Imphal: Days after the Supreme Court held that the army or police cannot use excessive force under the provisions of AFSPA or the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, a civil organisations group said on Wednesday that the campaign against the Act would continue in Manipur.
Phunindra Konsam, President of the Working Committee on Apunba Lup (WCOAL) said that it will continue to demand for justice for the victims.
The WCOAL was formed by over 30 civil organisations to demand justice for the victims of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).
The apex court has started hearing cases of 1,528 persons who are missing or killed in fake encounters.
He said: “Thangjam Manorama, who was arrested from her home, was found dead the next day. Till date the security personnel responsible for her torture and death have not been booked. It’s disconcerting that the security personnel have not been punished.”
There had been some magisterial and judicial inquiries into the alleged excesses of the security personnel. However, security forces objected the inquiries saying that according to the AFSPA a state government cannot take steps to prosecute a personnel without a sanction of the Union government.
All but one inquiry commission failed to submit reports. The Das commission of inquiry was the only one which could submit its report on the massacre of one medical student from Arunachal Pradesh and eight others innocent persons on the campus of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal.
But the report is gathering dust as any action is yet to be taken against the responsible.
In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Friday said the largescale killings in Manipur in the guise of self defence while dealing with insurgency or militants was unacceptable.
It said if members of the armed forces are deployed and employed to kill citizens of the country on the mere allegation or suspicion that they are the ‘enemy’, not only the rule of law but also democracy would be in grave danger. (IANS)
