Meet debates humanitarian laws, AFSPA
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 07 2014: A workshop on International Humanitarian Laws and Armed Forces Spe-cial Powers Act was held today at Moirang Lamkhai under the aegis of the UNM Manipur's district network committee and district women committee.

Speaking at the workshop as a resource person, UNM Manipur secretary U Nobo-kishore said that harassment of surrendered UG cadres and the practice of summoning them every now and then by security forces are against international humanitarian laws.

Even as India has been claiming at the UN that there is no war in its North East region and Jammu & Kashmir, a large number of people have been killed in these two regions under the impunity guaranteed by AFSPA during the last 55 years.

With the draconian Act still in force, rampant human right violation continues even today.

A combatant who has gi-ven up arms should be treated as a civilian, Nobokishore asserted.

Already 80 member countries of the UN has asked In- dia to abolish AFSPA and the UN Special Rapporteur has recommended the Government of India scrap the infa- mous Act but India has been adamantly refusing to act.

Questioning as to why scholars of the State cannot analyse the future impacts of AFSPA on the people of Ma-nipur, Nobokishore called upon all the join the struggle against AFSPA.

Presenting a paper on the topic, "Rape: A Weapon of War and Genocide", WAD secretary Sobita Mangshata-bam said that the new practice of reconciliation with money after committing a rape or murdering a woman should be nipped at the bud.

While the number of rape cases has been increasingly alarmingly, many rapists are moving around scot-free.

Though 2014 is just a week old, three women have been murdered and two raped while a child has been stabbed to death, Sobita observed.

District network committee member Pishak said that international humanitarian laws are being out of the reach of people even though Manipur is a conflict zone.

Social activist Chaoba too spoke at the seminar where victims of child trafficking and families whose houses built on the phumdis of Lok-tak were burnt down by the State gave their testimonies.

The workshop adopted 10 different recommendations addressed to both the Government of India and political armed opposition groups.

Compliance with common Article III of the Geneva Con-vention and Additional Proto- col-II, 1999 and investigation by Special Investigation Team into crimes against women and children were some of the recommendations.

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