Discussions on the reduction in deployment of armed forces in north-eastern states must lead to a rethink of the use of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in the region, Amnesty International India said today.
On 11 July, the Union Minister of Home Affairs, Rajnath Singh, discussed a possible reduction in deployment of central forces in a meeting with Chief Ministers of north-eastern states. The Minister told the Chief Ministers that the security situation has improved in the region.
Worryingly, there was no discussion on the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, which is in force in several north-eastern states, and continues to enable violations of constitutional rights and freedoms.
The central government should heed calls by civil society organizations in the North-East to repeal the AFSPA and ensure accountability and rule of law. Amnesty International India urges the government to urgently address concerns of impunity for alleged human rights violations by removing the requirement under the AFSPA for executive permission for prosecuting soldiers, pending its repeal.
The Justice Verma Committee, set up to review laws against sexual assault, had said that the AFSPA legitimizes impunity for sexual violence. The Justice Santosh Hegde Commission, set up by the Supreme Court to investigate cases of fake encounters in Manipur, described the law as “a symbol of oppression, an object of hate and an instrument of discrimination and high-handedness.” Several international bodies and experts, including the UN Special Rapporteurs on violence against women, extrajudicial executions and human rights defenders, have also called for the repeal of the law.
