The human rights group, Amnesty International, has expressed concern at reports that security forces in India have been involved in the rape and sexual abuse of women and children in the north-eastern states of Assam and Manipur.

Amnesty says although some army personnel have been punished for their crimes, the authorities in Assam and Manipur have in general not pursued most of the cases seriously.

The Chief of Staff of India's Eastern Army, General A.R.K. Reddy, accused Amnesty of bias.

He said the group had only once spoken out against rebel activities, although more than two-thousand civilians had been kidnapped by separatists in the last three years.