PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 7, 2008 Statement on Detention of a Member of BHRPC at Dispur Police Station, Guwahati, Assam Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC) expresses its grief and anguish over the incidence of detention of Waliullah Ahmed Laskar, a dedicated activist of the organisation, at Dispur Police Station, Assam for two days of 4 and 5 November, 2008 without any reasonable cause. BHRPC is a human rights organisation of the nature as is envisaged under section 12 (i) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 and registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 vide No. RS/CA/B/ 61 of 2002-03 dated 1st October 2002 based at Silchar, Assam. BHRPC believes that every human being has certain inherent rights due only to the fact that s/he is a human being. These rights are called human rights. In 1948 United Nations’ General Assembly proclaimed the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (UDHR) as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. Most of the rights enshrined in UDHR have also been embodied and elaborated in a number of other binding international and regional treaties and instruments and India is a party to a number of them. More over, most of the basic human rights are also recognised in the constitution of India as fundamental rights. The United Nations also adopted the DECLARATION ON THE RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY OF INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS AND ORGANS OF SOCIETY TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS (UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders) by its General Assembly resolution 53/144 of 9 December 1998 recognising and encouraging the efforts of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in promoting and protecting human rights. BHRPC believes in the Rule of Law and employs legal means for practical realisation of human rights. It is a complete transparent and open group of human rights activists. Waliullah Ahmed Laskar, aged about 31, S/o Hussain Ahmed Laskar of Village Neairgram Part-I under Silchar Sadar police station in the district of Cachar, Assam, works with BHRPC holding more than one responsible position. As the primary geographical area of activities of BHRPC is the Barak Valley (the southern part of Assam) and the organisation also takes note of the human rights situation in the other part (known as Bhrahmaputra valley) of the state the organisation has nominated him as Special Representative giving him charge of the Brahmaputra Valley. He is also the Liaison Officer and a member of the legal team (Law and Legal Affairs Division) of the organisation. He also maintains and updates the web site of BHRPC at http://bhrpc.net.googlepages.com . More over, he has been entrusted with the responsibility of drafting a Project Proposal for research on the topic of “The Right to Freedom from Torture and Violence: Compatibility of Indian Law and Practice with International Human Rights Standards (focusing on the North Eastern situation). In his personal capacity he also works as a freelance reporter. For these reasons he stays in Guwahati, the capital city of Assam since 2004. On 4 December at about 8pm when he was surfing internet in a cafe adjacent to his residence in Guwahati a team of Assam Police led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr. Mantu Thakuria stormed the cafe and snatched his pen drive and the computer he was using. The DSP examined the computer for half an hour keeping him waiting in police jeep. Then the DSP came out taking the pen drive with him and asked Mr. Laskar to show him his room. He searched all belongings of Mr Laskar in his room. The DSP informed him that he was sent by higher authority (Inspector General of Police, Special Branch) on a tip off. And the tip off was nothing but that ‘Mr. Laskar was surfing internet’. The police team took all his documents, brief cases, laptop, pen drive, mobile phone, compact discs and asked him to accompany them. In the Dispur Police Station a team of Subsidiary Investigating Bureau and Intelligence Bureau interrogated him. A Sub Inspector from Special Branch of Assam Police also recorded his statements and the process was continued to 2am in the morning on 5 December. The whole day he was kept waiting being seated in a wooden bench. In the mean time, some “experts” from outside the state were checking his documents, laptop, mobile etc in another room. As nothing was found suspicious he was let to go at 9pm. This period of about 24 hours spreading over two days was an excruciating ordeal for him. The incidence scared him. We all at BHRPC were worried, afraid and very much in tension and are still so. It is said that the reasons of suspicion on Mr. Laskar is internet surfing and particularly downloading news, views on current events which include 30 October serial blasts in Assam and Mumbai Terrorist Attack of 26-27 November. Although he downloads regularly news, articles, research papers, texts of Acts, Rules, Regulations, International treaties and declarations relating to Human Rights, Torture, Terrorism, Counter Terrorism, Gender Justice, Juvenile Justice and so on he also uses other media such as books, news papers television and radio etc. Using a particular technology for acquiring knowledge can’t be regarded as a suspicious activity by any stretch of imagination. Every person has right to study the topic of his choice without intervention whatsoever. More over, the state is under duty to extend every type of support to the endeavours of individual/s or group/s of individuals to be informed of current events, to know the opinions of other persons. Further more, right to human rights education is also a basic human rights. And these rights are also included in the right to freedom of expression and thought enshrined in Article 19 (1) (a) of the constitution of India. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also elaborated this right. India is a party to the ICCP. The State is duty bound to facilitate the practical realisation of these rights. Waliullah Ahmed Laskar has merely been exercising these rights. BHRPC is very much concerned that these activities are being treated as suspicious activities by the Assam Police. As stated above, BHRPC is a transparent and open organisation. All information relating to its activities, organisation, membership etc. are kept in its web site; with the office of Deputy Commissioner, Cachar; the Registrar of Society, Assam and Assam Human Rights Commission. So far as relationship with the police is concerned, BHRPC regards the police as protector of human rights. Because, by law the police are duty bound to ensure right to security of life and property of the people and to ensure and facilitate free exercise of all other human rights by maintaining law and order. They have been given some power by law for performing this duty. In this sense, human rights organisations like BHRPC are additional people’s efforts for exercising their rights. But there are numerous cases where the police abuse its power and themselves violate human rights. In such cases BHRPC seeks legal remedies and justice for the victims. BHRPC also condemns the human rights abuse by non-state actors. It has no enmity with the police. Many a time BHRPC wrote to the Director General of Police, Assam and Superintendent of Police, Cachar extending its co- operation and also worked jointly with them. So, if any activity of BHRPC raises any reasonable ambiguity or confusion the organisation is always ready to put forward its explanation before the empowered authority. Which is needed is just to write a letter or visit its office. Detention of its members without reasonable grounds or subjecting them to mental stress is very worrisome. It poses a threat to human rights movement in the state. Terrorism can never be defeated by being tough on the human rights movement and human rights activists as is the present stand of the UN. BHRPC urges the authorities to ensure that this will not be repeated with activists of any human rights organisation. BHRPC also appeals to all human rights organisations, civil society organisations and citizens to urge the Central Government of India and the State government of Assam for the same.
Issued by Neharul Ahmed Mazumder Secretary General, BHRPC --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
