In response to allegations of viral videos showing two women being paraded in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur while naked, a sexual assault case that outraged the nation, the United States said on Sunday that it was extremely concerned.
The mob-allegedly-raped attack, in which the naked women were paraded, happened more than two months ago, but it just came to national and international notice in the past week as a result of the footage becoming viral on social media. Some arrests have been made by police.
A spokeswoman for the US State Department described the act as "brutal" and "terrible" and stated that the US had expressed its sympathy to the victims.
The attack was recorded in May, during a time of high interethnic conflict between the Meitei main ethnic group and the tribal Kuki people over possible modifications to the economic benefits provided to the Kuki.
After New Delhi dispatched tens of thousands of army and paramilitary personnel to the 3.2 million-person state, the unrest was put under control. The state has remained uneasy ever since, albeit intermittent killings and violence returned shortly after. Since the violence started in Manipur, at least 125 people have died, and more than 40,000 have fled their homes.
The United States encouraged a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the Manipur violence and urged authorities to respond to humanitarian needs while protecting all groups, homes and places of worship, the State Department spokesperson said.
The mob-allegedly-raped attack, in which the naked women were paraded, happened more than two months ago, but it just came to national and international notice in the past week as a result of the footage becoming viral on social media. Some arrests have been made by police.
A spokeswoman for the US State Department described the act as "brutal" and "terrible" and stated that the US had expressed its sympathy to the victims.
The attack was recorded in May, during a time of high interethnic conflict between the Meitei main ethnic group and the tribal Kuki people over possible modifications to the economic benefits provided to the Kuki.
After New Delhi dispatched tens of thousands of army and paramilitary personnel to the 3.2 million-person state, the unrest was put under control. The state has remained uneasy ever since, albeit intermittent killings and violence returned shortly after. Since the violence started in Manipur, at least 125 people have died, and more than 40,000 have fled their homes.
The United States encouraged a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the Manipur violence and urged authorities to respond to humanitarian needs while protecting all groups, homes and places of worship, the State Department spokesperson said.
