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No question of withdrawing AFSPA: Antony
The minister, in the presence of the Myanmar Chief of General Staff Gen Thura Shwe Man, flagged off 43 cars in the first ever Indo-Myanmar army car rally that would terminate in Taukkyan War Cemetary outside Yangon.
Press Trust of India: 05 December, 2006
New Delhi: Ruling out repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday said only necessary amendments would be made to make the law more humane.
"There is no question of repealing the Act. Only necessary amendments will be made to make it more humane," said Antony.
He also made it clear that the Army was not opposed to carrying out amendments in the Act.
The Minister's remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a function to flag off an adventure motor rally to Myanmar assume significance as there has been widespread violent agitation in Manipur demanding repeal of the Act.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had last week announced in Imphal that the government was considering amendments in AFSPA, which has evoked resentment from a cross-section of the people of Manipur where it is in force.
The minister, in the presence of the Myanmar Chief of General Staff Gen Thura Shwe Man, flagged off 43 cars in the first ever Indo-Myanmar army car rally that would terminate in Taukkyan War Cemetary outside Yangon.
The cemetery contains 6,374 graves of Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Second World War, of whom 867 are unidentified.