NEDF demands immediate repeal of AFSPA from NE

Itanagar, May 7 (UNI) The North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) today urged the Centre to immediately repeal the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act (AFSPA).

The NEDF, a conglomeration of 120 Peoples' Organisations in the region, alleged that the AFSPA was discriminatory against the people of this part of the country.

Addressing a press conference here this morning, NEDF Arunachal Unit Co-ordinator Dushyant Sharma alleged that the draconian law, enforced in the NE, had empowered the Armed Forces to unnecessarily harass and torture innocent people in the name of taming underground groups.

He further alleged that Manipur was the worst affected state and hundreds of people were 'arbitrarily killed' during the past few decades, besides more than ten rape cases, 17 enforced disappearances and 44 cases of inhumane torture by Armed Forces.

Despite the report of the five-member Jeevan Reddy Committee (JRC), constituted during 2005 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, recommending that such an Act was not necessary in a democracy, the Centre did not repeal the Act, he added.

He stated that the JRC had submitted their observations on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination to the United Nations International Convention (UNIC) held at Geneva recently and also forwarded its suggestions to the Centre.

''The Convention notes with concern that the Indian Government has not implemented the JRC's recommendations to repeal the AFSPA (1958), under which members of the Armed Forces may not be prosecuted, unless such prosecution is authorised by the Centre, and have wide powers to search and arrest suspects without a warrant or to use force against persons or property in NE states,'' the UNIC stated.

Mr Sharma also informed that the UNIC urged the Centre to repeal the Act and to replace it by a more humane act in accordance with the recommendations of the JRC.

''The Armed Forces have been misusing this Act and we would continue our fight till it is repealed,'' he said.

UNI