SHILLONG: The Meghalaya People’s Human Rights Council (MPHRC) have expressed its serious concern on the government’s total failure to address the vexed issues of widespread rising influx and other illegal immigration’s in the State now for so many decades.
“Influx and other illegal immigrations have affected the individual and collective rights of the indigenous peoples of the State and of which concerns were raised by the civil societies since the 1970’s,” MPHRC Public Relation Secretary Pynskhem Syiemlieh said.
According to MPHRC, the historical wrongs and clear injustices of the past that remained un-remedied have constituted a continuing affront to the basic human rights and dignity of the indigenous peoples today. “The lackadaisical attitude of the government towards sincerely solving the issue has resulted in today’s imbroglio” Syiemlieh added.
He also noted that the local indigenous peoples have faced considerable challenges in asserting their legitimate rights to self-determination in economic, social and cultural rights for self identification due to the fear of the government that such recognition could undermine the state own legal and other forms of authority.
“The government must implement effective affirmative measures through systematic dialogue with the indigenous peoples of the State in order to advance their rights and expand their access to justice” said Syiemlieh.
Taking strong cognizance on the government’s failure to solve the complex issue, the MPHRC publicity secretary said, “it is the obligation of the government to find out ways and means to put an end to this crisis and that innocent citizens should not become scapegoats” adding that if the present situation is allowed to continue further, the entire state would suffer and breed more and more serious human rights violation and the government should be held accountable for such human rights abuses.