GUWAHATI, Dec 30 ? Noted filmmaker Jahnu Barua, celebrated author Indira Gowami, prominent journalists Sanjoy Hazarika , Patricia Mukhim, Dileep Chandan and others have called on Bhutan and India to ensure transparency and respect the rights, especially of non-combatant women and children, in the ongoing military operations in Bhutan.
In a statement e-mailed to this newspaper they have urged that civil society groups and media be given access to the detainees. They also called on the armed groups to turn to dialogue and end their armed struggles in an effort to solve the problems of the people. The statement goes as: ?Over the past days, we have followed the news out of Bhutan closely. The Royal Government of Bhutan has taken a decision to use military force to flush out militants from various armed organizations of the North East from its sovereign territory.
?We hold no brief for the process and politics of armed struggle. We believe that all critical issues related to identity, ethnicity, development and justice must be solved through a process of dialogue, transparency and non-violent methods. ?We are deeply concerned about the lack of detailed information emerging from the conflict zone, especially with regard to casualties and civilian losses, if any. We call on the Government of Bhutan, the Royal Bhutan Army and the Indian Government and its security forces to especially ensure that the rights of women and children, trapped in the violence, whether they are kin of the militant cadres and living in the targeted camps or otherwise, be protected, within Bhutan, and in India.
?We also urge the armed groups not to target Bhutanese civilians: this too would be a violation of human rights. The problems of the insurgent groups are with the Governments of India and the respective state governments, not with innocent traders and others. In the current situation, non-combatant women and children are the most vulnerable. Their safety, dignity and rights should be preserved and protected at all costs. Information about them, as well as those captured or who have surrendered and have been handed over to India should be made available to media and civil society groups.
Such steps would strengthen the process of transparency and quieten growing concerns in Assam and other parts of the North East about their treatment. The Government of India and the State Governments of Assam and West Bengal as well as concerned citizens? groups especially should make all efforts to bring those from the armed groups back to normal life. ?We urge all militant groups to give up their armed struggles and resolve their grievances through the processes of democracy, however flawed, for only such an approach can benefit the people, whom everyone claims to represent, with peace, justice, equity and development.