The Indian NGO Human Rights Alert (HRA) has written to the Manipur Human Rights Commission to express concern over the treatment of Myanmar nationals imprisoned in Manipur, India after two women died in custody.
HRA wrote the letter on 2 July concerned with the deaths of the two Myanmar refugees who had been held in judicial custody at Saadbhavana Mandop, New Lamka, Churachandpur District.
On 31 March, the Churachandpur police arrested 29 Myanmar nations, including six minors, staying without proper documents from Ngathal and Kawnpui villages of Churachandpur, referred to as the Centre.
The authorities were planning to move the illegal immigrants to different jails in Imphal but concerns were expressed about the practicalities of this and also there were worries about nutrition.
According to HRA, by the end of May, beginning of June many of the inmates of the Centre felt sick. They requested for medical help, but felt on deft ears. Only on 5 June some medical personnel came and check their health condition.
Nine of them were found to be COVID positive. Two of them were in critical condition and were immediately admitted to District Hospital (Covid Isolation Ward). One of them, Ms. Ma Myint daughter of Usan aged about 46 years died on 6 June 2021. Her condition is said to have worsened after admitting to the hospital. Two days later, on 8 June Ms. Mukhai daughter of Nita aged about 40 years also succumbed, in the same hospital.
Another 13 more inmates of the Centre were also found to be COVID-positive and they were shifted to a designated Covid Care Centre at Churachandpur Government College for treatment on 7 June. After testing negative, they returned back to the Centre on 16 June.
HRA would like to point out that the death of Ms. Ma Myint and Ms. Mukhai occurred after they were arrested and kept in the custody of the state for three months. During this period in custody, the inmates were not provided food by the state, but depended solely on the charity of civil society organisations. In doing so they were deprived of their right to adequate nutritious food. Moreover, they were also deprived of the mandatory medical attention they deserve as any other prisoner. Even when they fall sick and were desperately calling for help, the help came only when the situation became out of control.
HRA says this systematic deprivation of the right to food and right to health in state custody during the pandemic, ultimately causing the death of two of them, is nothing short of custodial violence. It is in violation of the Right to Life enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India available to “all persons” including the “non-citizens”.
