The European Parliament (EP) strongly urged the Indian authorities to put in place “all necessary measures to promptly halt the ethnic and religious violence and to protect all religious minorities” following recent violent clashes in the northeastern state of Manipur.
In a resolution approved by a show of hands on Thursday, the EP said violence in Manipur since May 2023 have left at least 120 people dead, 50,000 displaced and over 1,700 houses and 250 churches destroyed.
The resolution notes that intolerance towards minority communities has contributed “to the current violence and that there have been concerns about politically motivated, divisive policies that promote Hindu majoritarianism in the area,” according to an EP statement.
MEPs call on the Indian authorities to allow independent investigations to look into the violence, to tackle impunity and to lift the internet ban.
The EP reiterated its call for human rights to be integrated into all areas of the EU-India partnership, including in trade.
“MEPs also advocate for the EU-India Human Rights Dialogue to be reinforced and encourage the EU and its member states to systematically and publicly raise human rights concerns, notably on freedom of expression, religion and the shrinking space for civil society, with the Indian side at the highest level,” it said.
Meanwhile, the EP also expressed alarm over the deterioration in democratic standards and human rights in Kyrgyzstan, previously regarded as the most democratic of the Central Asian nations.
Further, the EP also voiced full support the International Criminal Court investigations into the alleged crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Venezuelan regime and urges the authorities to release all political prisoners.
Source: Kuwait News Agency