Human Rights Alert clarifies on arrested Norwegian citizen

Apropos to the article tilted "Lady arrested from Khwairamband Keithel with Norwegian Passport is a Myanmar based armed militant" published in The Imphal Times on October 29, which has gone viral on the social media, attracting adverse comments from various quarters, the Human Rights Alert (HRA) has came out with facts of the case.

The Executive Director of the Human Rights Alert, Babloo Loitongbam, said, "The case of Miss Mya Kyay Mon, a Norwegian citizen of Myanmar origin, was brought to the attention of HRA by the Myanmar language instructor of the Center for Myanmar Studies of Manipur University. When the matter was brought to the attention of HRA, for the first time in 2022, she was already detained in the Imphal Central Jail. We do not know her before, nor do we have any prior contact with her."

In a press release issued on Sunday, the human rights activist said that HRA took up her case as a "woman in distress case" and informed the relevant section of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi. Therein after, she was issued a fresh Norwegian Passport as her old passport had expired.

"Upon her release on bail and not having a place to stay, she contacted us of help. We assisted her to stay in a women's home run by an NGO, pending her trial in the court. In the wake of the ethnic unrest in Manipur and when the NGO expressed their discomfort in keeping her, we organized an air ticket for her to go out of the state. We have been informed that she was summoned by the court to appear in her pending trial in Manipur," Babloo said.

The Human Rights Alert stated that it has no prior contact with her before the activists met her in the jail in Manipur. "We do not know her antecedents or background. HRA only provided legal aids and humanitarian services when requested by a woman in distress as per our mandate as an organization defending the human rights for all," he said.