IMPHAL, November 29: Chief Justice (L) JS Verma took sixteen year to realize that the Armed Forces Special (AFSPA) 1958 has legitimised the impunity for systematic or isolated sexual crimes in the process of internal security duties, now how long will Chief Minister Okram Ibobi take time to realize that AFSPA is inhuman, said director, Human Right Alert, Babloo Loitongbam.
He was speaking at the observation of the International Fortnight Observation Protesting Violence against Woman from November 25 to December 12 and discussion on United Nation’s Mandate on International Criminal Court and AFSPA 1958.
The observation was jointly organized by Women Action for Development (WAD); Centre for Social Development (CSD); United Mission Manipur (UNM-M); New Life Foundation (NLF); People Platform Secretariat (PPS) and Conflict Widow Forum (CWF) today.
Babloo Loitongbam speaking on “Human Right and Violence against Women,” said that till now various voices have been raised on AFSPA.
In the year 2004, even the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh announced that the act is inhuman and it must be repealed when he visited the state but nevertheless, the Act continues in the state.
In the meantime, the present rise in the intensity of the bomb blast in the Greater Imphal area has created a fear among the general public that it will only result in the re-imposition of the AFSPA in the area, he observed.
Secretary, UNM-M, U Nobokishore elaborated on the topic “International Criminal Court and Sudan’s Court” said that it will be the wise decision of the state leaders to halt all the inhuman incidents continuing in the state before International Criminal Court attract the issues happen in the state, if once start investigate it will very difficult to escape.
Meanwhile, Sunibala of Nongpok Sekmai whose husband was killed by the BSF personnel on February 1, 2007, just half kilometres from her house and Ibemcha whose husband was killed by unknown persons on December 11, 2005 gave testimonies about their lives and the unavoidable circumstances faced following the deaths of their husbands.