MIYC asks armed groups to adhere to ‘Common Article 3’

IMPHAL, Sep 28: The Manipur International Youth Centre (MIYC) has called on every armed opposition group operating in Manipur — whether under Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangements, de-facto control, or informal militia structures — to publicly declare their adherence to Common Article 3 of the Four Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949 and to sign, without delay, the relevant Deed(s) of Commitment facilitated by Geneva Call if the group insists its cause is a genuine armed struggle.
Those groups that refuse to make and implement such commitments must immediately cease extortion, forced displacement, targeted attacks on civilians, ethnic cleansing and all criminal behaviours that terrorise the people of Manipur, the MIYC said in a press statement.
The legitimacy of any political struggle rests not only on its ends but on the means used to pursue them.
The continued suffering of ordinary Manipuris —displacement, sexual violence, forced recruitment, extortion, collecting illegal taxes on the highways, seizure of public property and attacks that appear to target civilians on ethnic lines — is intolerable, unlawful, and will forever stain the moral claim of those who practice it.
Forced displacement and patterns of violence raise serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights norms; such conduct must stop now, the MIYC asserted.
Reminding the Government of India that it has enacted the Geneva Conventions Act, 1960 to give domestic effect to its international obligations under the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, the MIYC said that this legislation is not symbolic but requires the Indian State, including its armed forces and agencies, to respect and enforce the humanitarian protections enshrined in the Conventions.
Any deviation, whether through excessive military operations, arbitrary detention, or collective punishment of communities (e.g: barring the Meiteis from using the National Highways after May 3, 2023), constitutes not only a breach of international law but also a violation of India’s own statute, it said.
It urged the Government of India to uphold this law faithfully, ensuring that the treatment of civilians in Manipur and elsewhere is consistent with the fundamental humanitarian principles it has pledged to protect.
India must demonstrate adherence not only through rhetoric but through verifiable compliance: ensuring protection of civilians, prosecuting perpetrators of war crimes, and providing unhindered humanitarian access.
Failure to operationalise the Geneva Conventions Act in Manipur undermines both India’s international credibility and the universal principles of humanitarian law, it said.
The people of Manipur — Meitei, Kuki, Naga and all communities — will not accept violence dressed as liberation, it said.
“By declaring respect for Common Article 3 and signing the Geneva Call Deeds of Commitment, you demonstrate that your struggle, if genuine, is rooted in the protection of your own people. MIYC pledges to amplify such commitments, encourage monitoring, and advocate for humanitarian access and dialogue”, it asserted.
“MIYC stands for a Manipur where political aspiration and human dignity are never in conflict. We call on every actor — insurgent and State alike — to choose humanity first”, it added.