HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, Oct 23: The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Thursday denounced the targeted drone assault in Khammoi village under Mon district on October 20, reportedly by Indian armed forces, resulting in the death of two civilians and destruction of private properties.
The NSF called upon the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to launch an independent, international fact-finding mission and the office of the high commissioner for human rights to issue a situational report on violations occurring under the AFSPA.
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According to the federation, such actions reflect a disturbing pattern of militarised suppression, weaponised fear and systemic impunity under the cover of domestic legislation such as AFSPA.
In a release, the NSF said the victims included a promising young student leader Khampei Wangsa, joint secretary, Khammoi Students’ Union, and an eight-year-old child, Phiphot Wangsu, a Grade-1 student of Khammoi Mission School.
It said their lives were abruptly extinguished in an act that defies every standard of humanity.
“The use of combat drones and explosive payloads in civilian-populated areas amounts to a direct violation of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Geneva Conventions’ Prohibition against targeting civilians and Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), among other international laws,” the NSF stated.
Saying that the AFSPA continues to provide legal immunity to excesses of force, creating an ecosystem where accountability becomes optional, the NSF reiterated its demand for immediate and unconditional repeal of the Act from the Naga homeland.
Additionally, in its continued protest against militarisation and “state-sponsored violence”, the NSF reaffirmed non-cooperation with armed forces across all its federating units and subordinate bodies until the AFSPA is repealed.
The federation extended condolences to the grieving families, saying their loss is a collective wound upon the conscience of humanity.
It also urged all democratic nations, humanitarian organisations and conscience-driven citizens to condemn this atrocity and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable within the frameworks of international criminal law.
