The AR personnel termed the incident an encounter which, they claim, ensued as Manorama attempted to flee while leadingthe security forces to a PLA hideout. While facts are few in the current and heated debate, the incident hasfuelled tremendous dissent and a series of protests against the role and presence of the SFs in the State andthe continuance of Acts such as the Armed Forces (Assam & Manipur) Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958.
The AFSPA was promulgated in 1958 under extraordinary circumstances, to deal with the insurgency in the thenNaga Hills of Assam. The AFSPA was introduced in Manipur in 1980 and, over the years, has drawn tremendousopposition from various 'human rights' organisations in the state, who term it a 'horrendous' Act, whichprovides 'complete immunity' to SF personnel.
The Act does provide wide ranging power to "any commissioned officer, warrant officer, non commissionedofficer or any other person of equivalent rank in the armed forces" in a disturbed area to either openfire, arrest or conduct search operations "without warrant" for "maintenance of publicorder."