Manorama's brother to UNHRC: Why AFSPA is protecting my sister's rapist-murderer?
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, June 13 2014 :
Questioning why for 10 long years Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been used to protect the very criminals who had raped and murdered his sister, Thangjam Dolendro Meetei, brother of Thangjam Manorama has appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to join the Special Rapportuer on Extra Judicial Summary and Arbitrary Executions in the latter's call for repealing the Act.
Participating in an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapportuer on Extra Judicial Summary and Arbitrary Executions which was facilitated as part of the 26th session of UNHRC today, Thangjam Dolendro Meetei, who spoke on behalf of World Barua Organisation, thanked the Special Rapportuer on Extra Judicial Summary and Arbitrary Execution for his recommendation to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to the Government of India and pointed out that as as mentioned in the report of the Special Rapportuer, AFSPA prevents prosecution of criminal acts including rape and murder committed by the personnel of the armed forces.
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He recalled that on the night of July 10, 2004, a dozen Assam Rifle personnel broke into his house, his sister Thangjam Manorama was accused of being an insurgent.
She was dragged out of their house, interrogated and tortured for over three hours.
No woman police was present while arresting his sister, as required by the law.
The next morning his sister's bullet ridden body was found on the road-side about three kilometers away from their and there were semen stains on her dress.
"After my sister's death, Manipur broke out into a wide spread protest for the next two months.
The Manipur government responded by instituting a Commission of Inquiry.
But military authorities challenged the competence of the Commission and have successfully suppressed the Commission's findings.
My family still has not seen the report.
The recommendation of National Human Rights Commission, which came only in 2012, to pay some reparations for my sister's rape and murder is still blocked by the Defense Ministry.
I simply cannot understand why, for ten long years AFSPA has been used to protect the very criminals who had raped and murdered my sister", Dolendro said.