Conflict parties urge to respect rights of innocent civilians
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 03 2014:
Appeal for repealing Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 and to respect and implement the common article 3 of Geneva Conventions, 1949 and Additional Protocol-II of 1977 to both the Government of India and the armed opposition groups operating in the State was echoed once again in a day-long consultation on International Humanitarian Law and Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 organized jointly by North East Dialogue Forum, Village Authority, Women Society, Youth Club and Women Development of Kangchup Chiru Village at Kangchup Chiru in Senapati district yesterday.
The consultation was attended by Soraisam Dhanabir, Maisnam Kalanjoy and Adam Kharam as resource persons.
Delivering the key note address, I.Pratap Singh, Advisor of North East Dialogue Forum, said that the people of Manipur have experienced enough suffering due to armed conflict for the last more than 5 decades and observed that it is time that the people come together and discuss on how to minimize the suffering of the people.
He also said that such programme is being organized to call upon the conflicting parties to respect and implement the international humanitarian law.
Participating in the consultation as a resource person, Adam Kharam of North East Dialogue Forum, explained that the international humanitarian law is a set of rules to be followed in war or conflict so as to minimize the civilians' causalities.
He called upon both the government of India and armed opposition groups to respect and implement the common article 3 of Geneva conventions and additional protocol-II of 1977 .
Soraisam Dhanabir said that Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is such a draconian law that it gives the power to kill, destroy, arrest and search anybody without any warrant.
Therefore, he called upon the government of India to immediately repeal the AFSPA.
He also recalled the call for repealing the Act from different national and international bodies, committees and individuals.
Maisnam Kalanjoy said that the AFSPA is quite contradictory to the Article 21 of Indian Constitution that guaranteed right to life and liberty to its citizens and it violates the emergency provisions given in the Constitution.
He further stated that India should declare emergency in the North East and strictly adhere to the international humanitarian law or else repeal AFSPA and end violation of human rights.