8/9/2019 An open letter for the intervention in the legitimate protest against the setting up of the proposed POSCO plant in J

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AnopenletterfortheinterventioninthelegitimateprotestagainstthesettingupoftheproposedPOSCOplantinJagatsinghpur,Orissa

May19,2010Dr.ManmohanSinghPrimeMinisterofIndia

NewDelhi,India

DearSir,

AIPP is a regional organization based in Chiang Mai, Thailand drawing its membership from 14

countriesinAsia.

Wearedeeplyconcernedoverthereporteddeploymentofabout25platoonsofpoliceforcenear

Balitutha inJagatsinghpur inOrissaagainstthedemocraticprotestbyhundredsofpeoplesince26

January2010attheproposedPOSCOplantsite inJagatsinghpur. Ithasbeenreportedthatat least

onepersonhasbeen killedand 30 injured.We fear thatuseof violenceby the state forceswill

increase

as

we

are

informed

that

the

Superintendent

of

Police

Devdutta

Singh

has

said

that

he

will

useforcetofacilitatetheentryofthegovernmentofficialstohelpthesteelgiantPOSCOtoacquire

thelandforitsindustry.

This is unfortunate for a democratic country like Indiawhere every citizen is entitled to his/her

fundamentalrighttoprotestpeacefullyfortheirrights.Wethereforedenouncesuchbrutalityand

theapproachtoexcessiveuseofforcetocrushthosewhoaredefendingtheirhomelands.

The situationhasbeen further complicatedwith the launchofOperationGreenHuntagainst the

Maoists leadingtoheavymilitarisation incentral India.This iswreakingdevastationtothe livesof

innocentcivilians,especiallythetribals/indigenouspeoples.Wehavelearnedthatsecurityforcesarenow

preventing

people

from

entering

the

forest,

cultivating

their

lands

or

collecting

minor

forest

produce.Thenumbersthatarethreatenedwithstarvationordiseaseasaresultisestimatedtobe

very high. These facts have been ignored. Rather, in the name of finishing the Maoist, thegovernment isjustifying itsuseof forceand labelinghuman rightsactivistsand indigenous/tribal

leaderswhoaredefendingtheirrightsovertheirlands,watersandforestsashavinglinksorbeinga

partof them.TheattacksontheprotestersagainstthePOSCOwhohaveno linkwhatsoeverwith

theMaoistscannotbejustified.Theyareordinarycitizensstandingupforthe lawanddemanding

theirlegalrights.

Under

the

law

of

India,

land

acquisition

in

Scheduled

Areas

is

subject

to

consultation

with

the

gram

sabha(villageassembly);diversionofforestlandinallforestsissubjecttotheconsentofthegram

sabha;andpeoplehaverightsovervillagecommon lands,forests,waterbodiesandgrazingareas.

ThecaseofthePOSCO is indirectviolationofthePanchayats(ExtensiontoScheduledAreas)Act,

1996; the Forest Rights Act, 2006; and other such laws enshrined in the Constitution of India.

8/9/2019 An open letter for the intervention in the legitimate protest against the setting up of the proposed POSCO plant in J

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Furthermore,wewouldalsoliketoremindyouthattheactionofthegovernmentofIndiaisalsoin

directviolationof thepeoples fundamental rightsand freedomsguaranteedby the international

humanrightsinstruments,especiallytheInternationalCovenantonCivilandPoliticalRights(ICCPR)

andotherlawsonlivelihoodsecuritytowhichitisapartyto.

Withagreatsenseofurgency,weurgeyourinterventionandaddressthefollowing:

1. The security forcesmustbewithdrawn fromOrissaandelsewhere in central Indiawherehuman

activists

and

indigenous/tribal

leaders

are

being

hunted

down

or

villagers

victimized

inthenameofcombatingtheMaoists.

2. The governmentmust respect the rights of people over their lands, forest produce andcommunityforestresourcesasprovidedbytheConstitution i.e.thePanchayats (Extension

to ScheduledAreas)Act, 1996; the Forest RightsAct, 2006 andother such laws. Itmust

complywith the requirementsunder theseActsrelating to theconsentof thecommunity

priortodiversionoracquisitionofland.

3. Thesecurityforcesmuststopinterferingwiththerightsofpeopletocultivatetheirfields,gotomarketsandengageintheirlivelihoodactivities.

4. Illegalarrests,fakeencountersandpolicemurdersmustbehaltedimmediately.5. Commission a judiciary enquiry into the killings and atrocities committed against the

protestorsimmediately.

6. Guarantee in all circumstances the protectionof the rightsof activists and human rightsdefenders to carry out their legitimate activitieswithout fear of reprisals and free from

restrictions.Alongtheselines,armedforcesofthestateshouldbemadeawareandrespect

the fundamental rightsof thecitizens,andstopactsof intimidations,threatsandthe like,

especiallytotheprotestors.

7. Publicfacilitiesschools,clinics,etc. mustbetreatedasoutofboundsfortheconflict.Beingademocratic country, it isonly in the interestsof the governmentand itspeople that the

authoritiesofIndiadealwithsuchcasesinafairandjustmannerandupholditsownlaw.Hence,itis

ingoodfaiththatweareseekingtheurgentattentionofyourgoodofficetointerveneanduphold

the fundamental rightsand freedomsasenshrined in theConstitutionof Indiaandbasedon the

stateshumanrightsobligationsunderinternationallaws.

Thankingyouforyourkindattention.

Sincerelyyours,

JoanCarling

SecretaryGeneral

Cc: ShriNaveenPatnaik,ChiefMinisterofOrissa

ShriP.Chidambaram,HonourableMinister,MinistryofHomeAffairs

Mr.DevduttaSingh,SuperintendentofPolice,Orissa

Mr.SunilKrishna,DirectorGeneral,NationalHumanRightsCommission