PREPAK denies child recruitment slur
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 23 2012:
The proscribed PREPAK has denied any connection whatsoever between the outfit and Sapam Chonbi alias Premabati (37) d/o S Ibocha of Sairem Khul Mayai Leikai.
As per the media report published on April 21 based on a press statement issued by the Imphal West Additional SP (Law & Order), Sapam Chonbi was apprehended by a combined team of Imphal West commandos and troops of 30 Assam Rifles from Sairem Khul at about 6 an of April 20 for her involvement in recruitment of underaged youths in UG outfits.
Categorically maintaining that PREPAK never recruited underaged youths, a press release issued by the outfit's assistant secretary, publicity and propaganda Leibakngakpa Luwang alleged that the statement of Imphal West Addl SP (L/O) was aimed at straining the relationship between revolutionary groups and the mass, and at the same time, it was an attempt to project the revolutionary movement in wrong light before the international community.
It was unfortunate that the Home Minister took the words of security forces who are allegedly notorious for fake encounters, rape, robbery, intimidation of civilians and all kinds of criminal activities.
Even as the international humanitarian law enacted for application in conflict areas did not give any explicit definition of children, it did espouse for special measures for protection of children below 15 years of age.
For children who have reached 15 years, there is no need for any special measures.
The matter of special protective measures for children was mentioned and elaborated in not less than 25 provisions of the Geneva Convention 1949 and additional protocols adopted in 1977 .
The same law prohibits sending children below 15 years to wars.
The second protocol of the convention asked all parties in conflict not to recruit children below 15 years of age.
The 77th article of the first protocol covers both compulsory and voluntary recruitment.
It asked all armed groups not to accept children below 15 years even if they come to join the groups voluntarily.
Reiterating that PREPAK never recruited underaged youths, the outfit claimed that it has maintaining close vigil against any case of human rights violation, particularly those women and children's rights.
Even as India ratified the Convention of the Rights of Children on December 11, 1992, the outfit alleged that security forces have been indulging in rampant child right violation in Manipur.
There were many cases of raping school going girls by security forces, engineering forced disappearance of student below 15 years, sodomy, taking young children to police custody because their parents could not be apprehended, occupation of schools by security forces etc.
It further called upon all the people to work tirelessly so that all those security and police personnel involved in child right violation are punished in befitting manner under international law.