Rs 18.5 crore Source: Northeast Now, 12 March 2024 Owing to violence in the state, approximately 5,127 hectares of agricultural land have been affected which in result resulted in losing around 15437 metric tonnes of paddy crops valued at around Rs 38.6 crore... read more>> Manipur: Fresh influx of Myanmar refugees reported, MHRC visits relief camps Source: Northeast Now, 17 March 2024 A fresh influx of Myanmar refugees was recorded when a team of the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) visited and inspected the relief camps in Manipur's Kangjong district sharing borders with Myanmar on the east... read more>> Office of Indigenous Tribal Leader's Forum vandalised in Manipur's Churachandpur Source: The Indian Express, 18 March 2024 Unidentified armed miscreants vandalised an office of the Indigenous Tribal Leader's Forum (ITLF) near Tuibuong Peace Ground in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Sunday night.The miscreants destroyed computers, documents, and relief materials, among others... read more>> Rights of indigenous people need to be addressed: CJ Siddharth Mridul Source: Imphal Free Press, 23 March 2024 Chief justice of Manipur High Court Siddharth Mridul on Thursday asserted that the rights of the indigenous people have been ignored for too long and must be addressed properly by all institutions... read more>> MEGHALAYA Meghalaya: Two killed after anti-CAA protest in EKH Source: Northeast Now, 28 March 2024 Two individuals were reportedly beaten to death by unidentified attackers on Wednesdayevening near Ichamati in East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya.As per reports, the deceased were identified as L Esan Sing and L Sujit Dutta... read more>> MIZORAM Assam Rifles seizes 3000 sniper rifle ammunition in Mizoram Source: Northeast Now, 7 March 2024 Troopers of the Assam Rifles have recovered and seized as many as 3000 rounds of sniper rifle ammunition in the Northeast state of Mizoram. In a statement released on Thursday (march 07), Assam Rifles personnel announced the recovery of 3000 rounds of cartridges for a sniper rifle and 10 Passive Night Sight (PNS) devices in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram... read more>> Over 700 kg of Manipur-bound explosives recovered in Mizoram Source: Northeast Now, 13 March 2024 Security forces in Mizoram made a significant seizure, recovering over 700 kilograms of explosives.In a joint operation involving police personnel from Sairang in Mizoram and Assam Rifles troopers, authorities discovered 28 cartons of True Blast slurry explosive... read more>> Displaced Kuki-Zos from Manipur in Mizoram face challenges in participating in Lok Sabha polls Source: Northeast Now, 20 March 2024 Thousands of Kuki-Zo community members from Manipur, seeking refuge in Mizoram following ethnic strife in their home state, may face obstacles in participating in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.As of now, no provisions have been made for these Internally Displaced People (IDPs) from Manipur to cast their votes... read more>> NAGALAND NNagaland Assembly resolves to urge Centre to reconsider FMR suspension, border fencing Source: East Mojo, 1 March 2024 The 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), during the last day of the fourth session on Friday resolved to appeal to the Government of India to reconsider the suspension of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the proposed border fencing... read more>> AFSPA extended in parts of Nagaland for six more months Source: East Mojo, 28 March 2024 The Government of India has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, in eight districts and 21 police stations across five districts of Nagaland, declaring them as 'disturbed area' for a period of six months effective from April 1... read more>>

ARTICLES

Situation in Myanmar Has Led to Influx of Thousands Into Northeast States: India to UNHRC India has said in a statement at the UN Human Rights Council that the "precarious humanitarian situation and escalation of violence" in Myanmar has led to influx of thousands of persons into India's northeastern states. The statement was delivered by Kshitij Tyagi, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of India, during the interactive dialogue on the Oral Update of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. India said that as "an immediate neighbour, and friend of the people of Myanmar," it is deeply concerned with the situation in Myanmar. New Delhi also claimed that the situation has bearings on crimes... read more>> The CAA is still a danger to indigenous people of the Northeast: Here's why The upcoming elections are going to be a very crucial one, especially for Meghalaya and the North East, as they are happening against the backdrop of the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), for which now rules have been formulated. Although almost all of Meghalaya (barring a small percentage) has been exempted from CAA, the fact that 8.5 lakh Hindus have been left out of the NRC conducted in Assam and the Chief Minister, Himanta Sharma, has declared that up to 3 to 6 lakh can apply for citizenship is still a big threat for the indigenous communities of the region.The future road map of how giving citizenship to such a large number of people will affect indigenous communities is already playing out in Karbi Anglong... read more>> UN Women welcomes the adoption of robust blueprint to end women's poverty The 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) delivered today robust commitments by UN Member States to strengthen financing and institutions to eradicate women's and girls' poverty.Globally, 10.3 per cent of women live in extreme poverty today, according to the report presented by the UN Secretary-General to the Commission, and progress towards ending poverty needs to be 26 times faster to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.The outcome document (or Agreed Conclusions) recognizes that women and girls living in poverty become 'shock absorbers' in times of crisis, and that further efforts are needed to increase resources to address women's and girls' poverty... read more>> External Affairs Minister Jaishankar terms Manipur situation as 'tragic', says entire India wants to see normalcy External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said what happened in Manipur is "truly tragic" while underlining that the entire people of India wish to see normalcy return to the northeastern state.Jaishankar was addressing the Indian community here this evening as part of the first leg of his four-day visit to South Korea and Japan.Among the multiple questions about India and the issues related to the Indian diaspora, one of the community members asked him about the situation in Manipur."In terms of how did this happen? How did the government let this happen? You know there cannot be anybody who would not regret what is happening there. I mean, what's happened there is truly tragic and it is tragic because of the close intermingling of communities, which leads to this degree of violence, which becomes very difficult to head off," the minister said... read more>>

Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network
Langthabal Mantrikhong, Thong Ahanbi, Old Palace Road
Imphal West-795003, Manipur,
Northeast India

Email: womensurvivorsnetwork@gmail.com
Website: www.womensurvivorsnetwork.org

Northeast Women Initiative for Peace (NEIWIP)
Langthabal Mantrikhong, Thong Ahanbi, Old Palace Road
Imphal West-795003, Manipur,
Northeast India

Website: neiwip.blogspot.com

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