Consultative meet on International Law held
Source: The Sangai Express
Thoubal, October 24 2014 :
Rural Peoples' Development Federation (RPDF), Chandel in association with United NGO's Mission Manipur (UNMM) organized a one day consultative meet on International Humanitarian Law at Machi village Community Hall in Chandel District yesterday.
While deliberating on the topic related to Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Articles of the United Nations Geneva Convention, resource person W Basanta Kumar, Advocate Human Rights Alert said that committing crimes against humanity and violation of the basic principles/Articles of UN Geneva Convention is a war crime.
He further said that even at war, the State forces and outlawed non-State forces group should follow the basic principles/articles of the UN Geneva Convention.
If any State force or non-State force does not adhere to the rules and commit a war crime, they could be punished according to the International Humanitarian law.
While appealing to struggle collectively to repeal Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), W Basanta Kumar also maintained that AFSPA which is enforced in Jammu & Kashmir and in some parts of North Eastern States violate the principles/articles of the UN Geneva Convention and Human Rights.
The Government can deploy State forces, if it deems that there is an armed conflict in the State or in any part of the country but cannot impose AFPSA.
AFPSA cannot be enforced even at war time as it violates human rights, the Advocate added.
The consultative meet was also attended by Boipu Koireng, Co-ordinator of United NGO's Mission, Manipur and M Moses Maring, Chairman of United NGO's Mission, Chandel besides village chief, village authority members and Church leaders as well as youth.