Anti-AFSPA campaigner Irom Sharmila's fast completes 15 years
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Imphal, November 02 2015: Irom Chanu Sharmila completed 15 years of her hunger strike demanding revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 .

The 42-year-old Manipuri started her fast on this day, November 2, 2000 after the massacre of 10 'innocent civilians' by the Assam Rifles at Malom in Imphal.

The six civil societies organised a press meet at Manipur Press Club to show solidarity to Sharmila whose hunger strike completed 15 years.

The organisation were Women Action for Development, North East Dialogue Forum, United NGOs Mission-Manipur Imphal East, Samaritan Resource Centre, People's Platform Secretariat, Village Women Coordinating Committee and Peoples for Human Rights and Climate Change.

The fast-unto-death launched by Sharmila demanding repeal of AFSPA is the longest movement in the world and that is also in the largest democracy in the world, said the organisations.

India has decided not to respect the democratic and non-violent movement to repeal AFSPA.

The people in Northeast in general and Manipur in particular are facing untold misery under the military Act for the last 60 years, stated a release issued by the organisations.

In 2013, the Supreme Court of India had exhaustive investigation against the killing of seven persons (in 6 cases) and proved that the entire seven persons were civilians.

In any matter, they are not connected with any Armed Non-State actors.

It is also further proved that most of them were killed after being arrest and brutally tortured, the statement said.

In May 2015, AFSPA was imposed in 12 districts in Arunachal Pradesh without the knowledge of the State Government.

After the people's protest, the Government of India withdrew the Act.

If there is political will both Centre and Manipur Government can repeal AFSPA immediately, the statement asserted.

In December 2014, Amnesty International India had also appealed to the Government of India to release Sharmila immediately and unconditionally.

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