ARMED VIOLENCE IN MANIPUR AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

Manipur society today is highly prone to violence is undisputed. To understand the day-to-day violence in Manipur one has to delve deeper and discern the structural violence built inside the social, economic and political structures of the society. The structural violence in Manipur has led to various forms of secondaiy violence. Gross human rights violations including torture, extra-judicial execution, rape and enforced disappearance have become endemic. Many of the non-derogable rights are routinely violated by Security Forces under Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act, 1958. The situation in Manipur is a clear case of an 'infernal disturbance' or non-international armed conflict requiring invocation of Article 355 and not of a 'public order' problem. In such situation both the parties to the conflict should at the minimum follow the common article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and strictly follow the rules of engagement under the relevant international humanitarian laws [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]