Condemning the ambush at Oting in Mon district of Nagaland wherein as many as 14 people, including 13 civilians were killed, six student bodies of Manipur have sought support from every section of society to unanimously fight against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 until it is completely repealed.
In a release jointly issued by the All Manipur Students Union (AMSU), Manipuri Students Federation (MSF), Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Kangleipak Students Association (KSA), Students Union of Kangleipak (SUK) and Apunba Ireipaki Maheiroi Sinpanglup (AIMS), the student bodies said that the incident of indiscriminate firing against civilian by 27th Assam Rifles at Oting in Mon district of Nagaland is very unfortunate and highly condemnable. The student bodies take the fateful incident very seriously, the release stated.
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It further stated that people of the northeastern states have been suffering Human Rights violations since the imposition of AFSPA in these regions. The excessive power given under this act to armed forces to shoot any suspect has led to lost of many innocent lives with many women raped, molested while many people have disappeared.
Stating that such similar instances have also occurred in Manipur as well, they stated that student bodies and civil societies of the state have been fighting against this act for the past many years, raising movements from time to time to repeal AFSPA. It is unfortunate that people of the state have been forgetting the sacrifice made by Pebam Chittarajan, who self-immolated on December 4, 2005 in a movement against AFSPA 1958, it added while appealing to the people of the state to remain steadfast against AFSPA movement until it is repeal.
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The student bodies extended their condolences to families of civilians who had lost their life in the Oting ambush incident and assured to share pain and sorrows of bereaved families.