CSCHR deplores GoI's refusal to repeal AFSPA despite UN recommendations
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 27 2017: A delegation of Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the UN (CSCHR) attended the 36th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) .

During the session for the adoption of the outcome document on India's 3rd Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to improve its human rights situation, on September 21, the Government of India formally accepted 152 recommendations out of the 250 recommendations given by 112 member States of the United Nations .

According to a press release of CSCHR, the remaining 98 recommendations were simply noted.

However, most of the human rights issues critical to the situation in Manipur including the repeal/review of AFSPA, ratification of Convention on Protection of All Persons Against Enforced Disappearances (CED), moratorium on death penalty, ratification of the Rome Statute on International Criminal Court, etc, were only noted without indicating a follow up plan and not accepted.

CSCHR deplores GoI's refusal to repeal AFSPA despite UN recommendations

Many international organizations including Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurist, FORUM-ASIA, WGHR, etc, strongly denounced the GoI's continued refusal to accept the recommendation for the repeal/review of AFSPA .

CSCHR strongly deplored the refusal of the GoI to repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA) despite persistent recommendations from the UN and International community .

In the first cycle of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2008 Germany, UK and Canada made recommendations regarding AFSPA.

Similarly in the second cycle in 2012, Switzerland, France and Slovakia made similar recommendations.

In this third cycle too Government of Switzerland and Pakistan raised the issue.

But in all the three cycles GoI has persistently refused to accept the recommendation, it said .

CSCHR also condemned the failure of India to ratify the Convention Against Torture (CAT) despite its signing the treaty 20 years ago in 1997 and strongly urged GoI to urgently ratify CAT by adopting an Act of Parliament for the prevention of torture that is consistent with the provisions of CAT .

In the side event entitled "UPR Outcome Document", held on September 21 in the Palais des Nations, JitenYumnam of CSCHR stated "The continued enforcement of AFSPA, 1958 means the unleashing of more inhumanity, extreme forms of violations, genocidal practices and a culture of impunity, targeting the most marginalized communities and national minorities" .

Babloo Loitongbam of WGHR/CSCHR, who moderated the event, questioned the true meaning of India repeatedly accepting a recommendation to ratify the Convention Against Torture, which was accepted by the GoI in the first, second and third UPR, while taking no meaningful action at all .

Renu Takhellambam of EEVFAM drew the attention of the UN Human Rights Council on the issue of extrajudicial executions and AFSPA, the release said.