Shillong, Dec 16: The Meghalaya Peoples’ Human Rights Council (MPHRC) has requested the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to urge the Centre to revoke the implementation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the North East region.

“The NHRC must urge the Govt of India to revoke the implementation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from North East India,” MPHRC chairman Dino DG Dympep said in a statement.

“Though Meghalaya is already out from the purview of the Act, however we are extremely concerned that AFSA gives armed forces the power to use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they feel a person is in contravention of the law,” he added.

He said the recommendation was placed before the NHRC during a public hearing held in the city.

Dympep also said that the NHRC should request the Govt. of India to recognize and include the Khasi and Garo languages under the 8th Schedule of the Constitution since one of the provision of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) stresses on the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures.

The NHRC must strongly urge the Govt of India to ratify the UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT) and to table the Draft Prevention Bill in the Parliament so that once  it become an Act it will prevent all kind of police atrocities and other form of torture with the four walls of the Police Stations, he said.

He further stated that the NHRC should recognize the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which was adopted in the year 2007 by the UN General Assembly and for which India was one of the UN Member States who voted in favour.