Showing posts with label Internal Security. Show all posts

Nov 21, 2015

US house passes bill to restrict entry of Syrian, Iraqi refugees

11/21/2015
Republican-dominated US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted to bar Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the United States over the security concerns.
The bill was overwhelmingly voted by 289 in favour to 137 opposed and bill now needs to be passed by the Senate. It seeks to impose more stringent security provisions on already robust screening of Iraqi and Syrian refugees entering US.
The passage of bill is consider as a major setback for the Obama administration as the US President had opposed such a move and also because a large block of Democratic lawmakers voted in favour of the bill. The bill was also passed amid of threat by President Barack Obama to veto it.
 
Comment
 
The passage of Bill by US House of Representatives also follows the barbaric terrorist attacks in Paris (France) on 13 November 2015 by seven Islamic State radicals which left 129 people dead. One of these seven perpetuators is thought to have been a Syrian refugee who entered Europe via Greece along the other refugees.
Earlier in September 2015, Obama administration had announced its plan to resettle around 10,000 Syrian refugees in the US till September 2016.
Since Syrian civil war which began in 2011 to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad regime, millions of Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries and to Europe.

Nov 4, 2015

Impose AFSPA in Garo Hills: Meghalaya High Court

11/04/2015
Meghalaya High Court has asked Central Government to enforce Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 in militancy-hit Garo Hills region of the state.
The order was issued by a full 3 bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh, Justice T N K Singh and Justice S R Sen while hearing on pending cases of militants calling bandhs in the state.
The Court observed that
  • Central government can enforce AFSPA in Garo Hills region in order to deploy armed forces to aid of civil administration to restore public order and maintain the law and order.
  • The imposition of AFSPA would be only for the purpose of enabling the civil authorities in the state to effectively deal with militancy so that there is a regime of rule of law.
Background
  • Recently the Meghalaya state is witnessing a rise in number of militancy incidents in the region especially in Garo Hills including abduction of a Megahalya Government Officials by Garo National Liberation Army militants.
  • Though in past decade the insurgency was more or less contained in the state, but in last 2 years there has been a rise in the number of violence as several dormant insurgent groups in state started resurfacing.

About Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958

  • Empowers armed forces to deal effectively in ‘Disturbed Areas’ declared by both state and Central government.
  • Parliament had enacted it in 1958 to provide special legal security to the armed forces for carrying out operations in the troubled areas of 7 sisters states of North east.
  • The act was extended to Jammu and Kashmir in 1990 in order to confront the rising insurgency in the area.
  • The act provides army officers and jawans legal immunity for their actions undertaken disturbed areas.
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