SOUTH ASIA - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

2241The Tamil Nadu government provides educational facilities to Sri Lankan Tamilrefugee children, and the central Government provides some assistance and channelsassistance from NGO and church groups. The central Government generallyhas denied NGO’s and the UNHCR direct access to the camps. NGO’s report refugeecomplaints about deteriorated housing, poor sanitation, delayed dole payments, andinadequate medical care in the Tamil refugee camps. The NHRC has intervened touphold the right of several Sri Lankan Tamils detained in so-called ‘‘special camps’’to remain in the country. The Government uses these camps to hold suspected membersof the LTTE terrorist organization. Human rights groups allege that inmatesof the special camps sometimes are subjected to physical abuse and that their confinementto the camps amounts to imprisonment without trial. They allege that severalof those acquitted by the Supreme Court in May 1999 of involvement in theassassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (see Section 1.a.) remain confinedin these special camps. Some 1,399 new refugees arrived from Sri Lanka duringthe first 9 months of the year. Human rights groups allege that the Governmentdid not permit 30 to 40 families, whom alien smugglers left stranded on sand barsin the shallow Palk Strait, to enter the country; however, during the year some 180persons similarly marooned were permitted to enter.Ethnic Chins are among the nonrecognized refugees in the northeastern states,particularly Mizoram. Chins and Chakma refugees have been targeted by studentleddemonstrations protesting their presence in Mizoram. During the year, tensionsbetween security forces and Chin National Force (CNF) insurgents operating inBurma allegedly resulted in the detention, interrogation, and expulsion of some personsassociated with the CNF to Burma, where they credibly feared persecution.Human rights monitors allege that about 1,000 Chin refugees had been arrested inMizoram and some 200 had been repatriated forcibly to Burma between July andSeptember. According to one NGO, on August 3, a 25-year-old Chin refugee died inthe Aizawl central police station, Mizoram (see Section 1.a.). An estimated 40,000to 50,000 Chins live and work illegally in Mizoram.Mizoram human rights groups estimate that some 41,000 Reangs, a tribal groupfrom Mizoram that has been displaced due to a sectarian conflict, presently arebeing sheltered in 6 camps in North Tripura; conditions in such camps are poor andthe Tripura government has asked the central Government to allot funds for theircare. Reang leaders in the camps say that their community would return toMizoram if they were granted an autonomous district council, allotted a set numberof seats in the Mizoram Assembly, and granted financial assistance for resettlement.The Mizoram government rejected these demands and maintained that only 16,000of the refugees had a valid claim to reside in the state. On August 7, following hismeeting with Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar, Union Home Minister L.K.Advani announced that an initial group of Reang refugees would be resettled inTripura by October 31, and that repatriation of the entire group would be completedby year’s end. However, while an NHRC staff member also visited Tripura to inquireinto the situation of the Reangs, by year’s end nothing had been done to repatriatethem.Section 3. Respect for Political Rights: The Right Of Citizens To Change Their GovernmentThe Constitution provides citizens with the right to change their governmentpeacefully, and citizens exercise this right in practice through periodic, free, and fairelections held on the basis of universal suffrage. The country has a democratic, parliamentarysystem of government with representatives elected in multiparty elections.A Parliament sits for 5 years unless dissolved earlier for new elections, exceptunder constitutionally defined emergency situations. State governments are electedat regular intervals except in states under President’s Rule.On the advice of the Prime Minister, the President may proclaim a state of emergencyin any part of the national territory in the event of war, external aggression,or armed rebellion. Similarly, President’s Rule may be declared in the event of acollapse of a state’s constitutional machinery. The Supreme Court in May 1995upheld the Government’s authority to suspend fundamental rights during an emergency.Some 50 persons were killed in election-related violence in state assembly pollingin Gujarat, Bihar, and Manipur (see Section 1.a.), and there were localized allegationsof voter fraud.During the February 12 Bihar State Assembly election, extremists of the MaoistCoordination Center (MCC) and the PWG killed 21 persons, including 12 membersof the security forces and 2 election officials. The extremist groups had warned votersto remain at home during the polls, or face attack. Seventeen more persons werekilled in the second phase of voting in the state on February 22. On September 17VerDate 11-MAY-2000 13:46 Sep 20, 2001 Jkt 071555 PO 00000 Frm 00085 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 F:\WORK\COUNTRYR\S71555\71555.035 HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1