News
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGASA200162006
Public Statement
AI Index: ASA 20/016/2006 (Public)
News Service No: 179
10
July 2006
India: Time to repeal the
Armed Forces Special Powers Act
Amnesty
International is seriously concerned that, two years after widespread protests
against India's Armed Forces Special
Powers Act (1958) (AFSPA), the Government of India is yet to repeal this
controversial law.
Exactly two years ago, 32-year-old Thangjam Manorama Devi of India's north-eastern state
of Manipur was sexually assaulted and extra-judicially executed, allegedly by
soldiers from the Assam Rifles Regiment. These shocking events sparked
widespread demonstrations in Manipur against the APSPA and its effects.
The 48-year-old AFSPA, which grants special impunity powers to India's security forces, has
long been in force in a number of areas affected by armed insurgencies,
including the north-eastern states of Manipur,
Assam and Nagaland, as well
as Jammu and Kashmir.
Amnesty International has continuing concerns about the AFPSA and related
breaches of international standards. The organisation detailed these in a 2005
Briefing.*
Following the protests in Manipur, the Government of India constituted a
five-member panel led by former chairperson of the Law Commission, Justice B.
P. Jeevan Reddy, to review the AFSPA's provisions. This panel submitted its
report in June last year and its members were unanimous in their key recommendation
- the repeal of AFSPA.
However, the Government of India is yet to act on this panel recommendation. It
is also yet to make public an inquiry commission's report into the alleged
extra-judicial execution of Manorama Devi, despite a Guwahati high court
directive.
Amnesty International fully supports the recommendation to repeal the AFSPA and
notes, with concern, the recent statement by India's defence minister
Pranab Mukherjee that the Indian security forces would not be able to function
without the AFSPA.
The organization continues to call for swift repeal of the AFSPA.
*India: Briefing on the Armed
Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (ASA 20/0135/2005). http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA200252005?open&of=ENG-IND
_______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
