‘UN body resents AFSPA implementation in N-E’
Shillong: The enforcement of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir has found its way in the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held at Geneva, Switzerland, Meghalaya Peoples’ Human Rights Council (MPHRC) secretary general Dino DG Dympep informed on Wednesday.
Dympep who attended the UN session at Geneva from 27 February to 23 March said that the Human Rights Council has given special emphasis on the issue of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) being enforced in Manipur and the other parts of the country.
“Facts were presented before the Council which relates to violation of human rights under the said Black Law,” Dympep told reporters at a press conference here on Wednesday while adding that the Council has expressed serious concern over the enforcement of this draconian Act despite criticisms from many sections of people.
Dympep also informed that he had brought to the notice of the Council several issues pertaining to Meghalaya like Uranium mining, which according to him ‘is a threat to the indigenous communities of the State’.
He also spoke at length about the vexed internal boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam as well as the international boundary row between India and Bangladesh.
He said that there are many issues pertaining to the State which were pending in the Office of the Prime Minister.
“It is a fact that documents sent from the State Government to the Central Government is left to rot on the shelf,” he claimed.
According to him, the Council also took stock of the deplorable working conditions of journalists in India.
The Council observed that the journalists in India work under constraint conditions and the freedom of the press have been limited, Dympep claimed.
“I have appealed to the Council to request the Government of India to ensure that the freedom of the press is observed in the true spirit and the same be directed to the States Government,” Dympep added.
He also informed that the UN Council held length discussions on the issue on violence against women which is rampant in India.
“According to reports two women are raped every 60 minutes in India which is a matter of grave concern to the UN,” he added.
Apart from issues pertaining to right to food, education, adequate housing, environment, people with disability and economic rights besides others, the UN Council also took note of corruption, while observing that ‘rampant corruption has been unearthed in government levels,’ Dympep stated.
“The Council called upon all States to stop adopting or implementing unilateral coercive measures,” he said, while adding that the Council has asked the states to organize workshops on the impact of the application of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights by the affected populations in the states.
Dympep further informed that a Universal Periodic Review would be held by the UN in the second week of May at Geneva to scrutinize the conditions of the countries affiliated with the UN.
He said that each country has to present a report on their progress and performance in every aspects once every two years. “The UN Council wants to know the commitments made by the government during these past few years,” Dympep added.
The UN Human Rights Council comprises of 47 UN member states who are elected by the UN General Assembly.