One day meet deliberates on life under AFSPA
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 22 2019:
Apunba
Manipur Kanba Ima Lup
(AMKIL) organised a one day
meeting to mark the 61 years of
imposition of the Armed Forces
Special Powers Act, at
Lamyanba Shanglen, Konung
Mamang today.
A report of Civil Society
Coalition for Human Rights
in Manipur and UN
(CSCHR) submitted to the
United Nations' Human
Rights Committee on May 12
last year, was released during
the meeting.
Manipur Human Rights
Commission (MHRC) former
member as well as senior
advocate, Kh Chonjon and
AMKIL president,
Phanjoubam Sakhi, attended
the convention as dignitaries.
Committee on Human
Rights (COHR) Manipur
chairman Phunildro Konsam,
Extrajudicial Execution Victim
Families Association
(EEVFAM) president T
Renu, United Committee
Manipur general secretary
Khuraijam Athouba Meitei
and Human Rights Defender
Manipur (HRDM) director
Ch Joy attended the event as
guests of honour.
Speaking at the function,
senior Advocate Kh Chonjon
said that demanding the removal
of AFSPA from the
State is not enough and
added that it is of utmost
importance to remove the Act
from the statute book once
and for all.
Citing the ill effects of
imposing the Act in the North
East region, he maintained
that AFSPA was put into
force only to subdue the people
of the State and the NE
region.
The people, both in the
hills and the valley, have
faced the negative impact of
this Act (which was first
imposed as an ordinance) in
the form of several varying
degrees of violence, he added.
The senior Advocate went
on to state that the Act is the
very opposite of the "Right to
Life" which is granted by the
Constitution.
He further stressed on a
collective effort and cooperation
by the people of the State,
to join the fight which has
been spearheaded by
EEVFAM, HRA and human
right activists.
Meanwhile, T Renu said
that as a result of the collective
effort of EEVFAM and
Human Rights' Alert (HRA),
1528 fake encounter cases
have been successfully submitted
to the Supreme Court
and now the CBI has initiated
necessary investigation into
some of the said cases.
Even then, several hindrances
and difficulties often
pop up from time to time and
one of the major blockades
has been the failure of the
Government to grant prosecution
sanction which has
led to various inconveniences
in some of the cases which
have been taken up the CBI.
Several outside forces are
preventing the cases from
getting speedy justice, she
said, adding that those cases
which involve the Indian
army personnel, are slowmoving.
Lack of support from the
people and genuine assistance
from witnesses, are other
problems faced by EEVFAM
and HRA in delivering justice
for the victims.
Speaking as a resource
person, HRA executive director
Babloo Loitongbam
conveyed that United Nations
Human Rights Committee
will be keeping a close vigil
as well as start deliberating
on whether the people of the
country are getting or experiencing
the necessary human
rights given under the International
Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights.
The report released today
contains five issues of
Manipur which include the
demand to examine whether
the provision of AFSPA is
similar or different when compared
to the provisions of
International Covenant.
He further stated that the
report also explains the lack
of effective method when it
comes to getting justice for
the victims of violence and
brutality under AFSPA, failure
of the Indian Government
to recognise the ethnic minority
in the North East and
Manipur and to eliminate any
form of objection to the demand
by the ethnic minority
for their basic rights.
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