ACHR condemns Chhattisgarh killings
26 civilians killed by Naxalites in March 2006 alone

New Delhi : Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) today condemned the killing of 6 innocent civilians and injuring of 4 others in a landmine explosion by the Naxalites at Ghodagaon village under Pakhanjur Police Station of Kanker district of Chhattisgarh in the evening of 24 March 2006 . About 14 to 18 civilian passengers were traveling in a private jeep, which the Naxalites blew up with landmines.

"The killing of innocent civilians is an act of terrorism and violates the basic principles of international humanitarian laws. It is this kind of butchery which forces the State to take lawful measures to bring the culprits to justice and protect the right to life of the civilians." - stated Mr Suhas Chakma , Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights.

International humanitarian laws provide that “in any armed conflict, the right of the parties to the conflict to choose methods or means of warfare is not unlimited. It is prohibited to employ weapons of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.” The indiscriminate use of land mines by the Naxalites against the civilains violate such principles of international law.

The Naxalites have been increasingly targeting the civilians and have been responsible for killing of about 155 civilians in Chattisgarh from June 2005 with 26 civilians being killed so far in March 2006.

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