A Myanmar national has filed a petition with the Manipur Human Rights Commission alleging arbitrary detention of Myanmar minors and calling for releasing Myanmar families with minors in jail.
Following the petition, the commission has taken up a bunch of complaint petitions filed by one Myanmar national namely, Mya Myat Mon, in connection with the alleged arbitrary detention of minors who are Myanmar citizens.
The complainant, Mya Myat Mon, claimed that 12 minors, mostly between the ages of 5 to 10 years, were arrested on June 27, 2022 along with their parents and have been charged under Section 14 of the Foreigner Act.
The complainant further claimed that the detinues, who are poor, naïve and hardworking migrant labourers from rural village of Myanmar, crossed Indo-Myanmar border and worked in the weaving industry in Churachandpur district as they were not able to pay for expensive passport and visa fees in Myanmar.
According to the complainant, all the detainees have already suffered six months in prison and were to be released in January, 2023, but the jailed authorities failed to release them.
“They are poor, naïve and hardworking migrant labourers from rural villages of Myanmar. They sincerely crossed the Indo-Myanmar border and worked in the weaving industry of CCpur as they could not pay for expensive passport and visa fees in Myanmar”, said the complainant.
It also stated that the families are willing to go back to Myanmar and reunite with their desperate families.
“The boy lost his right to basic education and does not even know how to read or write. Instead, he is helping his mother and taking care of his baby sister in the jail, even though he is also living under the prison stress”, the complainant stated of a minor in the jail.
The case was listed as motion on Thursday before the division bench of the MHRC comprising Justice UK Saha, chairperson and KK Singh, member.
The commission, in its order, has informed the superintendent of Imphal Central Jail to send a status report relating to the cases by Friday and the Commission also directed either Superintendent himself or additional Superintendent of Imphal Central Jail to appear in person at 12.00 noon positively.
