Geneva: UN experts have criticized the Indian government's "slow and inadequate response" to reported human rights abuses, including sexual violence, during ethnic clashes in Manipur, a remote northeast region of India.

The experts, including the Special Rapporteurs on violence against women and girls and on torture, issued a statement expressing concern about the reported abuses since ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur in May. They noted that by mid-August, around 160 people had been killed, 300 injured, tens of thousands displaced, thousands of homes and hundreds of churches burned down, and farmland destroyed.

Of particular concern to the experts were reports of gender-based violence targeting hundreds of women and girls, mainly from the Kuki ethnic minority. The reported violence included gang rape, public humiliation, severe beatings, and burning of victims.

The experts also highlighted the use of hateful and inflammatory speech, both online and offline, which they say incited violence against the Kuki ethnic minority, particularly women, based on their ethnicity and religious beliefs.

Manipur has experienced ethnic tensions, with rival militias setting up blockades and tensions persisting along ethnic lines. The Indian government has deployed additional troops to the region, imposed curfews, and enforced internet shutdowns in response to the violence.

These UN experts are independent and appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, and their statements do not represent the official position of the United Nations.