Asian rights body to visit communal-hit areas in Mizoram
New Delhi:The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) today accepted the offer of the Mizoram Home Minister Pu R. Lalzirliana to visit Mizoram from 4 to 11 December 2009 or any other dates convenient to the State government. In a press conference held in Aizawl on 22 November 2009 in response to the press statement of the ACHR on the recent attacks on the Bru minorities, Home Minister Lalzirliana stated "ACHR representatives are most welcome to come to Mizoram and see the facts and ground realities by themselves." In a letter to the Home Minister
of Mizoram, the ACHR welcomed the invitation as a positive step and expressed
its intention to visit the State should "the government of Mizoram make necessary
arrangement for the adequate safety and security for the Fact Finding Team". ACHR
stated that "In order to ensure "absolute independence, impartiality and objectivity",
it has constituted a team of five member Fact Finding Team chaired by Miloon Kothari,
former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing. Other
members include Suhas Chakma, Director of ACHR; Ms Dashalene Karbetang,
Advocate
and Human Rights Activist, Meghalaya; Nava Thakuria, journalist and General
Secretary of Guwahati Press Club, Assam ; and Mr Bamang Tago, Chairman of
Arunachal
Citizens Rights. "The Investigation Team has representation from most North Eastern
States and headed by a former United Nations expert from India . The members are
well known in the field of human rights both in the North East region and the
world." - further stated ACHR. The Fact Finding Team shall visit the affected
areas and meet all sections, including those involved in relief and rehabilitation,
interview all the communities, representative of the civil society groups, including
the MZP and YMA and the officials of the government of Mizoram as well as those
who recently fled to Tripura.
