Imphal, February 22: A one day colloquium on the Working of International Humanitarian Law in the Context of Armed Conflict in Manipur held at Churachandpur Government College on January 17 recommended that the Government of India be urged upon to sign, ratify and nationally legislate upon the protocol I and II 1977.Moreover, discussion session of human rights emphasised in strict adherence to resolution adopted in the Geneva Conventions 1949, Rome International Criminal Code Treaty 1998 with a view to fulfilling national and international obligations and preparing ground for peace everywhere, informed a late press hand out.

It also recommended amendment to the Geneva Conventions Act 1960 by inserting " or by any aggrieved person in a situation of armed conflict", in section 17, chapter V in order to render the 1960 statute meaningful and effective which otherwise has been a dead letter for decades.

The Government of India be urged upon to grant access to the International Council of Red Cross (ICRC) to Manipur and in States of the North eastern region as much as the ICRC has been allowed access to the State of Jammu and Kashmir, in order to maintain transparency of the occurrences in the region and to reaffirm credibility of the Government effort to maintain peace.

The colloquium further recommended that the dissident, organised armed forces of the non-State entities - the liberation guerilla /insurgents be called upon to comply with the common Article 3 of the fourth Geneva Conventions 1949 without any prejudice whatsoever be their legal status in the greater interest of humanity caught in armed conflict situation.

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