IMPHAL, January 14: About 8982 persons were killed in insurgency related conflict Manipur after the Armed Forces Special Power Act 1958 was imposed in Manipur according to PIB record, said Dr Chinglen Meisnam.
Speaking at the one-day workshop on International Humanitarian Law and AFSPA 1958 at Manipur Press Club, Chinglen further stated that in the last 12 years 5796 people were killed in the state according to the PIB report. Out of them 2183 people are civilians, 963 security force and 2650 cadres, he stated.
But according to the Union minister of Home it was reported that 8554 cadres of underground organization from Manipur were killed, arrested and surrendered to the security force in the last five years. The problem is there was no segregation of the people arrested, surrendered or killed. He questioned whether the consolidation of the three categories meant that all the arrested or surrendered cadres were killed, opposing its logic.
He further mentioned that in Manipur politicians are not dependable and kept changing their standpoints. If they keep on altering their stands on issues, how can they serve and stand for the state, he wondered. People in the state are getting profit by using the AFSPA and others have used it to win elections, he stated maintaining that till now no political leader of eminence have come to the forefront of the AFSPA agitation.
He claimed that people in Manipur can be broadly classified into two categories – the smiling Manipuris and the suffering Manipuris. If this unhealthy trend continues that we all will sink together, he added. At the same time, he drew a conclusion that AFSPA is one of the responsible factors for rise in cases of domestic violence. Many men are victims of the excess power granted to security personnel under the AFSPA and they in turn direct their ire and frustration to the family members, he stated.
Babaloo Loitongbam, Director of Human Right Alert delivered his speech on International Humanitarian Law. He further said that Indian government has racist views and even though they have clarified having no armed conflict or war in the country, AFSPA is enforced in Manipur to control the conflict situation.
AFSPA is used for drug smuggling and making money by grooming UGs groups now a days, he said.
The recommendations passed today urged the Central government to repeal AFSPA from the north-eastern region, particularly from Manipur. It further sought the implementation of the Geneva Conventions 1949’s common article 3 and additional protocol II of 1977, the establishment of truth commission and special investigation team (SIT) to investigate into all cases of rape, torture and killing innocent civilians, women and children and deliver justice to the victims. Other recommendation were for taking punitive action against those culprits involved in rape, murder, torture of women and girl children, and reconciliation among ethnic communities in the state for long term sustainable peace in the region.
It also mentioned the punishment of human traffickers and rehabilitating victims of trafficking, setting up of independent commission against corruption and immediately stop torture and summoning of civilians by security forces.
Another recommendation to the political armed opposition groups was also adopted urging them to respect and implement the Geneva Convention, 1949’s common Article 3 and additional protocol II of 1977 and to reconcile among the factions and stop inter-factional fighting in the interest of the common people.
In the one day workshop Dr Ch Jamini Devi, former chairperson of MSWC and Prof L Sadananda General Secretary Senior citizen for Society and Y Surchandra, President of AMNGOF were present as presidium members at the function. It was jointly organised by United NGO Mission Manipur (UNMM) and All Manipur NGOs Forum (AMNGOF).