write to stop torture of indigenous human rights workers

Dear friends:
Amnesty International has just released an urgentaction on the situation in Manipur (see below)regarding two Indigenous Human Rights defenders beingheld and tortured in Police Custody.While hundreds of phone calls and faxes went sent withregard to this urgent situation from all over theworld yesterday, international pressure is stillneeded.
A report also states that the interrogators are mainlyconcerned about their participation at the UnitedNations Working Group on IndigenousPeoples (2002 - 2004) and the UN Permanent Forum onIndigenous Issues (2004 - 2006).
Please assist them by sending an urgent appeal for their safety and release to the addresses provided below.
Thank you in advance,
Roberto Mucaro Borrero,
ChairpersonNGO Committee on the UN International Decade of theWorld's Indigenous Peoples

-----------------------------AI Index: ASA 20/020/2006 25 August 2006UA 228/06 Fear for safety/ tortureINDIA Leitangthem Umakanta Meitei (m) aged 35Yengkokpam Langamba Meitei (m) aged 26Human rights defenders Leitangthem Umakanta Meitei andYengkokpam Langamba Meitei have reportedly beentortured in police custody in Manipur province, closeto the border with Myanmar. Their exact place ofdetention is unclear. Amnesty International isconcerned that they could face further torture orill-treatment.Reports received by Amnesty International indicatethat Yengkokpam Langamba Meitei (Public Secretary ofthe Threatened Indigenous People’s Society, Manipur(TIPS), and spokesperson for a Manipur-based coalitionof human rights organizations, known as Apunba Lup,was arrested at his home at 4am on 23 August by policeand military personnel. The arresting officersproduced a memo relating to section 41 of the IndianCode of Criminal Procedure, under which police mayarrest a person without an order from a magistrate andwithout a warrant.Leitangthem Umakanta Meitei (Secretary General ofTIPS) was detained at his home at 4am the followingday. According to Leitangthem Umakanta Meitei’s wife,the police did not produce an arrest warrant when hewas detained. However, when his wife and brother wentto the Imphal City Police Station to visit him, policeshowed them a warrant for his arrest, which stated thetime of his arrest as 9.30am on 24 August.According to reports, both men have appeared before achief judicial magistrate since being detained.Leitangthem Umakanta Meitei has been remanded inpolice custody until 29 August and Yengkokpam LangambaMeitei has been remanded in custody until 1 September.The chief judicial magistrate allegedly failed torecord the men's complaints that they had beentortured and ill-treated before extending the periodof time for which they will be held. A case underSections 38 and 39 of the Unlawful ActivitiesPrevention Act, 1967, relating to charges of being amember and providing support of a terroristorganisation, has been filed against LeitangthemUmakanta Meitei. It remains unclear as to what chargeshave been brought against Yengkokpam Langamba Meitei.RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive asquickly as possible, in English or your own language:- expressing concern at reports that human rightsdefenders Leitangthem Umakanta Meitei and YengkokpamLangamba Meitei have been tortured in police custody;- calling on the authorities to ensure that theirplace of detention is revealed immediately, and togive both men immediate access to their families,lawyers, and any medical attention they may require;- urging the authorities to carry out an independentand impartial investigation into allegations thatLeitangthem Umakanta Meitei and Yengkokpam LangambaMeitei are being subjected to torture while in policecustody, including an examination by independentmedical experts, with the findings made public andanyone found responsible for torture brought tojustice;- asking the authorities for details of the chargesfaced by the two men, and urging them to releaseYengkokpam Langamba Meitei immediately unless he is tobe charged with a recognizably criminal offence;- calling for guarantees that the men are beingtreated humanely in detention, and reminding theauthorities of India's commitment to the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights, quoting Article 5:"No oneshall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman ordegrading treatment."APPEALS TO:Mr. Okram Ibobi SinghChief Minister, ManipurGovernment SecretariatImphal 795 001,ManipurIndiaFax: + 91 11 2611 1803Email: cmmani@man.nic.inSalutation: Dear Chief MinisterCOPIES TO:Shivraj PatilMinister of Home AffairsMinistry of Home Affairs104 – 107 North BlockNew Delhi 110 001IndiaFax: + 91 11 2309 2979and to diplomatic representatives of India accreditedto your country.PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with theInternational Secretariat, or your section office, ifsending appeals after 6 October 2006.PLEASE SEND COPIES TO:1. Mr. Manmohan SinghThe Prime Minister of IndiaPrime Minister’s OfficeRoom number 152, South BlockNew DelhiINDIAFax: 91 11 230168572. Mr. Okram Ibobi SinghThe Chief Minister of ManipurChief Minister’s SecretriatBabupara, Imphal, ManipurINDIAFax: 91 385 2221817Email. cmmani@hub.nic.in3. Justice Mr. Y. K. SabharwalThe Chief Justice of IndiaThrough the Office of the Registrar GeneralSupreme Court of India1 Tilak Marg, New DelhiINDIAFax: 91 11 23383792Email: supremecourt@nic.in4. Mr. Justice A. S. AnandChairpersonNational Human Rights Commission of IndiaFaridkot House, Copernicus MargNew Delhi-110001INDIATel: +91 11 23074448Fax: +91 11 2334 0016E-mail: chairnhrc@nic.in5. Mr. L. P. GonmeiCommissioner, Civil SecretariatImphal, ManipurINDIAFax: 91 385 23117936. The ChairpersonManipur State Human Rights CommissionCourts ComplexLamphelpat, Imphal, ManipurINDIAFax: 91 385 410472------------------------------------------Dear Chief Minister:On behalf the NGO Committee on the United NationsInternational Decade of the World’s IndigenousPeoples, we are writing with great concern over thesituation of Leitangthem Umakanta Meitei andYengkokpam Langamba Meitei. They are two human rightsdefenders who according to reliable reports are beingtortured while in Police custody in Manipur province,close to the border with Myanmar.We are calling for a guarantee that these men aretreated humanely in detention, and remind you andother authorities of India’s commitment to theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights, quoting Article5: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel,inhuman or degrading treatment."We urge you to carry out an independent investigationinto these allegations with the finds being madepublic. All parties responsible and participating inthese human rights violations should be brought tojustice.Our Committee, which is a Special Committee of theConference of Non-Governmental Organizations inConsultative Status with the United Nations (CONGO)will continue to closely monitor this situation.Please be advised that we have forwarded news of thisincident to the United Nations Permanent Forum onIndigenous Issue as well as to the Office of the HighCommissioner for Human Rights.We thank you for your attention to this serioussituation.Respectfully submitted,Roberto Múcaro Borrero,Chairman,NGO Committee on the UN International Decade of theWorld's Indigenous PeoplesNGO Committee on the United NationsInternational Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoplesc/o UCTP, PO Box 4515, New York, NY 10163Tel: (212) 604-4186 Fax: (775) 640-1358Email: ngo_ip_undecade@yahoo.comWebpage: http://www.ngocongo.org/index.php?what=committees&id=13