September 5, 2011

International coalition calls for the release of human rights activist and development worker Kopa Kunjam

An international coalition of more than 50 human rights and other organizations, including
Amnesty International USA, Association for India’s Development (AID), Human Rights Law
Network (HRLN), Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS – Workers’ and Farmers’ Union),
National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and
People’s Union of Democratic Rights (PUDR) have issued a statement (available in English and
11 other languages – please see below) calling for the immediate and unconditional release of
Kopa Kunjam.

Kopa Kunjam is a human rights and development worker with the Vanvasi Chetna Ashram
(VCA), a Gandhian organization based in Dantewada. He was arrested on December 10, 2009
and falsely implicated in the kidnapping and murder of Salwa Judum leader Punem Hunga in
June, 2009. The coalition statement says that the prosecution has failed to provide any credible
evidence and has been unable to produce witnesses to testify against Mr. Kunjam.

In its statement, the coalition further notes Mr. Kunjam’s long record of documenting and
exposing grave human rights abuses by the Salwa Judum and the government security forces.
The statement also notes Mr. Kunjam’s work in the rehabilitation of the displaced adivasis
(indigenous people) of several villages in the Bastar region.

Endorsing the statement, Kavita Srivastava, the General Secretary of PUCL said, “Release
Kopa now!! The arrest was a means to silence all those who were questioning the violent ways
of the Chhattisgarh State.” She added, “The government of Chhattisgarh should investigate
the atrocities documented and reported by Kopa Kunjam and other activists and bring charges
against the perpetrators.”

The Salwa Judum is a state-supported private vigilante force ordered to be disbanded by
the Supreme Court of India in 2008. In a judgement issued on July 5th, 2011, the Supreme
Court also placed severe restrictions on the Special Police Officers, most of whom are former
members of the Salwa Judum absorbed into the state police force.

Mr. Kunjam has now been in detention for more than 20 months and is reported to have faced
physical abuse inside the prison. His application for bail has been rejected by the trial court and
the Chhattisgarh High Court and is now pending before the Supreme Court.

James Mutti, India Country Specialist with Amnesty International USA, another organization
which has endorsed the statement, said, “The government of Chhattisgarh must drop these
politically motivated charges against Kopa Kunjam immediately and ensure that peaceful
activists can work and speak out without fear of imprisonment, torture or harassment.”

The statement observes that Mr. Kunjam is only one among many social workers and human
rights activists who have helped make human rights abuses in Chhattisgarh public only to face
imprisonment on false charges.

The complete statement issued by the coalition is available here:
English: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kksenglish.pdf

Translations of the statement in the following languages are available at the indicated links:
Bengali: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kksbengali.pdf
Chhattisgarhi: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kkschhattisgarhi.pdf
Gujarati: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kksgujarati.pdf
Hindi: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kkshindi.pdf
Kannada: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kkskannada.pdf
Malayalam: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kksmalayalam.pdf
Marathi: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kksmarathi.pdf
Punjabi: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kkspunjabi.pdf
Spanish: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kksspanish.pdf
Tamil: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kkstamil.pdf
Telugu: http://otherindia.org/dev/images/documents/kopa/kkstelugu.pdf

The following is the list of organizations which have endorsed the statement. If your organization
would like to be added to this list, please contact us.

Organizations in India

1. Adivasi Ekta Sangathan, Koraput
2. Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
http://www.altlawforum.org/
3. Arvind Memorial Trust, Lucknow
4. Bigul Mazdoor Dasta, Delhi
5. Campaign for Peace and Democracy, Manipur
6. Centre for Organisation Research & Education, Manipur
7. Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan
8. Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Mazdoor Karyakarta Samiti
9. Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights, Mumbai
10. Committee for the Release of Binayak Sen, Mumbai
11. Delhi Forum
12. Delhi Metro Kamgar Union
13. Disha Students’ Organization, Delhi and Lucknow
14. Human Rights Forum, Hyderabad
15. Human Rights Law Network, Delhi
16. Idu Mishmi Cultural and Literary Society (IMCLS), Arunachal Pradesh
17. Indian Community Activists Network
18. INSAF (Indian Social Action Forum), Delhi
19. Janchetna, Lucknow
20. Karkhana Mazdoor Union, Ludhiana
21. Manthan Samayiki, Kolkata
22. Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan
23. Moving Republic, Bangalore
24. National Alliance of People’s Movement
25. National Forum for Forest People’s and Forest Workers
26. Organization for Protection of Democractic Rights, Hyderabad
27. Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, Gujarat
28. People Solidarity Concerns, Bangalore
29. People’s Union for Civil Liberties (National)
30. People’s Union for Civil Liberties (Rajasthan)
31. People’s Union for Civil Liberties (Tamil Nadu & Puduvai)
32. People’s Union for Civil Liberties (Chhattisgarh)
33. People’s Union for Democratic Rights
34. RITES Forum, Malkangiri, Odisha
35. Rivers Basin Friends (Assam)
36. Sangbad Manthan
37. Sudhir Dhawale Muktata Abhiyan
38. Textile Workers’ Union, Gorakhpur

United Kingdom

1. South Asia Solidarity Group, UK

United States

1. Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia, MIT
2. Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, San Francisco
3. American Jewish World Service
4. Amnesty International, USA
5. Association for India’s Development
6. Gadar Heritage Foundation
7. India Friends Association
8. Indian American Muslim Council
9. International Accountability Project
10. Intl Coalition for Justice in Bhopal
11. Massachusetts Global Action
12. Matahari: Eye of the Day
13. Mining Zone Peoples’ Solidarity Group
14. Peninsula Peace & Justice Center
15. South Asian Magazine for Action and Reflection (SAMAR) Collective
16. Sanhati
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Contacts:
India: Kamayani Mahabal
kamayni@gmail.com +91 9820749204
US: Asti Bhatt
asti.bhatt@gmail.com +1 (978) 496-9248