Time to scale up anti-AFSPA campaign
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 04, 2012 -
Irom Chanu Sharmila on 9th March 2009
In all likelihood, public demand for repealing Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (in short AFSPA) is inching towards a logical conclusion with the voice of 'The Silent Poet', Irom Chanu Sharmila finally reaching the United Nations (UN).
In the second round of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council held on May 24 at Geneva, India's human rights record was reviewed amid mounting pressures from various nations of the world to revoke the Military Act denounced by many as draconian. Leading the charge, Slovakia has recommended repeal of AFSPA and the same supported by Switzerland and France.
In its recommendation, Slovakia endorses scrapping of the Act or adoption of the negotiated amendments to address the accountability of security personnel and regulations concerning detention as well as victim's rights to appeal in accordance to International standards.
Giving more teeth to the recommendation of Slovakia, Switzerland demanded review of the law to align with obligations under the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.
In the same vein, France has also pressed India for carrying out an annual review of AFSPA to gradually reduce its geographic scope. As India could not give an immediate response to the review process, it has sought time till the plenary session of the Human Rights Council scheduled to take place sometime in September later this year.
While we wait for the response of Government of India to the review of its human rights record, there are certain issues that need to be analysed and understood by all.
No doubt, AFSPA is one of the more draconian legislations that the Indian Parliament has passed in its 60th years of Parliamentary history. Under this Act, all security forces are given unrestricted and unaccounted power to carry out their operations, once an area is declared disturbed.
Even a non-commissioned officer is granted the right to shoot to kill based on mere suspicion that it is necessary to do so in order to "maintain the public order". But the public demand for repealing AFSPA should not be portrayed or looked upon as challenging the establishment of Indian military in performing their duties.
The issue at stake is the democratic rights of the people. More than anything else, imposition of AFSPA in Manipur or elsewhere means that people of that particular region do not have the same rights that other Indian citizens enjoy.
This should be the rallying point around which the demand for repealing AFSPA should be pushed forward to its logical conclusion.
Anyway, the issue of AFSPA finally getting spotlight at the second round of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council itself is a great achievement and the International support gained should be utilized as a golden opportunity to scale up the ongoing public campaign for repealing AFSPA.
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