Weekly update 225 Human
rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jan 2,2024 to, Jan, 8 2024
1.
2023:
2.
Property
attached: Jan 4 2024: In continuation of its
anti-Kashmiris’ measures, Narendra Modi-led Indian regime has attached another
piece of land measuring 10 Marlas in Gandarbal district, today, under the
draconian law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The attached land is situated at
Revenue Estate Wakoora belonging to Lateef Ahmad Kambay, a resident of Wakoora,
Gandarbal district. This
brutal step is part of the ongoing policies of the Modi regime to silence the
Kashmiri people from raising their voice for right to self-determination. The
victim is is lodged at Central Jail Srinagar, in a fake case. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2024/01/03/modi-regime-attaches-another-civilian-property-in-iiojk.html
3.
One martyred:
4.
Sopore massacre; Jan 6 2024; On January 6, 1993, more than 60 Kashmiris
fell victim to a brutal massacre carried out by Indian security forces in the
Sopore area of Kashmir. Reports from Human Rights Watch detail the acts perpetrated by Indian soldiers, who,
in an indiscriminate display of violence, set fire to over 500 buildings in
Sopore market. The streets became a battleground as security forces fired
recklessly at passers-by, resulting in the tragic loss of more than 60 lives. Al Jazeera further reveals that over 350 shops and 140 houses were engulfed
in flames due to the soldiers' relentless firing on innocent Kashmiris. One
particularly incident involved the Indian Army opening fire on a bus filled
with passengers, subsequently setting it ablaze, leading to the deaths of over
25 individuals
https://www.samaa.tv/208737495-three-decades-later-no-justice-for-sopore-massacre-victims
Human rights violations
HR Violations in
IIOJK
HR Violations
in
|
(From Jan 1989 till 30 Dec 2023) |
|
|
Total Killings |
96,285 |
|
Custodial killings |
7,325 |
|
|
|
|
Civilian arrested |
169,038 |
|
Structures
Arsoned/Destroyed |
110,509 |
|
Women Widowed |
22,972 |
|
Children Orphaned |
1,07,950 |
|
Women gang-raped / Molested |
11,263 |
|
(Dec 2023) |
|
|
Total Killings |
7 |
|
Custodial killings |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Civilian arrested |
97 |
|
Structures
Arsoned/Destroyed |
0 |
|
Women Widowed |
4 |
|
Children Orphaned |
9 |
|
Women gang-raped / Molested |
4 |
|
(Since |
|
|
Total Killings |
842 |
|
Tortured / Critically
Injured |
2,396 |
|
|
|
|
Civilian arrested |
22,099 |
|
Structures
Arsoned/Destroyed |
1,113 |
|
Women Widowed |
64 |
|
Children Orphaned |
175 |
|
Women gang-raped / Molested |
1 |
H
R Violations in Kas
Human rights
Weekly update 224
Human rights violations in Indian
Occupied Kashmir Dec 25,2023 to, Dec, 31 2023
1. Human rights
violations; Dec 27 2023;Some of the civilians picked up by Indian forces’
personnel last week in Poonch district in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and
Kashmir have spoken about the harrowing ordeal they went through in custody.
Notably, three civilians died after they were mercilessly beaten by the
occupation troops during questioning while in custody. Speaking from his
hospital bed, one of the men Mohammad Ashraf (52) said he and four others were
picked up by Indian forces’ personnel last week after which “they removed our
clothes and beat us with lathis and iron rods, and rubbed chilli powder on our
wounds”. Ashraf and four others were admitted to
Weekly update 220
to 223 Human rights violations in Indian
Occupied Kashmir Dec 5,2023 to, Dec, 25 2023
1. Custodial killings;
2. Four martyred:
3 Custodial
killings; Dec 25 2023; The
families of three tribal men from Poonch have alleged that they were tortured
to death by the Army after the attack in which five soldiers lost their lives
earlier this week The alleged custodial killing of the three civilians
identified as Safeer Hussain, 37, Mohammed Showkat, 26 and Shabir Ahmed, 32,
all residents of Topa Mastandara village in Poonch district, had triggered
protests on Friday.
https://thewire.in/security/civilians-killed-in-the-aftermath-of-poonch-terror-attack-were-tortured-to-death-allege-families
3 Torture;
4 One martyred;
Human rights
Weekly update 219
Human rights violations in Indian
Occupied Kashmir Nov 28,2023 to, Dec, 4 2023
1.
One martyred:
2. Torture: Dec 4 2023:: As the world observes International Day
of Persons with Disabilities, today, India continues to use torture
systematically to disable the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir.A report released by Kashmir Media Service on the
occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, today, said brutal
and inhuman torture techniques, employed by Indian troops, paramilitary forces
and police personnel, have left thousands of Kashmiris disabled for life, including
over 200 losing eyesight in one or both eyes in the occupied territory. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/12/03/india-uses-torture-systematically-to-disable-kashmiris.html
Weekly update 217
& 218 Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Nov 14,2023 to, Nov, 27 2023
1. Two
martyred;
2 Six martyred:
3. Children:
4 one martyred: Nov 24 2023: Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred one more Kashmiri youth in Rajouri district of
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, today, taking the number of the
martyred youth to two since yesterday.According to
Kashmir Media Service, the troops martyred the youth during the ongoing cordon
and search operation in Kalakot area of the district. The troops martyred one
youth in the same area, yesterday. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/11/23/indian-troops-martyr-one-more-kashmiri-youth-in-rajouri-2.html
5 Kashmiri women:
Weekly update 216
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
One martyred;
Weekly update 214
and 215 Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
Bijbehara massacre; Oct 23 2023; Bijbehara carnage
will remain one of the heinous crimes by Indian troops in Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) A report released by Kashmir Media Service,
today, said over 50 innocent Kashmiris were martyred in the Bijbehara area of
Islamabad district on October 22, 1993, when the personnel of Indian Border
Security Force opened fire on the peaceful demonstrators, who were protesting
against the Indian military siege of Srinagar’s Hazratbal shrine It said 30
years on but the Bijbehara martyrs’ families are still awaiting justice https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/10/22/bijbehara-carnage-will-remain-one-of-heinous-crimes-by-indian-troops-in-iiojk.html
2.
Two martyred;
3. Five martyred; Oct 27 2023; Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred five innocent Kashmiri youth in a fake encounter in Kupwara district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, today.The youth were martyred by Indian troops during a cordon and search operation in Machil area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/10/26/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-kupwara.html
Weekly update 213
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
Two martyred;
Weekly update 212
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
Two martyred; Oct 2023; Indian troops in their fresh act of state
terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Kulgam district. The youth were
martyred by Indian troops during a cordon and search operation in Kujjar area
of the district. The martyred youth have been identified as Basit Amin Butt
from Frisal and Saqib Ahmad Lone from Hawoora, Kulgam. Meanwhile, a Kashmiri
man Sahil Bashir Dar, resident of Wanihama,
Weekly update 211
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
Two martyred;
2.
Human rights: Oct 1 2023; “A global context
of shrinking civic space is making it increasingly difficult to properly
document, report and respond to cases of reprisals, which means that the number
is likely much higher,” said Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze
Brands Kehris in her presentation to the Human Rights Council
in Geneva. The report mentions the situation of the
Weekly update 210
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1. Two martyred;
Weekly update 208
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1. Two martyred;
2 Three martyred;
3 Youth martyred;
Weekly update 207
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1. EU on Kashmir ; Sep 5 2023;The head
of the separatist Kashmir Council EU, Ali Raza Syed on Monday claimed in
Brussels that the European Union will raise the issue of so-called rights
violation in Jammu and Kashmir during the G20 Summit here. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the European Union
has also reportedly said that he will share the concerns with the Indian
counterparts on appropriate occasions. He also holds positions at the United
Nations Human Rights Council in
2 Two martyred;
artyr-two-youth-in-poonch.html
3
Human rights violations
HR Violations in
IIOJK
|
(From Jan 1989 till 31 Aug
2023) |
|
|
Total
Killings |
96,233 |
|
Custodial
killings |
7,297 |
|
|
|
|
Civilian
arrested |
168,336 |
|
Structures
Arsoned/Destroyed |
110,500 |
|
Women
Widowed |
22,963 |
|
Children
Orphaned |
1,07,914 |
|
Women
gang-raped / Molested |
11,259 |
|
(Aug 2023) |
|
|
Total
Killings |
8 |
|
Custodial
killings |
0 |
|
|
|
|
Civilian
arrested |
134 |
|
Structures
Arsoned/Destroyed |
0 |
|
Women
Widowed |
3 |
|
Children
Orphaned |
11 |
|
Women
gang-raped / Molested |
0 |
|
(Since |
|
|
Total
Killings |
800 |
|
Tortured
/ Critically Injured |
2,365 |
|
|
|
|
Civilian
arrested |
21,399 |
|
Structures
Arsoned/Destroyed |
1,104 |
|
Women
Widowed |
55 |
|
Children
Orphaned |
139 |
|
Women
gang-raped / Molested |
129 |
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Human rights
Weekly update 207
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1. Civilian martyred;
2 August
cost of struggle; Sep 2 2023; Indian troops in
their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred eight Kashmiris in the last
month of August in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir
(IIOJK).According to the data issued by the Research Section of Kashmir Media
Service, today, the Kashmiris were martyred in different fake encounters while
three women were widowed and eleven children were orphaned by the Indian
troops. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/09/01/indian-troops-martyr-eight-kashmiris-in-august.html
Weekly update 206
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
UN on Kashmir; Aug 22 2023 ; Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation
of human rights defenders, raised the alarm about the nearly decade-long
detention of Gokarakonda Naga "GN" Saibaba, a long-standing defender
of the rights of minorities in India. "
"He
should be released." https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431834/india-must-end-inhumane-detention-of-activist-un-rights-expert
2 KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION
IN INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR July 1, 2023 - July 31, 2023 ; Aug 22
2023; In July 2023, Indian authorities continued to
commit grave human rights violations in Indian administered Kashmir (IAK).
Indian forces killed at least twelve people in IAK, including an infant Rohingya refugee. The
Jammu & Kashmir administration continued to crack down on free
expression, including by
continuing to terminate public sector employees who purportedly hold dissenting
or disfavored views and
eliminating celebrated Kashmiri literature from university
curricula. The administration
also continued to target human rights defenders and dissenters in IAK,
including through the cancellation
of passports. The administration continued to escalate forced demographic
change in the region,
including through the announced distribution of public land to 199,000 people. Numerous
Kashmiri journalists, human rights defenders, political activists and
dissenters continue to be arbitrarily
detained. Indian authorities continue to use the
Weekly update 205
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1. One martyred;
2 Rape as weapon of war;
Weekly update 204:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1. Arundhati Roy on Indian
women;
Weekly update 203:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1. One martyred:
2. One martyred:
Weekly update 202:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Human
rights; July 25 2023: Indian forces continued state terrorism and
gross human rights violations during the so-called cordon and search operations
in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.A report released by Kashmir
Media Service maintained that the Indian troops, paramilitary and police
personnel martyred 10 Kashmiris and arrested over a hundred people including
Hurriyat activists in last two weeks in different districts of the
territory.“Gross and systematic human rights violations are being perpetrated
by Indian troops on daily basis in IIOJK. Modi should know that no amount of
Indian brutalization will be able to subjugate the Kashmiris. World history is
witness to the fact that freedom movements can never be suppressed through
oppression,” it said. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/07/24/indian-troops-martyred-10-kashmiris-arrested-over-hundred-in-two-weeks.html
2 One martyred:
3 Women
disappearances:
Weekly update 201:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Two
martyred:
2 Four martyred:
July 19 22023;
Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred four more youth in
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, today, raising the toll to six
during the past 24 hours. The youth were martyred by the troops during a
violent cordon and search operation in Surankote area of the district. On
Monday, the troops had martyred two youth during the operation in the general
area of Poonch district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/07/18/indian-troops-martyr-four-more-youth-in-poonch-district.html
3 Two martyred:
Weekly update 199
and 200 : - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Martyrs’
Day; July 14 2023; Kashmiris on both sides of the
Line of Control, in Pakistan and the world over, observed the Martyrs’ Day,
today, to pay homage to the martyrs of July 13, 1931 and all other Kashmiri
martyrs. According to Kashmir Media Service, the shops remained closed in
Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal and several parts of the
Weekly update 198:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 June 2023 cost of
struggle for freedom;
Weekly update 197
: - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Women and
2 Women in
3 Four martyred:
June 24 2023;
Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred four Kashmiri
youth in Kupwara district, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.The
troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Machil
area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/06/23/indian-troops-martyr-four-youth-in-kupwara.html
4 LoC violations;
June 25 2023; Two
civilians embraced martyrdom on Saturday
while one other was “critically injured” as the Indian Army opened
“indiscriminate fire” at a group of shepherds at the Line of Control (LoC), the
army’s media relations wing said. n February 2021, both countries had
recommitted themselves to the 2003 ceasefire agreement and agreed to address
the “core issues” that could undermine peace and stability Today, the
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement, “Today, at 11:55
hours, Indian Army, in a display of its usual inhumane approach towards
innocent Kashmiris, opened indiscriminate fire onto a group of shepherds in
Sattwal Sector. The ISPRidentified the martyred as Obaid Qayyum, 22, and
Muhammad Qasim, 55. “Both shaheeds (martyrs) are residents of village Bara Dari
Tetrinote, Tehsil Hajira, District Poonch,’ it added. he statement further
said: “Driven by a newfound geo-political patronage, Indian forces have
embarked on a plan to take innocent lives to satiate their false narratives and
concocted allegations Ilyas pointed out that it was not the first time that
5
Weekly update 196
: - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Two martyred:
2 Five martyred:
3 Children in Kashmir; June 19 2023; As Father’s Day
is being celebrated worldwide, today, thousands of fathers in Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir have lost their sons at the hands of brutal Indian
troops. The unending
Weekly update 195
: - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
Kashmiri Children and Indian army :
2. Google Bard;
write-up on human rights violations in Indian Occupied
Weekly update 194
: - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
The Human Rights Situation in the Indian Sub
Continent. by Pon Chandran — 03/05/2023 :I come from a Tamil culture
which proclaims to the world யா A
ஊேà®° யாவ¶A ேகளnJ “Yaadhum Oore Yavarum KeLir”,
meaning “the world is one and all are my kith and kin”. I also come from a sub
continent which is proud of its diversity. Diversity in languages, cultures,
nationalities, faiths, regions and religions. Whereas, the present ruling
establishment in
2.
One martyred:
3.
One martyred:
4.
Weekly update 193
: - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1
Two
martyred:
2
Two martyred:
Weekly update 190
191 & 192 : - Human rights
violations in Indian Occupied
1
Two
martyred:
2
Two martyred:
Weekly update 188
& 189 : - Human rights violations in
Indian Occupied
1 Lal Chowk massacre; Apr. 11, 2023; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Srinagar’s Lal Chowk massacre of 1993 which exposed the repugnant masquerade of the Indian government is considered even after completion of 30 years today as one of the grisliest incidents of brutality and gross human rights violations committed by Indian troops and paramilitary personnel. On 10th April 1993, a large section of Srinagar including Lal Chowk was burnt to the ground by Indian paramilitary troops. More than 60 houses, five commercial buildings, 150 shops, two official buildings, shrines, schools were completely burnt to ashes. A total of 47 innocent civilians were burnt alive and over 125 were killed by Indian Border Security Forces (BSF). https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/04/10/lal-chowk-massacre-completes-30-years-of-violent-act-today.html
Weekly update 187
: - Human rights violations in Indian
Occupied
1
UN on
Weekly update 185 & 186 : - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1
Biden
Administration must insist on transparency in
2
One martyred:
Weekly update 184 : - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 One more International Women’s Day: One more year of death,
destruction, and rape in Kashmir: Dr. Fai; Washington, D.C. March 7, 2023; “On behalf of the women and
children of the world who continue to be the innocent victims, we hope that the
‘Platform of Action’ which was adopted by the UN during the ‘Fourth World
Conference on Women’ on 15 September 1995, suggest implementation of a special
program to rehabilitate the women and children of all conflicts in all
situations. We also hope that the sixty-seventh session of the ‘Commission on
the Status of Women’ which started yesterday (
Weekly update 183 : - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday (Jan 23) questioned
the surgical strikes and accused the government of peddling lies, Singh alleged that
the government did not agree to the CRPF request of flying its personnel from
2 One
martyred;
3 human rights ; mar 3 2023;US secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that he raised human rights issues during his meeting with Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday. https://thewire.in/diplomacy/discussed-human-rights-issues-in-meeting-with-jaishankar-blinken
Weekly update 182 : - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Women
and occupied Jammu and Kashmir ;Feb 23 2023 : The miseries and
victimization of Kashmiri women by the Indian troops and police personnel continue
unabated in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.This was revealed by a
report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service on the
occasion of the Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day, today. The Day is observed on
both sides of the Line of Control every year to pay tribute to the struggles
and sacrifices of the survivors of mass rape and torture in Kunanposhpora. Call
for the observance of the day as Women’s Resistance Day was, first, given by
Weekly update 179 180 and 181 :
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday (Jan 23) questioned
the surgical strikes and accused the government of peddling lies, Singh alleged that
the government did not agree to the CRPF request of flying its personnel from
2 One
martyred;
Weekly update 179 : - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Congress
leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday (Jan 23) questioned the surgical strikes and
accused the government of peddling lies, Singh alleged that the government did not
agree to the CRPF request of flying its personnel from
Weekly update 178 : - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Two martyred;
Weekly update 176
and 177 : - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Two martyred;
Weekly update 175 :
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Four martyred;
2 Human rights in IO&K; Jan 1 2023; An annual report
prepared by Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK) delineates the situation of human
rights in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK). Like previous
years, 2022 again witnessed bloodshed of Kashmiris and silencing of Kashmir’s
civil society, arbitrary arrest of human rights defenders, journalists and
religious clergy.The unparalleled censorship and blackout on all forms of media
coverage about the ongoing situation in the war-trampled region has made it
more vulnerable for human rights organizations and media to work freely. The
year witnessed the killings of 181 freedom activists besides the extrajudicial
killing of 45 civilians. It said 24 Indian troops were killed during the year. Indian
troops launched 200 Cordon and search operations (CASOs) and Cordon and Destroy
Operations (CADOs). The CASOs and CADOs also left 212 residential houses
vandalized and destroyed at the hands of Indian occupying forces. There were
169 instances of Internet blockade. In January 2022, thousands of acres of land
in Gulmarg and Sonamarg area of Occupied Kashmir were declared as ‘strategic
areas’ and given to Indian military. This is a brazen violation of
International Law governing the disputed nature of Occupied Jammu and
3 Human rights and
IOJK ; Jan 2 2023; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their unabated
acts of state terrorism martyred 214 innocent Kashmiris, including one woman
and five young boys, during the year 2022. According to a report released by
the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, today, 57 of the martyrs were
killed in fake encounters and custody The report said, the killings by the
troops, paramilitary and police personnel rendered 13 women widowed and 35
children orphaned while 10 women were molested, abused or disgraced by the men
in uniform during the year. It said that Indian forces destroyed 44 residential
houses and structures. The Indian authorities did not allow people to offer
Friday prayers for 14 times at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar besides
disallowing other religious functions like Muharram processions, Shab-e-Baraat,
Shabe Qadr and Eid Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) gatherings in the occupied territory.
The report said that resistance leaders
continue to remain in detention in Delhi India 5th August 2019 ,
when Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government revoked the special status of
IIOJK, Indian troops, paramilitary and police personnel have martyred 730
Kashmiris till date.It added that 96,163 Kashmiris have fallen to the Indian
bullets during the last 34 years in the occupied territory. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2023/01/01/indian-troops-martyred-214-kashmiris-in-2022.html
Weekly update 174 :
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1 Three martyred;
2 Young
man missing;
Weekly update 172
& 173 : - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
British trade and human rights ; Dec 12 2022; Urging the international community
to act fast on ending illegal occupation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and
Kashmir (IIOJK) and in Palestine by India and Israel, the British government
was on Saturday urged to apply sanctions on states which violate human rights
without any discrimination. “In particular all trade between
2.
3. British
parliament on
|
Human
rights
1.
12 martyred ;
2.
Human rights in
Weekly update 170:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
One martyred; No/ 22 2022; In Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism
martyred one more youth in Jammu district. The unarmed youth was martyred by
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in Arnia area of the district. The BSF
claimed that on suspicion, the troops asked the youth to stop, but he moved on
without paying attention to the call, which prompted the troops to open fire on
him killing him on the spot. However, on searching, nothing objectionable was
found from him, the BSF spokesperson admitted. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/11/22/indian-troops-martyr-a-youth-in-jammu.html
Weekly update 169:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
One martyred;
2.
One martyred;
Weekly update 168:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
2.
one martyred;
Weekly update 167:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
One martyred;
2.
Four martyred;
Weekly update 166:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied
1.
October 27th: the Tyranny continues in
Weekly update 165:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir OCT, 18. 2022 to, Oct, 24 2022
1.
One martyred; Oct., 20, 2022: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred one youth in custody in Shopian district. The youth
Imran Bashir was arrested by the troops during a cordon and search operation on
Tuesday after a grenade blast in which two Indian laborers were killed in
Hermain area of the district. The troops then took him to Nowgam area of the
district and killed him in a fake encounter.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/10/19/indian-troops-martyr-one-youth-in-shopian-during-custody.html
2. UN Chief chides India: Oct., 20, 2022: UN chief Antonio Guterres chided India during a visit on Wednesday over its human rights record, which critics say has regressed under Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “As an elected member of the Human Rights Council, India has a responsibility to shape global human rights, and to protect and promote the rights of all individuals, including members of minority communities,” Guterres said in a speech in Mumbai. Guterres pointedly said that the understanding that “diversity is a richness … is not a guarantee”.“It must be nurtured, strengthened and renewed everyday,” he said.Citing independence hero Mahatma Gandhi and India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru — both of whom have become hate figures for some in Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party — Guterres said their values need to be guarded by “condemning hate speech unequivocally”.India must do this “by protecting the rights and freedoms of journalists, human rights activists, students and academics. And by ensuring the continued independence of India’s judiciary”, he said.“India’s voice on the global stage can only gain in authority and credibility from a strong commitment to inclusivity and respect for human rights at home,” he said, adding that “much more needs to be done to advance gender equality and women’s rights”.“I urge Indians to be vigilant and to increase your investments in inclusive, pluralistic, diverse communities and societies,” Guterres said. In February, UN rights experts called for an end to “misogynistic and sectarian” online attacks against one particular Muslim woman journalist who was a fierce critic of Modi. https://www.dawn.com/news/1715853/un-chief-antonio-guterres-chides-india-on-human-rights-record
Weekly update 164:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir OCT, 11. 2022 to, Oct, 17 2022
1. Two martyred; Oct,, 11 2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in south Kashmir’s Islamabad district. The youth, identified as Aasif Ahmad Reshi, resident of Sheikhpora, Bijbehara, and Wakeel Ahmad Butt, resident of Naibasti, Marhama. were martyred by Indian troops and paramilitary forces during a cordon and search operation in Tengpowa area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/10/10/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk-2.html
2.
3. Fake encounters: Oct., 14, 2022: A dossier compiled by Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK) has exposed the brutal face of Indian forces’ personnel in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir by compiling a number of fake encounters. The dossier ays Indian occupation forces frequently conduct state-sponsored false flag operations to malign the Kashmir freedom movement and Pakistan. These false flag operations manifest into fake encounters through extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris, who are portrayed as foreign terrorists through information offensive employing pliant Indian media and propaganda as a tool, it says. The LFK dossier points out that since 2000 till 10 October 2022, 146 major fake encounters have been reported in IIOJK in which 269 innocent people have been martyred. It also contains the details about the units of Indian Army, paramilitaries, police and other agencies involved in these staged encounters along with the details of the date and place of occurrence. .The dossier specially mentions the cold-blooded murder of Muhammad Ali Hussain (real name Uzair ur Rehman), a Pakistani national, who was detained in a jail in IIOJK and was killed in a fake encounter in Jammu. It says that in 2006, 26-year-old Muhammad Ali Hussain went missing from his home in Mohallah Akberabad, Haripur Division. Not being able to contact him, his brother reported the matter at a police station on 10 October 2006 and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered by the police.It says that the bereaved family of Muhammad Ali Hussain came to know about his whereabouts through media which reported the arrest of the innocent man by Indian police. Reportedly, on 10 November 2006, Muhammad Ali Hussain was arrested by Vijaynagar Police and subsequently after lapse of four years, on 19 November 2010, consular access was provided to him at Central Jail Tihar. Consular Access Performa shows that he was framed under various sections of Indian Penal Code including attempt to murder. Moreover, during custody he was subjected to brutal torture by the Indian police that resulted in damage to his right ear. The dossier maintains that on 1 July 2022, Indian Ministry of External Affairs, had shared a list of Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails with Pakistani authorities in which despite of being in custody for more than fifteen years, Muhammad Ali Hussain was mentioned to be under-trial. It says that on 17 August, 2022, in a blatant display of state terrorism, Indian police took Muhammad Ali Hussain from Kothbalwal Jail in Jammu, brought him at Toph Arnia area and killed him in a staged encounter. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/10/13/lfk-dossier-exposes-fake-encounter-killings-by-indian-forces-in-iiojk.html
Weekly update 163:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Oct ,4. 2022 to , Oct,10-,2022.
1.
Five martyred: Oct.,6, 2022: Indian troops in their fresh acts of state
terrorism martyred, today, five more Kashmiri youth in Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir. During cordon and search operations, the troops
martyred three youth in Drach and one in Moolu areas of Shopian district .The
troops shot at and injured a civilian, Asif Ahmad, at a check-point in Haal
area of Pulwama district. Later, the victim succumbed to his injuries at SMHS
hospital in Srinagar.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/10/05/indian-troops-martyr-four-kashmiri-youth-in-shopian.html
2.
Fake encounters: Oct.
0. 2022: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has said that Indian troops
are killing innocent Kashmiri youth in fake encounters in Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir to suppress the Kashmiris’ ongoing freedom struggle.
The APHC spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the troops
abduct innocent Kashmiri youth from their homes, streets and roads, and later
extra-judicially kill them in fake encounters during so-called cordon and search
operations. He said that in a similar way, the troops martyred four youth in
Shopian district on Wednesday. The spokesman said Indian troops and police have
subjected over 8,000 innocent Kashmiris to custodial disappearance since
January 1989. He said the families of these persons fear that the forces’
personnel have killed their dear ones in so-called encounters and buried them
in the unmarked and mass graves discovered across the territory.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/10/08/indian-troops-killing-youth-in-fake-encounters-to-suppress-freedom-struggle-aphc.html
Weekly update 162:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Sep ,27. 2022 to , Oct,3-,2022.
1.
Two martyred: Sep., 28,2022: Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, today, martyred two more Kashmiri
youth in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The troops martyred the
youth during a cordon and search operation in Ahwatoo area of south Kashmir’s
Kulgam district. The fresh killing
raised the number of martyred youth to three in less than twenty four hours.
The troops martyred one youth and injured another in Batpora area of the same
district, last night. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/09/27/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-youth-in-kulgam-three-in-less-than-24-hours.html
2. Kashmiri diaspora leadership urges UN intervention in
Kashmir ; by
Dr. Fai ;
New York. September 28, 2022. : The leadership of Kashmiri diaspora in
America has urged the United Nations Secretary General to invoke Article 99 of
the United Nations Charter and bring the Governments of India and Pakistan on
the negotiating table along with the genuine leadership of the people of Jammu
& Kashmir to settle the conflict once and for all. The memorandum adds that
the people of Jammu & Kashmir appreciate the principle stand of the United
Nations which you articulated on August 8, 2019, that Kashmir issue has to be
resolved under United Nations Charter and under applicable United nations
Security Council resolutions. They, therefore, urge you to oblige India to
fulfill its pledges of a free United Nations supervised plebiscite in order to
ensure restoration of democracy and social justice in their land. The memorandum
explains that the world has changed remarkably in recent years as the 77th
United Nations General Assembly opens. The United Nations can claim significant
credit for assisting to bring freedoms to the nation of East Timor, Namibia,
Southern Sudan and else. Because of the efforts of the United Nations, millions
of people who have yearned for self-determination now find themselves free.
Unfortunately, however, as the world rejoices and celebrates the freedoms of
these nations, a small forgotten land continues to cry out for the United
Nations intervention. It is the disputed territory of Indian occupied Kashmir.
“For over 75 years, the people of Jammu & Kashmir have been peacefully
struggling for their right to self-determination through a fair and impartial
plebiscite under the auspices of the U.N. While India has systematically
enacted laws, like Domicile Law to integrate Kashmir into India. These laws are
designed to change the demography of Kashmir which are in violations of 18
substantives United Nations resolutions adopted by the Security Council on
Kashmir. India’s refusal to implement these resolutions calling for such a
plebiscite is at the heart of the problem, and she has chosen the path of
indiscriminate murder and intimidation instead of negotiations and peaceful
resolution to the conflict,” the memorandum emphasizes. The memorandum said that the U.N. has the
ability to change this miscarriage of justice and to put an end to the
violence. It is not enough to simply keep a record of cease-fire violations
between India and Pakistan. Too many have died. In fact, the number of deaths
exceeds 100,000. Mohammad Yasin Malik, the most revered and respected leader of
Kashmir is facing a life and death situation. Shabir Ahmed Shah has spent 36
years in prison. Khurram Parvez, who according to TIME is one of the top 100
influential persons of 2022, has been charged under Unlawful Activity
Prevention Act, Masarat Alam’s Public Safety Act (PSA) was quashed 35 times,
but is still in Jail, Aasia Andrabi was slapped with PSA 20 times and has been
transferred to Tihar Jail, India. There are hundreds of political prisoners who
deserve your attention and intervention to be released unconditionally and
without a delay
3.
Two
martyred; Oct., 1, 2022: Indian troops in their fresh
act of state terrorism martyred two innocent Kashmiri youth, today, in an
extrajudicial manner in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The troops
martyred the youth in a fake encounter during a so-called cordon and search
operation in Yedipora Pattan area of Baramulla district. Local people said that
the youth were arrested by the troops a few days ago and were martyred in a
staged encounter, today. The troops also destroyed a residential house in the
area. Separately, the troops carried out a so-called cordon and search
operation and resorted to firing at Chitragam in Shopian district, creating
panic in the area.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/09/30/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-fake-encounter-in-iiojk.html
4. One martyred; Oct., 3, 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred a Kashmiri youth in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, today ( Oct 2). The troops martyred the youth, Naseer Ahmad Butt, a resident of Nowpora Baskuchan village in south Kashmir’s Shopain district, during a cordon and search operation (CASO) at Baskuchan village in Imamsahib area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/10/02/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-shopian-4.html
Weekly update 161:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Sep ,20. 2022 to , Sep,26-,2022.
1.
Fai congratulates
newly elected
President
of United Nations General Assembly:
Washington, D.C. September 21. 2022: “Our mission is to
support concrete solutions having a direct impact on the lives of the people
and the planet. Times is running out and the price we are paying for delays is
on the rise…The protection of human rights and the fight against all forms of discrimination
should be further mainstreamed into our decisions,” this is the vision of
Ambassador Kőrösi Csaba, newly elected President of 77th session
of the United Nations General Assembly. Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman,
Washington-based ‘World Forum for Peace and Justice’ expressed his appreciation
to the newly elected President of UNGA for his inspirational insight. Fai also
offered, on behalf of the people of Jammu & Kashmir sincerest
congratulations on his election as the President of UNGA.“May I be permitted to
raise the unresolved question of Kashmir with you briefly. I would hasten to
add that while we are fully aware of the multiplicity of issues that you will
be devoting your time and attention to in the months to come, you may perhaps
like to remember that Kashmir is not a new issue, having been on the agenda of
and in the cognizance of the United Nations for nearly 75 years. Ironically, it is the only entity in the
region of South Asia, which has so far been denied the opportunity to determine
its political future,” Fai emphasized.
Dr. Fai clarified that, we are by no means unmindful of the fact
that, in your capacity as the President of UNGA, you have to be impartial
between the parties concerned and perceived to be so. However, it is,
therefore, on the ground of the recognized principles of the Charter of the
United Nations and respect for international agreements and for the resolutions
of the Security Council that we approach you with the appeal that you exercise
your good offices to urge India and Pakistan to explore a solution of the
Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of
all zones of the State of Jammu & Kashmir. Fai warned that the persistence of this
problem has been a source of weakness for both India and Pakistan. It has
diminished both these neighboring countries. The world powers draw great
satisfaction from India’s striking economic progress which will enable India to
play its rightful role as a great power. That kind of role can only be hobbled
by a festering problem. A great power cannot afford disputed boundaries if
it wishes to maintain or enhance its prestige and influence; a small or even a
medium power can live with them indefinitely. Dr. Fai
drew the attention of the President to the observations made by some Indian
intellectuals, diplomats and journalist who perceive a growing awareness in the
Indian middle class that the persistence of the Kashmir problem weakens India
by diminishing its stature among the great powers. As a matter of fact, there
have always existed saner elements in India which have questioned both the
ethics and the practical advantage of India’s intransigence on Kashmir. As they
have received little support from outside, they have remained mostly subdued. But the apparent failure
of India’s policies, the tattered regime it maintains in Kashmir and the losses
it has made to sustain in Kashmir, despite the employment of an overwhelming
force 900,000 Indian army to brutalize the people into submission all these seem to be bringing home to more
and more people in India, even in its army, that the game is not worth the
candle. But this constructive trend will vanish if the world powers are seen as
tolerant of India’s obduracy and unmindful of healthier opinion in India itself
about what is best for India. It should not be futile now to ask that Kashmir
be looked at not as a dispute between India and Pakistan but as a
problem of India and Pakistan together. Fai urged the President, UNGA to use his
office to persuade India to rescind the Domicile Law immediately which is
designed to change the demography of Kashmir; and which is in violations of all
the UN Security Council resolutions which were accepted not only India and
Pakistan but also by the world body.
2. Two martyred: Sep., 26, 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Kupwara district, today( sep 25).The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Tekri Nar area of Machil in the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/09/25/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-iiojk-5.html
Weekly update 160:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Sep ,13, 2022 to , Sep,19-,2022.
1.
One martyred: Sep., 13. 2022: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in south Kashmir’s Shopian
district, today(Sep 12) .The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and
search operation in Heff Shirmal area of the district
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/09/12/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmniri-youth-in-iiojk.html
2. Two martyred: Sep., 15, 2022: Two martyred in a gunfight in the Nowgam area of Srinagar district on Wednesday evening, police said. Kashmir Zone Police informed that a gunfight broke out in the Nowgam area on specific information generated by police. https://thekashmirwalla.com/two-aguh-militants-killed-in-srinagar-gunfight-says-police/
Weekly update 159:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Sep ,6, 2022 to , Sep,12-,2022.
1.
Two Martyred: Sep., 6, 2022: Two
Mujahids martyred in encounter with indian army at #Poshkeeri area of #Anantnag in South Kashmir
has been identified as Danish Bhat @ Kokab Duree from Jablipora & Basharat
Nabi from Fethapora . https://thekashmirwalla.com/anantnag-gunfight-two-militants-killed-operation-on-2/.
2. Report: Sep., 9,2022:Kashmir Media Service, in collaboration with All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Kashmir Chapter, today, released a report based on data about the human rights violations and atrocities being committed on innocent Kashmiris by Indian forces during the last six months in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The six months report, from January 2022 to June 2022, said that 140 persons, including five young boys, were martyred by Indian troops in the occupied territory.The report said that Indian troops, involved in gross human rights violations and other crimes, have arrested over 854 youth and injured 104 people during cordon and search operations in the territory. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/09/08/indian-troops-martyred-140-persons-during-last-6-month-in-iiojk-report.html
Weekly update 158:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Aug ,30, 2022 to , Sep,5-,2022.
1. Rape by Indian Armed Forces men unpunished: Aug., 31,
2022:On 29 May 2009, two young women,
Asiya (17) and her sister-in-law Neelofar (22), married to Shakeel Ahmad
Ahanger, went missing in the evening while returning home from their family
orchard in Nagbal area of South Kashmir’s Shopian. On the following morning,
they were found dead near the Rambiara Nala by a team of cops along with
Shakeel; leaving behind his barely 2-year-old son, Suzain. After the initial
investigation, on the direction of Omar Abdullah led government, Justice Jan
Commission was formed to deliver the justice. The report by the commission
concluded that the two women have been raped and murdered by ‘men in uniform’.
Later on, a number of Indian investigative agencies came into the scene only to
spoil the broth. It’s been 12 years, and every wound is still burning. We are
still suffering the same what we were suffering then,” says Ahanger, sitting in
an under-lit room, displaying the timeline of his life through magazine covers
since May 2009. As the tired Ahanger narrated, the long struggle for justice
has always been a walk on spikes for his family. http://kmsnews.org/news/category/articles/
2.
Amnesty International ; Sep 4 2022; Amnesty International on Saturday expressed grave concern over the
intensified repression of rights in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the
last three years. In a report titled, “‘We are being punished by the law’: Three years since of
abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir” released yesterday, the human
rights watchdog observed that in recent years, civil society members,
journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders in the region had faced
relentless interrogations, arbitrary travel bans, revolving door detentions and
repressive media policies. “For three years now, civil society and media in
Jammu and Kashmir have been subjected to a vicious crackdown by the Indian
government, which is determined to stifle dissent using draconian laws,
policies and unlawful practices in their arsenal,” said Aakar Patel, chair of
the board of Amnesty International India, in the report. “By harassing and
intimidating critical voices, authorities are targeting all credible,
independent sources of information in and about Jammu and Kashmir. There is a
silence achieved on all dissent through heavy-handed repression which has
spread fear and uncertainty in the region,” he added. The watchdog said that it
had recorded at least 60 instances of crackdowns on journalists and human
rights defenders since August 2019.
“After an initial 18-month internet shutdown, the Indian authorities
still often suspend internet services in various parts of Kashmir often without
any prior notice,” the report highlighted, adding that the sudden “forced
closure” of the Kashmir Press Club in 2022 by the Indian government was a “big
blow to the already disintegrating media pool”.The human rights body also found
that at least six individuals including
journalists, human rights activists and academics in the region were stopped from travelling abroad despite
having requisite travel documents, which it said was a violation of their
freedom of movement.The report stated that at least 27 journalists had been
arrested and detained by the Indian authorities since 5 August 2019. “Several
journalists including Fahad Shah, Aasif Sultan and Sajad Gul have been
subjected to ‘revolving door’ arrests. In a continuing pattern, they have been
arrested under one law, granted bail by the court, and then re-arrested almost
immediately under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) — India’s
primary anti-terror law in Jammu & Kashmir, keeping them perpetually
detained. “Amnesty International reviewed 1,346 cases available on the website
of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir. It found that by 1 August 2022, the
number of habeas corpus petitions have increased by 32 per cent, indicating an
increase in unlawful detention in the last three years,” it revealed. Amnesty
International also reviewed the data published by the Indian National Crime
Record Bureau and found that there had been a 12pc increase in the use of UAPA
(Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019. “This
emerging trend of using the draconian UAPA in addition to the much-abused
Public Safety Act (PSA) is also evidenced by an analysis of information on the
High Court’s website,” it noted. Furthermore, the human rights watchdog said
that unlawful killings of the people of occupied Kashmir by armed groups had
recently increased. Quoting an analysis of the official data by the Indian
government, it said that unlawful killings of civilians by armed groups had
increased by 20pc in the past three years. “There is a lack of accountability
for use of force in the region by the police due to the continued enforcement
of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) which grants them additional
powers and impunity and falls short of international human rights
standards.”Subsequently, Amnesty called on the Indian government to immediately
release those arbitrarily detained under administrative detention and other
repressive laws and ensure that they were tried promptly and fairly in a
regular court.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1708212/amnesty-expresses-grave-concern-over-repression-of-rights-in-occupied-kashmir
Weekly update 157:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Aug ,23, 2022 to , Aug,29-,2022.
1.
Two martyred: Aug 24 2022: in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and
Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two
Kashmiri youth in Rajouri district, today(Aug, 23, 2022. The troops during
their continued violent military operations martyred the youth in Pukharni in
Nowsherea area of the district. An official told media men that the troops
deployed near the Line of Control killed two persons and their bodies are lying
near the fence, while attempts are being made to recover them. Earlier on
Sunday, during operation the troops shot and injured a youth and arrested him
while he was looking after his cattle near the Line of Control near the fence. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/08/23/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-rajouri.html
2.
Three martyred: Aug.
26, 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Baramulla
district, today(Aug 25).The troops martyred the youth during a violent military
operation in Kamalkote, Uri area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/08/25/indian-troops-martyr-three-kashmiri-youth-in-baramulla-2.html
3. British report on human rights violations in IOJ&K: Aug., 26, 2022: The Stoke White Investigations (SWI) said in a report, released on Wednesday, that there were 450 incidents of violence in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in 2020-21, exposing Indian brutalities and war crimes against the Kashmiri people. The report, titled ‘India Silencing Journalism and Human Rights in Kashmir’ also said that there were 100 of enforced disappearances in IIOJK besides 30 cases of sexual violence and 1,500 cases of pellet guns were reported. The Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK) and the Britain-based investigating unit, the SWI issued a report on human rights violations in IIOJK for documenting the Indian war crimes at the Islamabad Press Club. It also released dossier on India’s treatment of Kashmiri journalists and human rights defenders in IIOJK. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2373053/british-investigators-expose-indias-war-crimes-in-iiojk
Weekly update 156:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Aug ,16, 2022 to , Aug,22-,2022.
1.
Lest we forget: Khurram ParvezLPart one of two parts article: by
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai: Aug., 18, 2022: We are too familiar
with hacking of Kashmiri websites, now we are experiencing the same with one of
the most familiar and the most visited websites of ‘Jammu Kashmir Coalition of
Civil Society’, (JKCCS) of which Khurram Parvez is the coordinator. This JKCSS
website was hacked many times in the past. It happened again today, August 15,
2022, at 12.15 p.m. (New York time). JKCCS homepage contains the unintelligible
and incomprehensible message. At times, it is impossible even to download the
excellent reports prepared by Khurram Parvez and his team. Therefore, I
consider it a privilege to write a brief account about the reports, prepared by
JKCCS before they evaporate from its website. I want in particular to discuss a
799-pages report entitled, “The Structure of Violence (TSOV)” jointly prepared
by ‘The International Peoples' Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in
Indian-Administered Kashmir’[IPTK] and ‘The Association of Parents of
Disappeared Persons’ [APDP]. TSOV report encapsulates in chilling detail the tragedy
of Kashmir. It documents the gross violations of human rights that India and
its occupation forces now believed to number 900,000, have committed in Kashmir
since 1990. I would like to emphasize that every single fact contained in these
painstaking accounts, every single incident documented, every violation
recorded is fully authenticated. You merely will have to read the entries to
experience the clear ring of truth, which in Kashmir is often brutal and
chilling. These reports are the best testimonies, testimonies which remain
unassailable and beyond challenge, of the atrocities perpetrated against
innocent Kashmiri civilians in the name of state security. These are the
documents that damn those who profess to practice democracy and who never tire
of lecturing the rest of the world on higher moral values. The reality of the
Indian state is mirrored in these pages, unadorned, unvarnished, and
unexpurgated. Please read this report for what it says because it tells the
story of Kashmir with brutal frankness, unsparing realism and absolute clarity.
Khurram Parvez, Chairperson of Philippines-based ‘Asian Federation Against
Involuntary Disappearances” himself has delivered the hard copies of the TSOV
report to the office of ‘UN High Commissioner on Human Rights’ Office of the
‘UN Secretary General’, many international NGO’s and various dignitaries.
Although Khurram Parvez was recognized as one of the 100 most influential
people of the world by US-based Time Magazine in 2022 but he can no longer
present this report to anybody anymore because he was arrested by the National
Investigative Agency (NIA) of India on November 21, 2021, under terror law,
Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Under UAPA a person can be
incarcerated up to 180 days without a charge sheet being filed. It does not
allow right to dissent. The Amnesty International (AI) has said that UAPA has
been used to “target journalists and human rights defenders who criticize
government policies.” AI also wrote on November 23, 2021, “The arrest of
Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez is yet another example of how anti-terror laws
are being misused to criminalize human rights work & stifle dissent in
India. Instead of targeting HRDs, authorities should focus on bringing
accountability for human rights violations.” The arrest of Khurram Parvez is,
‘a really troubling development’ wrote New York-based Human Rights Watch; and
Geneva-based The World Organisation Against Torture’ called for the immediate
release of Khurram Parvez. Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human
Rights Defender tweeted: ‘Khurram Parvez is not a terrorist. He is a Human
Rights Defender.’ Khurram Parvez spoke at an International Kashmir Conference
in 2015, organized by ‘World Kashmir Awareness Forum’. Among others who spoke
during the conference included Ramsay Clark, former United States Attorney
General. Khurram Parvez focused on the context in which human rights abuses in
the state of Jammu and Kashmir were perceived. ‘You cannot understand human
rights if you don’t understand the context. Human rights abuses are taking
place all around the world, in many places, including in India,’ Khurram
stated. ‘But the difference is these are happening because of aberrations,
deficiencies in governance, and because people transgress the law. What is
happening in Kashmir is not an aberration, it is part of an institutionalized
policy of the Indian government.’ Highlighting the publication of various
reports, Khurram said ‘Our argument is that if we don’t do it we will never be
able to prove that human rights abuses are taking place. We have been able to
engage with the Jammu and Kashmir judiciary.’ With information coming from both
police and government sources, he emphasized that in the cases under review,
including Kunan Poshpura in 1991 and the massacre of Sikhs on the eve of
President Clinton’s visit to India in March 2000, there were 972 alleged
perpetrators. ‘In all these cases we have gone to the courts and tried our best
to find justice within the Indian system.’ Furthermore, Mr. Parvez emphasized
that the cases they had reviewed were not the only cases. ‘There are thousands
of others. Filing a First Information Report (FIR) is a big task in itself, it
can take 1-2 years to get the police to register a complaint, so you can
imagine how difficult it is for people to fight for justice. Then there is a
phase of investigation and sometimes the charge sheets have not been honored.
This is especially true in circumstances where the army feels itself above the
law’. Repression and cover-up has become institutionalized, Khurram said. In
terms of delivering justice, he emphasized that the Armed Forces Special Powers
Act (AFSPA) ‘has become one of the factors of impunity. It has to go.’ Mr.
Parvez also explained that one of the main reasons relating to disappearances
was the monetary incentive for killing a ‘militant’ in Kashmir. ‘If you want to
make money you have to kill a militant.’ According to government figures, since
there are only 150 militants left in Jammu and Kashmir, invariably those killed
were claimed to be unidentified foreign militants. But he said, ‘how do you
know the nationality of people if they are unidentified?’ Turning to discuss
the role of the international community, Mr. Parvez related how previously it
had used human rights abuses to push India towards dialogue. But, he said, the
Indian government views dialogue as an ‘end in itself’ and the rights of the
people cannot wait for the resolution of the dispute. ‘We are being held
hostage for even our basic needs. Even when dialogue is taking place, human
rights are being abused. We accept that the Indian government needs some time
for resolution but that does not mean the rights of the people should be
suspended. We believe there has to be a process, now in Kashmir, for improving
human rights abuses on the pattern of special procedures. If it was done for
Sri Lanka and Rwanda why not for Kashmir?’ ‘Human rights are a world problem,’
Mr. Parvez added. ‘They are not an internal matter. We have seen the
transformation of the movement from violence to nonviolence in Kashmir.’ But,
he warned, there was a trend among young people again resorting to violence.
‘It is very sad for us, that young people should want to use violence. But the
argument they use is that our voice does not reach anywhere.’ While India
continues to ‘legitimize’ its presence, Mr. Parvez pleaded for the
international community, whose assistance to date had been ‘dismal’ and all the
organizations working for Kashmir to bring pressure to lobby for a United
Nations ‘probe’ on the situation in Kashmir. Without such intervention, he
said, ‘we cannot proceed forward. We are now at a stage where it is a complete
dead end. We have done everything; we have met everyone in the government, but
nothing has changed. Now, back to ‘The Structure of Violence’ (TSOV ) report.
It is a detailed report on torture by Indian military and paramilitary forces
in Jammu & Kashmir. The report begins by saying that “Prepared over two
years, this report is a part of the continuing work to understand and analyze
the role of the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir, an occupied territory
internationally recognized as a disputed territory between India and Pakistan,
that has resulted in widespread and systematic violence including the
disappearance of 8000+ persons, 70,000+ deaths, 6000+ unknown, unmarked and
mass graves, and countless cases of torture and sexual violence.” It continues,
“Human rights groups, activists, journalists, filmmakers, lawyers and civil
society groups have written, filmed, documented, litigated, brought attention
to, and reproduced material that has repeatedly highlighted the violence and
politics of the Indian State and the everyday militarized reality of Jammu and
Kashmir.” May I quote just few more excerpts from TSOV report as symbolic of
the nightmare of the people of Kashmir. May I also add that hundreds of such
and even more horrifying incidents of inhumanity are recorded in these pages.
TSOV report, while illustrating the patterns of violence through individual
case studies, is directly concerned with identifying the structure, forms, and
tactics of violence of the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir. How did/does the
Indian State perpetrate this violence? What precisely is the structure,
physical and institutional, through which weapons, ammunition, soldiers,
officers, camps, and battalions inflict violence on the people of Jammu and
Kashmir? Where is the control? The driving motivation of this exercise is, as
has always been Responsibility. Who do we hold responsible for the individual
and collected acts of violence? (To be
concluded).
2. Prisoner martyred: Aug., 19, 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir; the Indian police martyred a prisoner in a fake encounter in Jammu district. Indian police took a political prisoner Mohammad Ali Hussain from Kothbalwal Jail Jammu and brought him to Toph Arnia area and killed him in the staged encounter. This is the second extrajudicial killing of AJK prisoners as earlier one political prisoner , Zia Mustafa, from Rawalakot, was taken out of the Kothbalwal jail jammu and brought to forests in Poonch by the Indian troops and was subsequently killed in firing in October 2021. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/08/18/prisoner-martyred-by-indian-police-in-jammu.html
Weekly update 155:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Aug ,9, 2022 to , Aug,15-,2022.
1.
Two martyred; Aug 11 2022; Indian troops martyred two Kashmiri youth (Aug 10) near an
Indian army camp in Pargal area in what appears to be another India ploy to
implicate Kashmiri youth and create
environment of fear with an aim of maligning freedom struggle and Pakistan. The
fresh incident just ahead of Indian Independence Day celebrations seems to be
another orchestrated drama for multiple purposes by the right-wing driven
Bharatiya Janata Party government in India.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/08/11/ahead-of-independence-day-is-rajouri-attack-another-false-flag-operation-by-india-in-iiojk.html
2.
3.
Weekly update 154:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Aug ,2, 2022 to , Aug,8-,2022.
1.
Human Rights Watch ; Aug 4 2022;Indian authorities are restricting
free expression, peaceful assembly, and other basic rights in Jammu and Kashmir
three years after revoking the region’s special autonomous status, Human Rights
Watch said today. The government’s repressive policies and failure to
investigate and prosecute alleged security force abuses have increased
insecurity among Kashmiris. On August 5, 2019, the Indian government, promising
security and reform, revoked the constitutional autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir
and split the state into two federally governed territories. The government
action was accompanied by serious rights violations including arbitrary
detention of hundreds of people, a total communications blackout, and severe
restrictions on freedom of movement and peaceful assembly. Since then, the
authorities have released many of the detainees and restored the internet, but
have intensified their crackdown on media and civil society groups, including
through frequent use of counterterrorism and public safety laws. “The government
needs to end the assault on fundamental freedoms and act to protect minority
groups at risk.”The authorities have invoked the Jammu and Kashmir Public
Safety Act, as well as terrorism allegations, to conduct raids and arbitrarily
detain journalists, activists, and political leaders without evidence and
meaningful judicial review. The authorities have also barred several prominent
Kashmiris from traveling abroad without providing reasons. Since August 2019,
militants have killed at least 118 civilians, including 21 people from minority
Hindu and Sikh communities. In November 2021, the authorities arrested a
prominent Kashmiri human rights activist, Khurram Parvez, on politically
motivated charges under the abusive counterterrorism law, the Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act (UAPA). Parvez, 44, is the program coordinator of the Jammu and
Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society and the chair of the Asian Federation
Against Involuntary Disappearances. He has documented cases of enforced
disappearances and investigated unmarked graves in Kashmir, and as a result,
the Indian authorities have repeatedly targeted him for his human rights work.
United Nations human rights experts, calling for his immediate release,
expressed “regret that the Government continues to use the UAPA as a means of
coercion to restrict civil society’s, the media’s and human rights defenders’
fundamental freedoms.”Journalists in Kashmir face increasing harassment by
security forces, including raids and arbitrary arrests on terrorism charges.
Authorities in India have shut down the internet more often than anywhere else
in the world. A majority of those shutdowns have been in Kashmir, where they
are used to curb protests and access to information. Since August 2019, at
least 35 journalists in Kashmir have faced police interrogation, raids,
threats, physical assault, restrictions on freedom of movement, or fabricated
criminal cases for their reporting. In June 2020, the government announced a
new media policy that made it easier for the authorities to censor news in the
region. In 2022, the authorities rearrested Fahad Shah, Aasif Sultan, and Sajad
Gul under the Public Safety Act after they had been granted bail separately in
other cases filed against them in retaliation for their journalism work. Since
2019, the security forces have been implicated in numerous abuses including
routine harassment and ill-treatment at checkpoints, arbitrary detention, and
extrajudicial killings. In March 2021, five UN expert mandates wrote to the
Indian government seeking information about the detention of a Kashmiri
politician, Waheed Para; the alleged killing in custody of a shopkeeper, Irfan
Ahmad Dar; and the enforced disappearance of Naseer Ahmad Wani, a resident of
Shopian district. They raised concerns about “the repressive measures and
broader pattern of systematic infringements of fundamental rights used against
the local population, as well as of intimidations, searches, and confiscations
committed by national security agents.”There has been no accountability for
these recent alleged extrajudicial killings or past killings and abuses by
security forces, in part because of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act
(AFSPA), which gives members of the armed forces effective immunity from
prosecution. Since the law came into force in Jammu and Kashmir in 1990, the
Indian government has not granted permission to prosecute any security force
personnel in civilian courts. Rights groups have long documented that the law
has become a tool of state abuse, oppression, and discrimination, and called
for its repeal. Affected residents, activists, government-appointed committees,
politicians, and UN human rights bodies have also criticized the law . Instead
of addressing human rights concerns, Indian officials have sought to project
the appearance of progress, Human Rights Watch said. A year ago, the foreign
minister said government policies in Kashmir have led to real “democracy,
development, good governance and empowerment.” In July, during a visit to
Kashmir, the home minister said that “a new era was established in Kashmir,”
and that it was on the “path of peace and development.”“The security forces’
raids and targeted attacks by militants in Kashmir are grim reminders of the
unending cycle of violence linked to repressive Indian government policies and
the failure to bring abusive forces to account,” Ganguly said. “The Indian
authorities should ensure justice for security force abuses and end policies
that violate the fundamental rights of Kashmiri people.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/02/india-repression-persists-jammu-and-kashmir
2.
One martyred; Aug 6
2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism, today(Aug5), martyred one Kashmiri youth in
Kulgam district. The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search
operation in Redwani area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/08/05/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-kulgam-5.html
3. Human rights; Aug 8 2022; Human rights violations have shown a massive increase in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) since August 5, 2019 when the Modi-led fascist Indian government repealed Kashmir’s special status and imposed military siege in the territory. As many as 663 innocent Kashmiris fell to Indian bullets, 17993 people were arrested, 2278 injured, 1093 houses destroyed and 125 women were molested by Indian troops since Aug 5, 2019 in IIOJK, said a report released by the KMS, today. It said systematic human rights violations are being continuously committed with impunity by Indian troops in the occupied territory, adding that several global rights groups have time and again raised alarm about the worsening rights situation. The report said the Modi regime’s August 5, 2019 actions and thereafter is gross violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions. India has unleashed a reign of terror against IIOJK’s Muslim population, it lamented. It deplored that the Kashmiri youth were being killed in fake encounters and in so-called cordon and search operations (CASOs) by Indian troops, adding that 96,095 Kashmiris had been killed since January 1989 to July 2021 in IIOJK. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/08/07/hr-violations-show-massive-increase-in-iiojk-since-aug-5-2019.html
Weekly update 153:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jul ,23, 2022 to , Aug,1-,2022.
1.
Destroying Property;
July 30 2022; Following Israeli tactic, Modi’s Hindutva regime has started
attaching properties of the Kashmiris in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and
Kashmir (IIOJK) to put pressure on them to give up their legitimate struggle
for internationally recognized right to self-determination.In its latest drive
to render the Kashmiris homeless in their own homeland, the Modi-led fascist
Indian government has attached the houses of five more Kashmiris under
draconian law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in Srinagar, said a
report released, today, by Kashmir Media Service.The report pointed out that
Modi is following in the footsteps of Israel that has been, for decades,
demolishing the houses of Palestinian people and snatching their ancestral
lands to make way for Jewish settlements in the occupied territory. It said
attaching properties of Kashmiris is sheer political vendetta on part of the
Indian regime and is meant to bully them into withdrawing their support to the
freedom movement.The report said that besides attaching Kashmiris’ properties
on one pretext or another, Indian troops are regularly destroying Kashmiris’
houses during violent military operations.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/07/29/modi-regimes-policy-of-attaching-kashmiris-properties-sheer-political-vendetta.html
2.
One martyred July 30
2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in Baramulla
district, today. The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search
operation (CASO) in Wanigam Bala area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/07/30/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-baramulla-2.html
3. One martyred; Aug1 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one more Kashmiri youth in Baramulla district, today(July 3) .The troops martyred the youth in a fake encounter in the garb of a cordon and search operation in Binner area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/07/31/indian-troops-martyr-one-more-kashmiri-youth-in-baramulla.html
Weekly update 151:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jul ,12, 2022 to , Jul ,18,2022.
1.
Two martyred; July 12, 2022:
Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth
in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir on the second day of Eidul Azha,
today(July 11 According to Kashmir Media Service, the youth were martyred by
Indian troops during cordon and search operation in Wandakpora area of Pulwama
district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/07/11/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-kashmiri-youth-in-pulwama.html
2. Martyrs’ Day; July 15 2022; Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over observed the Kashmir Martyrs’ Day, today, to reaffirm the pledge that they will continue their struggle till they achieve their inalienable right to self-determination. The day is observed every year on 13th of July in memory of the 22 Kashmiri martyrs who were shot dead by the troops of Dogra Maharaja on this day in 1931. They were part of thousands of people who had assembled outside Central Jail, Srinagar, during the court proceedings against one Abdul Qadeer who had asked the Kashmiris to defy the Dogra rule. At the time of Namaz-e-Zuhr, a young man started Azaan and was killed by the Dogra soldiers. Another took his place and he was also martyred by the troops. Thus, 22 youth sacrificed their lives till the completion of Azaan. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/07/13/kashmiris-observe-martyrs-day-2.html
Weekly update 150:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jul ,5, 2022 to , Jul ,12,2022.
1.
One martyred; July 0 2022; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism, martyred one Kashmiri youth in Kupwara district, today
(July8). The troops martyred the youth during a search operation in Tangdhar
area of the district. Meanwhile, an Indian army soldier was also killed in an
attack in the same area. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/07/08/indian-troops-martyr-one-youth-in-iiojk-3.html
2. Youth tortured to Death; July 11 2022; Grief-stricken cries emanate from the
corner window of a single-storied house in Srinagar’s Natipora locality Inside
the house, two women are trying to console Shafiqa, a middle-aged woman in a
black qameez with bright floral prints, who is crying for her “groom” son to
return home. “Where have you gone, my brave son? Come to your mother. I will
renounce this life only to get a glimpse of you, my friend.”
Fifty-three-year-old Shafiqa’s son, Muslim Muneer Lone, 21, was detained by the
Jammu and Kashmir Police on July 9 for his alleged involvement in a theft case
(FIR No 95/2022). A police team from the Nowgam police station in Srinagar came
to their house at around 9:30 am on Saturday, according to the family. “A
policeman (name withheld) told me that Muslim was being probed in a case of
theft and that they will set him free soon. Had I known that he was going to
get killed, I would have never let them
In the afternoon, Shafiqa said the same police team dropped in again.
According to her, there were only male policemen and they had come in a private
car. “They told me that I have to come to the police station because Muslim had
lost consciousness. I felt terrified,” she recalled, as a woman tucked loose
strands of Shafiqa’s hair under a translucent scarf covering her head. About 15
minutes into the journey, the car came to a grinding halt, “The policeman asked
me to shift to another vehicle which was parked on the roadside. When I got
into the car, I saw Muslim lying on the middle seat. He couldn’t talk. They
made me sign some papers and gave me Rs 400,” she said, loosening the knot at
the corner of her scarf in which she had kept the cash. Instead of going to a
hospital or to the police station, the policemen brought the woman and her son
back to their residence. “They hauled Muslim into a room with their hands. One
of the cops asked us to switch on the fan and open the curtains. Muslim was
unresponsive but they told us that he had lost consciousness,” Shafiqa said,
showing a purported missed call that one of the investigators allegedly made to
his phone at 4:38 pm before leaving the house.With the police team gone,
Muslim’s condition showed no sign of improvement. “When we checked him, he had
lost his breath. I immediately put him into my car and rushed him to a private
hospital nearby where doctors declared him brought dead,” Zeeshan, Muslim’s
cousin, told The Wire. Shocked by the turn of events, the aggrieved
family, instead of returning home, held a demonstration along with the dead
body on the main road outside their locality in Srinagar on Saturday night.
Shouting anti-police and pro-Islam slogans, the protesters alleged that Muslim
was tortured in police custody which led to his death. The demonstration continued
till Saturday midnight. It is not clear why a person in custody whose condition
had deteriorated to the point that he had lost consciousness was not rushed to
the hospital for treatment. “They are trying to cover up the crime,” alleged
Zeeshan, Muslim’s cousin. “Has the police ever caught him with drugs? There is
no police case against him anywhere in Kashmir. They are justifying his death
by saying that he was a drug addict. We demand an impartial probe.” At the
aggrieved family’s single-storied house, one of the neighbours told The Wire
that Muslim’s father, Muneer Ahmad Lone, who worked in the Srinagar Cantonment
of the Army, died some years ago after which the family slipped into poverty.
“Muslim had brought a load carrier recently with which he used to make some
money and run his family. With his death, the family has been destroyed,” said
the neighbour, requesting anonymity.“Only he (Muslim) knew what happened to him
at the police station. Had he got a breath of life, he could have told us when
the police brought him home. But he was dead already. He could not utter even a
word,” said Fancy, a relative of Muslim’s. https://thewire.in/rights/kashmir-21-year-old-died-because-of-torture-in-police-custody-alleges-family
3. Youth tortured to Death in custody; July 11 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian police arrested a youth in Srinagar city and martyed him in custody.The youth was arrested rom Natipora area of the city and was later tortured and killed in custody. People staged a sit-in protest along with the martyred body in the area and demanded justice. The protesters shouted slogans like “We want freedom” and “We want justice. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/07/10/indian-police-martyred-youth-in-custody-in-srinagar.html
Weekly update 149:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jun ,28, 2022 to , Jul ,5,2022.
1.
Two martyred; June 28 2022:
Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth
in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, today(June 27).The youth were
martyred by Indian troops and paramilitary forces during a cordon and search
operation at Trubji area of Kulgam district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/27/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-kulgam-4.html
2.
Two martyred; June 29
2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in North
Kashmir’s Kupwara district, today (June 28). The troops martyred the youth in a
fake encounter in Keran area of the district. Locals told the media that the
troops picked up the youth from their homes and later killed them in a staged
encounter.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/28/indian-troops-martyr-2-kashmiri-youth-in-kupwara.html
3.
4. Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir
Weekly update 148:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jun ,21, 2022 to , Jun ,28,2022.
1.
Three martyred; June 21 2022: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism, martyred three more Kashmiri youth in the territory,
today(June20). One of
the two youth martyred by Indian troops and paramilitary forces in the garb of a
so-called cordon and search operation in Lolab area of Kupwara district was
already in the custody of Indian army. He was brought to the operation site and
shot dead by the troops in a fake encounter. A
third youth was martyred by the troops during a cordon and search operation at
Chatapora area of Pulwama district. Pertinently, the death toll of martyrs,
killed by Indian troops during cordon and search operation reached to seven
during past 24 hours in the Kashmir valley. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/20/indian-troops-martyr-one-more-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk-2.html
2.
Four martyred; June 22 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh acts of state terrorism martyred four more Kashmiri youth in
Baramulla and Pulwama districts, today(June 21). Two youth were martyred by the
troops and paramilitary forces during a continued cordon and search operation
in Tujan area of Pulwama district. Another two were martyred by the troops in
Tulibal area of Sopore town in Baramulla district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/21/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk-2.html
3.
International Widows Day and Kashmir; June 23, 2022: As the
world is observing the International Widows Day, today, Kashmiri women continue
to suffer at the hands of Indian troops, police and dreaded agencies in Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). According to a report released
by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of the
International Widows Day, today, the unabated Indian state terrorism rendered
22,944 women widowed since January 1989 till date as their husbands were
martyred by Indian troops and police personnel. It said
around 2500 women have been forced to live as half widows during the past 34.
The women whose husbands were subjected to custodial disappearance after arrest
by Indian army and police are referred to as half widows. According to the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons and
other human rights groups in IIOJK, between 8,000 to 10,000 men have
disappeared in the custody of Indian troops and police personnel since 1989, it
said. For years, half widows in IIOJK have been running from one Indian army
and paramilitary camps to another trying to find whereabouts of their husbands,
it added. The report maintained that 681 women have been martyred by the
troops and paramilitary forces since January 2001 till date. It pointed out
that womenfolk constitutes the majority of the Kashmiris suffering from
multiple psychic problems. “Due to unending agony, Kashmiri widows, half widows
are suffering from psychological problems. As per a study, women comprise more
than 60% of psychiatric patients in IIOJK,” it added. The report said the Kashmiri women are targeted for raising their
voice against Indian brutalities. Dozens of women including Aasiya Andrabi,
Fehmeeda Sofi, Naheeda Nasreen and others are languishing in different jails of
India and IIOJK for their affiliation with the ongoing right to self
determination movement, it said. The report underscored that the
International Widows Day is a reminder for the world to realize the plight of
Kashmiri widows and half-widows. #PlightOfWidowsOfKashmirConflict https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/23/22944-women-widowed-in-kashmir-since-1989.html
4. #SystematicUseOfTortureInIIOJK, June ,2, 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, India is using physical, mental and psychological torture at a large scale as a tool to prolong its illegal hold on Kashmir and to suppress the Kashmiris’ struggle for right to self-determination. A report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, today, revealed that Indian troops during their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred 96,079 Kashmiris including 7,242 in custody and fake encounters since January 1989 till date. The report said that Indian troops and police personnel arrested 164,906 Kashmiris, including women and children, during crackdowns and military operations since 1989 till date. “These arrested people were physically and mentally tortured by the Indian army, paramilitary and police personnel in different interrogation centers, police stations and jails. The use of torture by the troops has been widespread and indiscriminate in occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” it said. It said 96,622 Kashmiris, including men, women and children, have been injured due to the firing of bullets, pellets, teargas shells and systematic use of torture by Indian troops and police personnel on the people in IIOJK since 2000. It said hundreds of persons, including 19-month-old Hiba Jan, 8-year-old Shahid Fayaz, 9-year-old Owais Ahmed, Asif Ahmed Sheikh,10, Aaqib Zahoor, 16, Ulfat Hameed, 17), Bilal Ahmed Butt. 17), Insha Mushtaq, 18, Tariq Ahmed Gojri,19, Faizan Ashraf Tantray, 19, Nadeem, 15, Sahil Hameed Butt, Ifra, Shabroza, Parvez Ahmed, 20, Danish Rajab, 24, Shakeela, 30, Zahid Nisar, 14, Yawar Yousuf, Qisar Ahmed and Arif Ahmed Wagay, 22, have lost their eyesight in one or both eyes due to pellet injuries. The report said Indian Army and police have established scores of torture centres in occupied Kashmir where innocent Kashmiris are subjected to various kinds of brutal methods to extract information and confessional statements from them. “Cargo, Harinivas, Papa-1 and Papa-II, and Humhama and police stations are the most notorious interrogation centres where thousands of Kashmiris lost their lives due to severe torture during interrogation. Even top APHC leader, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, died in custody, while prominent liberation leader, Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru, were hanged to death on the basis of a confessional statement and fake cases which was extracted on the basis of torture during custody,” it added. The report said that thousands of Hurriyat leaders, activists, politicians and journalists including APHC Chairman, Masarrat Aalam Butt, , Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Fehmeeda Sofi, Naheeda Nasreen, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ayaz Muhammad Akbar, Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Mushtaqul Islam, Muhammad Yousuf Mir, Muhammad Yusuf Falahi, Muhammad Rafiq Ganai,Hayat Ahmed Butt, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Syed Shakeel Yousuf, Ghulam Qadir Butt, Dr Muhammad Shafi Shariati, human rights defender, Khuram Parviaz, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, journalist, Aasif Sultan, Fahad Shah and others remain lodged in different jails of IIOJK and India under black laws, Public Safety Act and Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act (UAPA) in fake cases registered against them to suppress the Kashmiris’ ongoing right to self-determination demand. The report pointed out that the life of the people of occupied Kashmir has become a living hell since August 05, 2019, when the Narendra Modi-led fascist government repealed the special status of IIOJK by violating international laws and placed it under military siege. “Occupied Kashmir has been turned into the world’s largest prison and military state by India,” it said. The report said, India is carrying out the genocide of Kashmiris for the past over seven decades and the killing spree witnessed a massive surge since August 05, 2019. Kashmiri youth are picked up from their homes, killed in fake encounters and buried at unknown locations, it said. The report said that India should allow unconditional access to international human rights organizations to IIOJK to assess the prevailing human rights situation in the territory. New Delhi should also ratify the UN Convention against Torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, it said. The report maintained that despite facing India’s worst kind of torture and nefarious tactics, Kashmiris are determined to take their freedom movement to its logical conclusion. It said that the world community, particularly the UN must take cognizance of New Delhi’s brutal actions in IIOJK and come forward in a big way to save the Kashmiris from the Indian atrocity https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/26/india-using-torture-as-tool-to-suppress-kashmiris-struggle-in-iiojk.html
Weekly update 147:
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jun ,14, 2022 to , Jun ,21,2022.
1.
Two martyred; June 15, 2022: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism, martyred two more Kashmiri youth in Srinagar district,
today (June 14). The youth were martyred by troops and paramilitary forces
during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Bemina area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/14/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-youth-in-iiojk-4.html
2.
Two martyred; June 16,
2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two more Kashmiri youth in Shopian
district, today(une15). According to Kashmir Media Service, the troops martyred
the youth during a cordon and search operation in Kanjikullar area of the
district. The troops sealed all entry and exit points of the area, restricting
the movement of the residents. They also did not allow the media persons to
enter the area. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/15/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-shopian-2
3.
Four martyred; June
20, 2022: Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism martyred
four Kashmiri youth in two different areas of Indian illegally occupied Jammu
and Kashmir, today(June 19). The troops martyred two youth during a cordon and
search operation in Lolab area of Kupwara district. In another operation later,
the troops martyred two more youth in D.H Pora area of Kulgam District. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/19/indian-troops-martyr-four-more-youth-in-iiojk-3.html
Weekly update 146 -
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jun , 2022 to , Jun ,14,2022.
1.
Four martyred; June 07, 2022: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred four more Kashmiri youth in Kupwara and Baramulla
districts. The troops martyred two youth during a cordon and search operation
(CASO) in Kandi area of Kupwara district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/07/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-youth-in-iiojk-2.html
2.
Two martyred; June
12, 2022: Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts of
state terrorism martyr two more youth in Pulwama and Kulgam districts, today. The
troops martyred one youth each in Drabgam area of Pulwama and Khandipora area
of Kulgam during cordon and search operations. The authorities also suspended
internet service in the areas and the operations were going on till last
reports came in.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/11/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-youth-in-iiojk-3.html
3.
Four martyred; June
13, 2022: Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism martyred
four Kashmiri youth in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (June 12) .The
troops martyred three youth during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in
Drabgam area of Pulwama district. Another youth Adil Parray was martyred by the
troops in Kreesbal Palpora area of Srinagar district on Sunday.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/12/indian-troops-martyr-three-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk.html
Weekly update 145 -
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir may 31, 2022
to , Jun ,7,2022.
1.
Two martyred; Jun 1 2022: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred two more Kashmiri youth in Pulwama district, today
(May 31). The troops martyred the youth
during a cordon and search operation in Rajpora area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/31/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk.html
2.
Kashmiri
children:; Jun 5, 2022:In Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their unabated acts of state
terrorism have martyred 910 children during the last 33 years. A
report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service on the
occasion of the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression,
today (June 04), revealed that 910 children were among the 96,054 Kashmiris
martyred by Indian troops from January 01, 1989 till date. The report said that
the killing of civilians by the troops rendered 107,860 children orphaned in
the territory during the period. The report said that thousands of people including
school boys and girls were also injured by the pellets, bullets and teargas
shells fired by Indian troops, police and paramilitary forces. It added that
hundreds of persons including 19-month-old Hiba Jan, 8-year-old Shahid Fayaz,
9-year-old Owais Ahmed, 10-year-old Aasif Ahmed Sheikh, Insha Mushtaq (16),
Aaqib Zahoor (16), Ulfat Hameed (17), Bilal Ahmad Butt (17), Tariq Ahmed Gojri
(19) and Faizan Ashraf Tantray (19) had lost eyesight in their one or both eyes
totally due to the pellet injuries. The report added that hundreds of boys as
well as girls aged below 19 have been martyred during cordon and search
operations and fake encounters, while a large number of boys under the age of
19 are facing illegal detentions under black laws in different jails of IIOJK
and India. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Political Movement (DPM) in
a statement in Srinagar said while the International Day of Innocent Children
Victims of Aggression is being observed around the world, today, a large number
of minors are being abused and mistreated by Indian troops in IIOJK. It called
upon the United Nations, human rights and child protection organizations to
come forward and save the Kashmiri children from the Indian violence. Indian
troops not only arrest innocent children but also use them as a weapon of war,
it said. The world community must also play its role in resolving the Kashmir
dispute according to the United Nations resolutions and aspirations of the
Kashmiri people, it added. On the other hand, Pasban-e-Hurriyat Chairman, Uzair
Ahmad Ghazali, in a statement in Muzaffarabad said Indian troops have orphaned
over 107,690 children in the last three decades whose parents have been
brutally martyred in fake encounters and in prisons. He said that violence,
cruelties and brutalities against Kashmiri children had been a well-thought-out
plan of the Indian government which was being carried out by the personnel of
the Indian forces. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/04/children-worst-victims-of-indian-state-terrorism-in-iiojk-2.html
3. Chinese Professor; June 05, 2022: Another 10 innocent Kashmiri youths were brutally killed by the Indian occupation forces, which is clearly another evidence of state terrorism committed by the Indian authorities, Cheng Xizhong, Visiting Professor of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, said. Cheng Xizhong in a statement issued in Beijing said the Indian authorities have been using state terrorism to exercise bloody rule over Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and therefore, the international community should unanimously condemn it. Professor Cheng, who is also Senior Fellow of the Charhar Institute, opined that nowadays the entire international community has expressed its opposition to terrorism in all its forms. This should include terrorist acts committed by various terrorist organizations, as well as the state form of terrorism. Moreover, according to the professor, “proxy war” carried out by the regional power using terrorist organizations should also be categorized as an act of terror. He further castigated India for not only implementing state terrorism, but also using terrorist organizations to carry out “proxy war”. India’s state terrorism has seriously violated the fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people and seriously undermined regional peace and stability. The international community should attach great importance to it and take resolute measures to stop it, he added. The inhuman acts of terror in the IIOJK have exposed the extremist and terrorist face of Hindutva of the Narendra Modi regime and India will not succeed in suppressing Kashmiri struggle for the right to self-determination with such atrocious tactics. The just cause of the Kashmiri people will win the final victory, he firmly believes. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/06/05/killing-of-kashmiri-youth-another-evidence-of-indian-terrorism-prof-cheng.html
Weekly update 143 - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir may 17, 2022
to , may ,23 2022.
1.
One martyred May 21 2022: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in Kupwara district, today (May 21)
The troops martyred the youth during a military operation in
Tangdhar area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/20/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-kupwara.html
2.
Three martyred May 26
2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Kupwara
district, today. The youth were martyred by troops during a violent cordon and
search operation in Jumagund area of the district,
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/26/indian-troops-martyr-three-youth-in-iiojk-3.html
3.
Two martyred :May 28
2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two youth in Pulwama district (May
27), raising the number of slain youth in the territory to five since
yesterday. The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation
at Aganhanzipora in Awantipora area of the district. They are identified as Shahid Mushtaq Bhat and Farhan
Habib. Earlier, the troops martyred three youth during a similar
operation at Jumagund in Kupwara district, today.Three other youth were
martyred by the troops in a violent military operation in Pattan area of
Baramulla district, yesterday.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/27/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-youth-in-iiojk-2.html
4.
Two martyred; May 29
2022: In Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism
martyred two Kashmiri youth in South Kashmir’s Islamabad district on Saturday. The
troop martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in
Shattipora area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/28/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-iiojk-4.html
5. Rape condoned; May 30 2022: Justice continues to elude families of Shopian double rape and murder victims despite the passage of thirteen years. Aasiya and Nelofar were abducted, raped and subsequently killed by the men in uniform in Shopian and their bodies were found on 30th May, 2009, said a report released by the KMS, today. It said the Shopian double rape and murder is a chilling example of Indian troops’ brutalities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the incident is witness to institutionalized and structured violence that India is using in the territory. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/29/13-years-on-justice-continues-to-elude-families-of-shopian-double-rape-and-murder-victims.html
Weekly update 143 - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir may 17, 2022
to , may ,23 2022.
1. One martyred May 21 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in Kupwara district, today (May 21) The troops martyred the youth during a military operation in Tangdhar area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/20/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-kupwara.html
Weekly update 142 - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir may 10, 2022
to , may ,16 2022.
1.
Three martyred; may
11 2022; Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism martyred
three Kashmiri youth in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The troops
martyred two youth during a cordon and search operation in Kreeri Dooru area of
Islamabad district, this evening. The operation continued till last reports
came in. The occupation authorities have suspended internet service in the
area. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/10/indian-troops-martyr-three-more-kashmiri-youth.html
2. One martyred: May 12
2022: In Indian illegally occupied
Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, today(May 1), martyred one more Kashmiri youth in
north Kashmir’s Bandipora. The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and
search operation in Salinder forest area of the district. The operation
continued till last reports came in.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/11/indian-troops-martyr-one-more-youth-in-iiojk-2.html
3. Two martyred: May 14, 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, today (May 13). The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation in the Brar Aragam area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/13/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-bandipora-2.html
Weekly update 141 -
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir may 3, 2022
to , may ,9 2022.
1.
three martyred; May 7 2022; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Islamabad district, today.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles and Central
Reserve Police Force personnel martyred the youth during a joint cordon and
search operation in Pahalgam area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/06/indian-troops-martyr-three-youth-in-iiojk-2.html
2. Two martyred; may 9 2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two youth in Kulgam district. The youth were martyred by Indian army’s Rashtriya Rifles and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Cheyan Devsar area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/05/08/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-kulgam.html
Weekly update 140 -
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Apr 26, 2022 to , may ,2 2022.
1. Two martyred; Apr 29 2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two youth in Pulwama district. The troops martyred the youth including an engineering student, Aijaz Ahmed, during a cordon and search operation in Mitrigam area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/04/28/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-pulwama-3.html
Weekly update 139 -
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Apr 19 , 2022 to , Apr ,26 2022.
1.
Three martyred; Apr
22 2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Baramulla
district, today. The youth were martyred by Indian army’s Rashtriya Rifles,
paramilitary and Special Operation Group during a violent cordon and search
operation (CASO) in Pariswani area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/04/21/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-baramulla.html
2.
Two martyred; Apr 24
2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Kulgam
district on Saturday. The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search
operation (CASO) in the Mirhama area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/04/23/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-kulgam-4.html
3. Three martyred ; Apr 25 2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three more youth in Pulwama district, today(April 24) , raising the toll to 11 in the territory since Thursday. The youth were killed by the troops during a cordon and search operation in Pahoo area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, today. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/04/24/indian-troops-martyr-3-more-youth-in-iiojk.html
Weekly update 138 -
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Apr 12 , 2022 to , Apr ,19 2022.
1. Two martyred: April 11 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two youth in Kulgam district, today.The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation (CASO) at Iftari time in Khurbatpora area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/04/11/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk.html
2. Challenges for press freedom in Kashmir;By Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai ;April 13, 2022; “Kashmiri journalists are already working in a dangerous environment and under a climate of fear, given the various threats they face from multiple actors. This climate of fear has been exacerbated also by state surveillance, police questioning journalists about their reporting, and criminal and anti-terror cases that have been filed against journalists,” Committee to Protect Journalists. (Courtesy: Mint Lounge). Who does not know the historic date of December 10, 1948? It was on this day that the United Nations adopted one of its first major achievements, that is known as the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ (UDHR). The Assembly proclaimed the Declaration: “a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.” Included in the Declaration is the ‘Freedom of Movement. The clear trend of modern history is towards greater individual freedoms. The guarantee to move freely throughout one country or in this global village is one of the greatest individual freedoms man has ever had. There are different levels of freedoms. But perhaps the purest expression of freedom is that of movement. This is exactly what the Berlin Wall exemplified. The Berlin Wall was not a defensive barrier nor an obstacle to keep enemies of Germany out, but it was a wall to keep ordinary citizens belonging to the same family away from each other. Fortunately, that Berlin Wall has crumbled. It does not exist anymore. But we still have many more Berlin Walls with different names like one known as Cease-fire Line in the occupied State of Jammu and Kashmir The European Community has realized the importance of freedom of movement and has passed legislative measures guaranteeing this very important right. These measures seek to abolish national discrimination by member states and to ensure that a citizen of any of the European Community can live and work without restrictions in the member state of his choice. Europeans now pass and move freely country to country. Gone are the security check points and the border patrol guards. The Europeans have realized that freedom of movement is fundamental to all economic freedoms. It is difficult for people, like the people of the tormented land of Kashmir, to comprehend the real significance of declarations, such as that ours is a global village, where we must abide according to the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its principles. To them, these principles, and these slogans are never real. The reality is otherwise because people are arrested as along as their tormentors please and there is no recourse to legal defense. In such cases, the United Nations remains a silent observer, procrastinating on enforcing its will, especially so when the affected people are insulated from the civilized eye How can I ask the people of Jammu & Kashmir to repose their trust in the principles of the United Nations; how can I ask them to believe in the Universal declaration of Human rights; and how can I make them believe in this right to ‘Freedom of Movement’, when they see that those who violate the will of the United Nations are not placed under the economic and political pressure that is specified by Article 13 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 12 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Covenant. The United Nations Human Rights Council has to examine whether or not the behavior of a member state is in accordance with the pledge it made under Article 55 and 56 and is justified in “a democratic society.” When one examines the state’s actions in the light of the United Nations pronouncements, then many more questions arise as to its commitment to protecting the freedom of movement. The UN Human Rights Committee that was established by a 1966 human rights treaty, has expressed that states are liable under the Political Covenant for violations of a person’s rights recognized in that Covenant and committed by its agents in the territory of another state. The United Nations and its affiliated organizations have a stake in the substance of this right Freedom of Movement in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Since 1947, the people of this land have been unable to avail of their right to internal and transnational movement. Instead, they have suffered the pain of four displacements, expulsions, exiles and refusals to return. The Kashmiri refugees, overshadowed by international crisis, from Syria to Afghanistan to Myanmar to Ukraine, say the world has forgotten them. And, like refugees everywhere, they say one of their worst trials is uncertainty. In Indian occupied Kashmir, an ominous pattern of violations of the right to freedom of movement is taking place. As these are occurring in the course of an armed conflict in the exercise of the right to self-determination, international scrutiny is imperative. Violations of the right to freedom of movement by the Indian forces can be characterized as breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention in addition to breaches of international human rights law standards. Dr. Nazir Gilani, President, JKCHR says, “There is a special guarantee of freedom of travel including the lawful entry and exit given in the UN Security Council Resolution of 21 April 1948. Travel of the local inhabitants and of many others to and from the Valley has come to a standstill. So much so that Indian administration has denied the request made by the officials of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the Valley Here are a few examples of violations of the right of freedom of movement occurring in Jammu & Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir is one political and geographical entity divided artificially by a cease-fire line which has come into existence as a result of intervention by the United Nations. Movement of one and all is restricted when an entire locality is put under, what is locally known as a crackdown in Kashmir. Entire locality is besieged by the Indian army during cordon and search operations. When the entire male population of an area is detained at a particular place, in the open, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures, sometimes extreme heat, rain without food and water for the whole day which may even extend to parts of night. Frequent roadblock check and harassment, humiliation of civilians including medical and firefighting personnel trying to carry out their duties has greatly hampered movement of people in their own land. There have been many occasions where vehicles have been fired upon by the Indian army killing and injuring people while in travel. Movement to the hospitals too has got restricted as the Indian army has not and does not spare these institutions too. Passports are denied selectively. Some political leaders have not been given passports even to receive medical treatment outside India or simply to travel to other countries. We urge the UN Human Rights Council to apply the ECOSOC Resolution 1990/78 that was adopted on July 27, 1990 to the benefit of those who have been denied their right of freedom of movement, forced to take refuge elsewhere, displaced from their homes, exiled and expelled from their homelands, examples; Dr. Ghulam Nabi Mir of the United States, Nazir Ahmed of the United Kingdom, Dr. Mubeen Shah who is residing these days outside India and many others. We call upon the United Nations and all its agencies to provide a coordinated response in alleviating the conditions of these people without any delay. We also appeal to the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, in the name of humanity and justice to help stop these atrocities and listen to cries of anguish and pain of the innocent people of Kashmir. If we fail to carry out this task, we shall not be living upto the Charter of the Human Rights Council which has been mandated to give ‘meaning to the sufferings of the human race.’
Weekly update 136 and
137 - Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Mar 29 , 2022 to , Apr ,11 2022.
1. Two martyred: April 06 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred two Kashmiri youth in Pulwama district, today. The troops martyred the youth during a massive cordon and search operation in Arigam area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/04/06/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-pulwama-2.html
2. Two martyred: April 10 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Srinagar district on Sunday. The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Beshembar Nagar area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/04/10/indian-troops-martyrs-one-kashmiri-youth-in-srinagar.html
Weekly update 135 - Human rights violations in Indian
Occupied Kashmir Mar 22 , 2022 to , Mar ,28 2022.
1.
Why I'm Crashing Screenings of "Kashmir
Files" in California ;by Pieter Friedrich; Propaganda film's sole purpose
is to incite anti-Muslim hatred and violence in India ; Mar 22 2022;“Kashmir Files” purports to tell the story
of the 1990 Kashmiri Pandit Exodus. In 1990, as a separatist uprising began in
Muslim-majority Kashmir, a Hindu community known as “Pandits” fled the region
en masse. Many of them were killed at the time as well as over the next 10 to
15 years. The
specifics of the persecution of Kashmiri Pandits demand attention and have
already been faithfully recounted by various historians and journalists in both
the past and the present. They certainly suffered. Perhaps a hundred thousand
or more (out of a population of 140,000) fled the region. According to figures
recently released by Kashmir Police, at least 89 were killed; at the high end,
according to figures collected by a Kashmiri Pandit organization, up to 650
were killed between 1990 and 2011. As a notable aside, it’s questionable
whether all of those Pandits who were targeted were killed for their religion
or rather for political reasons due to the positions many held as government
officials; while their murders, either way, are condemnable, the latter reason
casts the affair in a far different light than the purely communal lens through
which Agnihotri insists it must be viewed. Moreover, the tragic killings of
Pandits by militant separatists should also be contextualized alongside the
thousands of Kashmiri Muslims who were also killed by militants as well as the
tens of thousands of Kashmiri Muslims a great many of them innocent civilians
who were murdered by Indian security forces during their brutal suppression of
the separatist movement. Regardless,
the story of the Kashmiri Pandits deserves to be told (as does that of every
persecuted community), but instead of telling it honestly, Agnihotri has seized
on it as a political tool to spread anti-Muslim propaganda at a time when, 30
years after the fact, Pandits face no persecution whatsoever while Muslims
throughout India according to many, many
sources are at risk of an impending
genocide at the hands of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), its parent organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and
other affiliated elements. In Agnihotri’s mythologized telling, at least 4,000
Kashmiri Pandits were murdered. His film explicitly terms it a “genocide” and
supportive viewers are widely comparing it to the systematic location,
deportation, and elimination of six million Jews by the Nazis. Agnihotri
portrays the exodus of the Pandits as an untold even deliberately covered up
story which he alone had the courage to reveal. Some courage it took, too,
considering that Indian Prime Minister Modi and many of his top cabinet members
have openly endorsed it while most BJP states are not only allowing it be shown
tax-free but giving state employees a paid half-day (and free tickets) to go
view it. The
general American public is clueless about the messaging behind “Kashmir Files,”
but it’s not lost on audiences in India. Videos filmed at multiple different Indian
cinemas show audiences, as the end credits scroll, rising to raise their own
slogans. “India will be a Hindu nation,” shouts one crowd. “No Muslim will be
allowed.” Another crowd shouts, “Long live BJP. When Muslims are slaughtered,
then they will chant the name of Ram.” Yet another crowd cheers as a man
declares: “If every Hindu boy under 25 starts marrying a Muslim girl, then
their population will be less than half within three generations. Marry their
women, make children with them.” Such a reaction is to be expected. After
all, as Indian journalist Siddharth Bhatia notes, “The film is exploitative in
the extreme, made to rouse emotions and build up a particular mood against
Indian Muslims.” Countless others have reached the same conclusion. “At every possible
opportunity, the filmmaker underscores the terrorists’ religion,” writes Indian
film critic Tanul Thakur. “Another piece of dog-whistling: all Kashmiri Muslims
are terrorists (this isn’t even an implication; the film is almost explicit
about it, more than once) Given the blatant communal climate in the country for
the last many years, these implications are unmistakable: that terrorists =
Muslims or, more accurately, Muslims = terrorist.” “There isn’t a single Muslim
character in the film who is empathetic,” says Indian screenwriter Darab
Farooqui. “Every single Muslim character is either deceitful or evil…. It’s a
propaganda piece that only shows one version of events. Yes, the events are
bitter, unpleasant and ugly facts. They are, nevertheless, deceptive, dishonest
and incomplete. The Kashmir Files serves a purpose, and the purpose is
propaganda.” Indian journalist Naomi Barton warns that “Agnihotri has built a
great canal of hatred,” explaining, “In broad strokes, the Muslims of The
Kashmir Files are unequivocally shown as barbaric, or servile to a barbaric
cause.” Barton adds, “The lie is that all Muslims must be collectively punished
for this, and any violence visited upon them is justly deserved.” Indeed, the
entire point of the film inescapably seems to be to convey the message that the
killing of some Hindus in Kashmir by some Kashmiri Muslim separatists 30 years
ago justifies, today, mass violence against Muslims throughout the entirety of
India.That’s obvious from the bloodthirsty slogans of audiences in India. It’s
also the message that one anonymous YouTuber took away from the film. In a viral video, a
man wearing a saffron mask the color of the Hindu nationalist movement urges,
“If you are a Hindu and want to avenge (the deaths) of Kashmiri pandits, if you
know a Muslim, trouble them.” He demands the killing of Indian Muslims
“everyone from the oldest to the youngest” and calls for the rape of their
mothers, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, and others. “Trouble them so much that
they cry, leave them tormented,” he says. “Create an atmosphere that forces
them to leave the country. We won’t let them leave nor will we let them live in
the country.” That’s the intent of the Hindu nationalist movement figure-headed
by the RSS-BJP: to not let Muslims live in India or leave India. Ideologically,
in their eyes, Muslims (as well as Christians) are “traitors” to the nation
because, as they believe, only Hindus can truly be considered “Indian.”
According to the RSS-BJP, these minority communities must therefore be purged
from the country. Eliminated. Killed. This was the goal underlying the fascist
oath taken by a genocidal conclave of Hindu nationalists held just a few months
ago. “We all take an oath, give our word, and make a resolution that, until our
last breath, we will make India a Hindu nation and keep it a Hindu only
nation,” they pledged “We will fight, and die, and, if required, we will kill
as well.” Simultaneously, in the city of Haridwar, Uttarakhand, another
conclave was urged to take up weapons to wipe out Indian Muslims. Such events
are one of many reasons that organizations like Genocide Watch, a US-based
nonprofit, are incessantly warning about the looming risk of a genocide of
Indian Muslims. “India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made Islamophobia a state-manufactured
ideology, increasingly putting the Muslim and Dalit [those formerly known as
“Untouchables”] communities under state-sponsored attack,” says the group. As
founder Dr. Gregory Stanton explains, “We believe there is a real risk of
massacres. What is, of course, extremely troubling here is that the Modi
government has stood back, said nothing, and will be very happy to just watch
it happen. That is exactly what Modi did in Gujarat in 2002. It is what he will
do again. So, this massacre this genocide will likely not be even carried out
by the Indian State. It will likely be carried out by mobs.” “Kashmir Files” is
pouring fuel on the Islamophobic fire as it incites theater-going audiences to
form those violent mobs. As Stanton notes, massacres of Muslims by mobs in
India have happened before under Modi. While Agnihotri exaggerates and
sensationalizes a tragic event from 30 years to manipulate emotions and fan anti-Muslim
hatred, Modi (who endorses “Kashmir Files”) presided over another atrocity of
far greater proportions which came to a bloody close 20 years ago this month.
Over a three-day period, from 27 February to 1 March 2002, mobs fielded and led
by the RSS-BJP flooded the streets of Gujarat, India (at a time when Modi was
Chief Minister of the state) to systematically slaughter approximately 2,000
Muslims. The massacre earned Modi the nickname, “The Butcher of Gujarat,” but
it also served to massively popularize him within India’s Hindu nationalist
movement. Today, with Modi helming the entire nation and with an administration
marked by a wave of anti-Muslim attacks, lynchings, and smaller-scale pogroms
there are very legitimate fears that the situation may soon turn into one of
out-and-out genocide. Riefenstahl, as Bhatia explains, was “Hitler’s favorite
director and a great propagandist of the Third Reich.” He notes: “In Vivek
Ranjan Agnihotri, the BJP may have found its own Riefenstahl, even if he falls far
short of her filmmaking standards.” While Agnihotri may be no Riefenstahl in
terms of skill, his “Kashmir Files” certainly threatens to accomplish the same
lethal ends. It must be opposed
2. OIC on Kashmir ; MARCH 25, 2022; The resolutions and statements at the 48th Session of OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers have upset India as the 57-member Muslim world body exposed it for massive human rights abuses in IIOJK and stigmatization of the Muslims. Hosted by Pakistan from March 22-23 and attended by 46 ministerial-level delegations and 800 delegates, the moot adopted 140 resolutions. Twenty resolutions were sponsored or co-sponsored by Pakistan. The Islamabad Declaration of the OCI-CFM has mentioned India 10 times condemning its human rights violations in IIOJK, seeking reversal of its unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, and also calling for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir. In their statements, the OIC Secretary-General, leaders from Saudi Arabia, Niger, Asian, Arab and African Groups and China expressed their strong support and solidarity on the Kashmir issue. The reports by OIC Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir, IPHRC and ASG for Humanitarian Affairs and endorsement of Pakistan’s position on legal, diplomatic, human rights, humanitarian and peace and security dimensions of the Jammu and Kashmir issue also featured the moot. “We renew unwavering solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and express full support for their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the OIC, and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the Islamabad Declaration said.“We condemn massive violations of their human rights in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) We reiterate rejection of India’s illegal and unilateral actions since August 5, 2019 aimed at altering the demographic composition of the occupied territory, suppressing the realization of the inalienable right of self-determination of the Kashmiris,” the Islamabad Declaration said. The 57-member Muslim world body also expressed grave concern over the violation of Pakistan’s airspace, a threat to passenger aircraft, and dangers to peace and security in South Asia arising from the launch of a supersonic missile on 9 March 2022 by India. “We call on India to fully abide by international law and norms of responsible State behavior and conduct a joint probe with Pakistan to accurately establish facts.” Regarding the systematic and widespread policy of discrimination and intolerance against Muslims in India, the OIC-CFM denounced the “most pernicious attacks on the Muslim identity in India as manifest in the discriminatory laws and policies targeting the Hijab.” “We call upon India to immediately revoke such discriminatory laws, ensure the rights of the Indian Muslims and protect their religious freedoms.” https://dailytimes.com.pk/907187/india-goes-berserk-as-oic-exposes-it-for-iiojk-abuses/
Weekly update 134 - Human rights violations in Indian
Occupied Kashmir Mar 15 , 2022 to , Mar ,21 2022.
1.
One martyred; mar 16 2022;
Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred, one more youth in
Pulwama district, today raising the toll to 9 since Thursday. The youth was
killed by the troops during a cordon and search operation in Charsoo area of
Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/03/15/indian-troops-martyr-one-more-youth-in-pulwama.html
2.
Three martyred; Mar
17 2022: Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred
three more Kashmiri youth in Srinagar, today.The troops martyred the youth
during a cordon and search operation in Nowgam area of Srinagar. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/03/16/indian-troops-martyr-three-more-youth-in-srinagar.html
3. Chattisinghpora ;March 20 2022;Twenty-two years have passed since the massacre of Chattisinghpora but no headway has been made in the case and the delay in justice has led to disillusionment among the members of Sikh community. Thirty-five members of Sikh community were killed in disguise by Indian troops in Chattisinghpora area of Islamabad district on March 20 in 2000 on the eve of the then US President, Bill Clinton’s visit to India, said a report released by Kashmir Media Service, today. It said that the Chattisingpora massacre was meant to give a bad name to Kashmiris’ freedom struggle and it was an attempt to equate Kashmiris’ struggle for self-determination to terrorism. It is important to mention here that Indian troops had orchestrated the Chittisinghpora carnage and put the blame on the Kashmiri freedom-fighters to defame their freedom movement. The troops had killed five persons and burnt their bodies beyond recognition in Pathribal area of the district a few days later on March 25 claiming that the killed were involved in the Chittisinghpora incident. However, later the investigations proved that the slain persons were local civilians, who were picked up by the Indian Army from different areas and were killed in a fake encounter. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/03/20/no-headway-in-chattisinghpora-massacre-despite-passage-of-22-years.html
Weekly update 132 and 133 - Human rights violations in Indian
Occupied Kashmir Mar 1 , 2022 to , Mar ,14 2022.
1.
British
lawmakers on Kashmir; Mar 9 2022; several British lawmakers
have urged United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Mr Boris Johnson to speak about
human rights violations including violation of women’s rights in Indian
Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIoJK) The British MPs joined a
delegation of Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK at 10 Downing Street to submit a petition
and submitted it at PM’s Office. The petition, signed by British
parliamentarians and the general public, includes reports prepared by various
independent and non-governmental international organizations on the violence
perpetrated by Indian occupying forces on Kashmiri women and urges Boris
government to use its influence to halt Indian genocide of Kashmiris. British
lawmakers including Afzal Khan, Liam Byrne, Imran Hussain, Paul Blomfield, Gill
Furniss, Muhammad Yasin, Khalid Mehmood, Tahir Ali and Yasmin Qureshi
joined Kashmiri delegation led by Fahim Kayani, President Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK,
besides Rehana Ali, Sheni Hamid and Soraya Boyd and Raja Muhammad Azad. March
08 is observed as International Women’s Day every year and today members of
Tehreek-e-Kashmir (TeK) UK gathered outside Johnson’s office in London to urge
the UK to raise the issue of India’s illegal occupation of Kashmir which has
resulted in mass violation of women’s rights in IIoJK. British lawmakers called
on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to use his good offices and hold India
accountable.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/03/09/british-mps-urge-boris-johnson-to-speak-on-human-rights-violations-by-india-in-iiojk/
2.
Three martyred ; March 10 2022; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts
of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Pulwama and Srinagar
districts, today.The troops martyred two youth during a cordon and search
operation in Batpora Naina area of the district. Another youth was martyred by
the troops during a similar operation in Hazratbal area of Srinagar.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/03/10/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-pulwama-4.html
3.
UN on Kashmir; March
11 2022: A United Nations human rights expert has said that the Indian
government is tacitly allowing incitement to violence against Muslims in the
country. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmad
Shaheed, presented the report to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council on
Thursday. In the report that documents the state-driven and tolerated hatred,
discrimination and violence against minorities in India, he also denounced the
wide-ranging Indian atrocities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. A
United Nations human rights expert has said that the Indian government is
tacitly allowing incitement to violence against Muslims in the country. The UN
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmad Shaheed, presented
the report to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council on Thursday. In the
report that documents the state-driven and tolerated hatred, discrimination and
violence against minorities in India, he also denounced the wide-ranging Indian
atrocities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/03/11/un-experts-report-slams-indias-hr-abuses-in-iiojk.html
4.
Kashmiri women demand writ of instruments of human
rights; Ghulam Nabi Fai Chairman World Forum for Peace & Justice Mar 12,
2022; The Vienna Declaration and Program of Action
adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, confirms the human rights of
women as an ‘inalienable, integral and indivisible part of human rights.” The
Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action, both are an outcome of more than
two decades of collective efforts of the international community. NGO’s and
civil society at large, and their whole and sole objective was the empowerment
of women. As per report of the various NGO’s and human
rights agencies, hundreds of thousands of women have been the target of sexual
crimes at the hands of the armed forces in Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, Myanmar,
Kashmir and elsewhere. These NGO’s have documented incidents of gang-rape of
young girls and grand mothers alike. Sexual abuse sometimes in the presence of
male family members is used as a weapon of war. Rape by armed forces is,
indeed, a gross violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.
The condemnation of rape during war and internal conflicts must be condemned by
all including Human Rights Council to protect the rights of women in all
circumstances. The report of the ‘Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women’
noted that rape, “is the destructive combination of power, anger and sex which
incites sexual violence against women. The victims of rape suffer a disorder,
anxiety, and the ‘Rape Trauma Syndrome’ which causes them to constantly relieve
their rape through a series of flashbacks, dreams, nightmares and body
memories.” The United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCHR) issued
its “Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Kashmir,” on July 8, 2019. The
report contains graphic documentation of human rights violations being
committed by the Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu & Kashmir.
This is a significant step towards greater international recognition of the
serious abuses committed against Kashmiris at the hands of Indian army. This
report takes the veil of secrecy off of India’s crimes against humanity. The
49-pages report cites specific incidents where the Indian Government violated
the very principles of human decency and democratic freedom against the people
of Kashmir. It is well documented that the bloody occupation has resulted in
massive human rights violations, particularly targeting women and children. The
sanctity of women has been violated, in a gruesome and unforgiving fashion. The
UN report upholds that [In the 2013 report on her mission to India, the
‘Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women,’ its causes and consequences,
said, “[W]omen living in militarized regions, such as Jammu and Kashmir and the
north-eastern states, live in a constant state of siege and surveillance,
whether in their homes or in public. Information received through both written
and oral testimonies highlighted the use of mass rape, allegedly by members of
the State security forces, as well as acts of enforced disappearance, killings
and acts of torture and ill-treatment, which were used to intimidate and to
counteract political opposition and insurgency.” The United Nations report
further illustrates that, “One significant case that illustrates the state’s
failure to investigate and prosecute allegations of sexual violence and
addressing impunity for sexual crimes in Kashmir is the Kunan-Poshpora mass rape,
which took place 27 years ago and for which attempts to seek justice have been
denied and blocked over the years by the authorities at different levels.
According to survivors and a local administration official, on the night of 23
February 1991, soldiers from the 4 Rajputana Rifles regiment of the Indian Army
gang-raped around 23 women of Kunan and Poshpora villages of Kupwara district.
The Indian Army and Government of India have denied the allegations” The UN
report further details that “Survivors and human rights groups have campaigned
for an independent investigation into this case for many years. In October
2011, SHRC directed the state government to reopen and reinvestigate the case
and to prosecute a senior official whom it accused of deliberately obstructing
the investigation. On 18 July 2013, a court in Kupwara district ordered the
state police to reinvestigate the case within three months. When no progress
was made despite these orders, five survivors filed a petition in the Jammu and
Kashmir High Court in October 2013. In July 2014, the High Court reportedly
said the 2011 SHRC recommendations were supported by evidence and asked the
state government to consider paying monetary compensation within three months.”
“Do You remember Kunan Poshpora” documentary evidence of five brave Kashmiri
women scholars wrote these words on page 1, “This book is about one night in
two villages in Kashmir. It is about a night that has refused to end for 24
long years, a night that holds stories of violations, injustice, oppression and
falsehood, as well as acts of courage, bravery and truth. This book is about
Kunan Poshpora.” Dr. Nazir Gilani, President JKCHR in a written statement
submitted to the UN Secretary General during 58th session of HRC said, “The
issues of Kashmiri women have multiplied ever since. The Kunan Poshpora rape
case of 1991 and the issue of half-widows (women whose husbands are missing and
cannot re-marry) have continued to remain unresolved.” Dr. Gilani added that
“Women of Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir have descended into a ravine of
helplessness from 1990. JKCHR has highlighted the plight of Kashmiri women in
its Statements released in the Council, in particular the Statement
A/HRC/37/NGO/113 dated 13 February 2018 released at the 37th session.” How many
Kashmiri women have to be dishonored before one concludes that a human rights
violation has taken place? This is one of the questions that is on the minds of
millions of Kashmiri women. Please remember that these women live under the stranglehold
of a 900,000 strong army of occupation. These women are not oblivious to the
world events. They know that in welcoming the appointment of a ‘Special
Rapporteur on Violence Against Women,’ the Vienna Declaration declared that
“the human rights of women are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of
the universal human rights.” They wonder what action was taken by this
Rapporteur, whose mandate included action on “state-sponsored violence against
women.” They waited with hope because the same document had asked the United
Nations human rights body to “strengthen mechanisms or accountability to ensure
that governments take steps to end discrimination and punish perpetrators of
violence against them.” (Reference UN documents: E/CN/4/1995/NGO/28, and /5).
These violated Kashmiri women ask: what action has been taken to enforce the
writ of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the
Elimination of Violence Against Women? The suggestion made by Dr. Nazir Gilani
is very pertinent when he said, “It is high time that Human Rights Council
addresses the question of sexual violence committed against Kashmiri women as
detailed in Paras 125 to 133 of OHCHR Report of 14 June 2018. The
Kunan-Poshpora mass rape victims have not received any justice for the past 30
years. Many of the victims have died while waiting for justice.”
5.
Four martyred; Mar 12
2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh acts of state terrorism martyred four more Kashmiri youth in
Pulwama, Ganderbal and Kupwara districts. The troops martyred two youth during
a cordon and search operation at Chewa Kalan in Pulwama district, late last
night. The troops martyred one youth each at Nunar in Ganderbal district and at
Rajwar in Handwara area Kupwara district. The operations in these areas
continued till last reports came in. A civilian was injured in the firing of
the troops while a youth was arrested in Chewa Kalan. These fresh killings
raised the number of martyred youth in IIOJK to seven in the last three days.
The troops had martyred two youth in Pulwama and one in Srinagar districts on
Thursday.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/03/12/indian-troops-martyr-four-youth-in-iiojk-2.html
6. One martyred; March 13 2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one more Kashmiri youth in Kupwara district, today, taking the number of the slain youth in the territory to eight since Thursday.The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Niochama area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/03/13/indian-troops-martyr-one-more-youth-in-kupwara.html
Weekly update 131 - Human rights violations in Indian
Occupied Kashmir Feb, 22,
2022 to Feb, 28, 2022.
1. Rape in Indian Occupied Kashmir; Feb 24 2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, justice continues to elude the victims of Kunanposhpora mass rape despite the passing of over three decades. Indian troops gang-raped around 100 Kashmiri women of all ages from eight year-old girls to eighty years old women during a cordon and search operation in Kunanposhpora area of Kupwara district on the night of February 23, 1991. Thirty one years have passed since the Kunanposhpora mass rape occurred but the victims are still awaiting justice while the troops involved in heinous crime are roaming free, said a report released by Kashmir Media Service, today, on the completion of thirty one years to the tragic incident. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/02/23/31-years-on-justice-continues-to-elude-victims-of-kunanposhpora-mass-rape.html
Weekly update -129
and 130 - Human rights violations in Indian
Occupied Kashmir Feb, 8,
2022 to Feb, 22, 2022.
1.
Dr Fai on Kashmir; Feb 18 2022; The
Chairman of Washington-based World Forum for Peace and Justice (WFPJ), Dr
Ghulam Nabi Fai, has said that justice is not a vocation for the weak-hearted,
whether in Palestine, Myanmar, Kashmir or elsewhere. Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai
addressing an international conference, “Human Rights Violations Faced by the
Muslims,” in Istanbul, Turkey, said it is a historical fact that the Kashmir
question is one of the oldest unresolved international problems in the world.
The conference was jointly sponsored by the Government of Turkey in cooperation
with Independent Permanent Commission of Human Rights (IPCHR) of the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and was addressed among others by
Mevlut Cavusoglu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Turkey; Professor (Dr) Mustafa
Sentop, Speaker, Grand Assembly of Turkey; Yakup Mogul, Deputy Minister of
Justice, Turkey; Daniel Holtgen, Spokesperson for the Secretary General of
Council of Europe; and many others. The other panelists of the session in which
Dr Fai participated included: Ambassador Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury, Secretary,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh; El Habib Bourane, Director, Muslim
Communities and Minorities, OIC; Dr Reza Uddin, Council member, Arakan Rohingya
Union; Ambassador Zamir Akram, Former Pakistan’s Representative to the UN in
Geneva; Dr Hassan A. Abdein, Associate Editor, Muslim Minorities, Oxford, UK.
The theme of this session was, “The Situation of Muslims in Asia.” Dr Fai said
it is worth mentioning that when the Kashmir dispute erupted in 1947-1948, the
United States championed the stand that the future status of Kashmir must be
ascertained in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the
territory. The United States was the principal sponsor of the resolution # 47
which was adopted by the Security Council on 21 April 1948, and which was based
on that unchallenged principle, he added. Dr Fai cited the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) Report on the Situation of Human Rights
in Kashmir issued on June 14, 2018 which contains graphic documentation of
human rights violations being committed by the Indian military and paramilitary
forces in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This was a significant
step towards greater international recognition of the serious abuses committed
against the Kashmiris by the Indian army. This report takes the veil of secrecy
off of India’s crimes against humanity, he maintained. The report, Dr Fai said,
cites specific incidents where the Indian government violated the very
principles of human decency and democratic freedom against the people of
Kashmir. It also details many instances where the use of draconian laws has
given a sense of total impunity to the Indian Army in Kashmir. The report, he
said, underscored that “Impunity for enforced or involuntary disappearances in
Kashmir continues as there has been little movement towards credibly
investigating complaints including into alleged sites of mass graves in the
Kashmir Valley and Jammu region.” The United Nations report suggested that [As
a State party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which
prohibits torture under any circumstances (Article 7), India is obliged to
ensure that no person is “subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment”. There have long been persistent claims of
torture by security forces in Kashmir.] The UN report qoutes ‘the Special
Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences,’ who said,
“[W]omen living in militarized regions, such as Jammu and Kashmir and the
north-eastern states, live in a constant state of siege and surveillance,
whether in their homes or in public.” Since, August 05, 2019, the Indian
government, in order to crush any resistance to its illegal occupation, has
instituted new draconian measures. In a ruthless campaign they imprisoned
politicians, journalists, and civil society members, to intimidate and suppress
any form of dissent. The enactment of Domicile Law was designed to change the
demography of Kashmir. It is reported that over 4 million Domicile certificates
have been issued to grant non-Kashmiris right to buy land and compete for local
jobs which is a clear violation of International Law since it unilaterally
changes the United Nations-recognized status of Jammu and Kashmir. Dr Fai added
that the latest actions taken by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA)
are politically motivated and are part of the Indian government’s attempt to
censor peaceful Kashmiri voices. The Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act (UAPA)
has been used countless times to harass, assault and imprison activists, political
leaders and journalists who aim to expose the human rights violations committed
by Indian forces. Latest victim is Khurram Parvez, one of the internationally
known human rights activists, who was detained under UAPA. Ms Mary Lawlor, UN
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders said on November 23, 2021, that
‘he (Khurram Parvez) is not a terrorist, he is a human rights defender’. De Fai
made the following suggestions to the IPHRC: Given the reports, issued by the
United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights on June 14, 2018 and July 8,
2019, regarding the ‘Situation in Kashmir’, we would like to request the OIC
members of the Human Rights Council to endorse this report and initiate a joint
OIC resolution to set up an enquiry commission on human rights violations in
Kashmir during the forthcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
to be held between February 28 to April 01, 2022. Widely use and disseminate
testimony of Dr Gregory Stanton, Chairman, ‘Genocide Watch’, which he gave to the
United States Congress on January 12, 2022, and repeated in his January 19,
2022, TV interview with Karan Thapar, that ‘in India, there are the makings of
a genocide against Muslims, starting with Kashmir & Assam’. Based on this
authoritative evidence, we suggest to OIC ‘The Gambia Model’, taking Myanmar to
the ICJ (international Court of Justice) for crimes against humanity against
the Rohingya, to be followed for IIOJK as well. OIC should invoke the ‘Genocide
Convention’ in the UN General Assembly and / or Security Council. The OIC must
provide ‘safe havens’ for the Kashmiri Diaspora, especially those fleeing
oppression in occupied Kashmir – students, scholars, activists, journalists,
and business people – in OIC member states, in an institutional manner, like
opening up visas / jobs / scholarships for meritorious students, relocation
facilitation for such skilled and professional Kashmiris, for whom living in
Modi’s India has become unbearable. In the ‘battle of ideas’ for Azadi
(freedom) of Kashmiri people, the OIC must promote the 3 core causes together:
PKR (Palestine, Kashmir, Rohingya); establish a special website, combining
genocide with resistance. This has to be a sustained and coordinated
initiative, where people of conscience, both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars,
intellectuals and diplomats can play a role through various channels, including
Parliamentary Diplomacy. OIC should set up an ‘independent’ criminal court to
hear cases of specific crimes against civilian population in IIOJK. OIC should
organize a ‘digital referendum’ in occupied Kashmir eliciting wishes of the
Kashmiri people (even if only a section of the population participates); and
ask the UN General Assembly and / or Security Council to allow a representative
of the Kashmiri people (selected through ‘digital referendum’) to present the
case of Kashmir to the world community. OIC should commission to study the
danger of a nuclear conflict between Pakistan and India due to the unresolved
Kashmir dispute. OIC should establish a ‘Global Kashmir Assembly’ composed of
Kashmiri diaspora leaders from across the world. It could operate virtually;
lobby with host countries on agreed group positions / demands. OIC must
persuade the Government of India to release all political prisoners unconditionally,
including Khurram Parvez, Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarrat Aalam Butt,
Aasiya Andrabi, and others. OIC must convince the United Nations to persuade
Government of India to rescind the Domicile Law which is designed to change the
demography of Kashmir. Finally, it is further our hope that the policy makers
of OIC member countries will look to solving the root cause of the problem of
Kashmir – the unfulfilled promise of self-determination as guaranteed by
successive United Nations Security Council resolutions.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/02/17/justice-not-a-vocation-for-weak-hearted-whether-in-kashmir-or-elsewhere-dr-fai.html
2.
One martyred; Feb 19
2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in Shopian
district, today.The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search
operation in Chermarg Zainapora area of the district. Earlier, two Indian soldiers were killed in
an attack in the same area.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/02/19/indian-troops-martyr-kashmiri-youth-in-shopian-2.html
Weekly update -128;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Feb, 2,
2022 to Feb, 7, 2022.
1.
January human cost; Feb 2 2022; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their unabated
acts of state terrorism martyred 22 Kashmiris including a teenage boy during
the last month of January. Of those killed, four youth were martyred in a fake
encounter, according to the data issued by the Research Section of Kashmir
Media Service, today. During the month, 17 youth were critically injured due to
use of brute force by Indian police and paramilitary troops on peaceful
demonstrators. During the period, Indian Army, paramilitary Central Reserve
Police force and police arrested 45 civilians, mostly political activists,
youth and students, and several of them were booked under black laws including
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Public Safety Act. The forces’ personnel misbehaved and molested with, at
least, one female and destroyed and damaged 7 houses and structures during the
operations in the month. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/02/01/indian-troops-martyr-22-kashmiris-in-january.html
2.
One martyred; Feb 02
2022: In Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism
martyred one Kashmiri youth in Shopian
district, today. The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search
operation in Nadigam area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/02/02/93655.html
3. Two martyred: Feb 6 2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Srinagar, today.The troops martyred the youth during a violent cordon and search operation in Zakura area of Srinagar. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/02/05/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiris-in-srinagar.html
Weekly update -127;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jan, 25,
2022 to Jan, 31, 2022.
1. Five martyred; Jan 31 2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism martyred five Kashmiri youth in Pulwama and Budgam districts. The troops martyred four youth during a cordon and search operation in the Naira area of Pulwama district and martyred one youth during an operation in Charar-i-Sharief area of Budgam. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/01/30/indian-troops-martyr-five-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk.html
Weekly update -126;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jan, 1,
2022 to Jan, 24, 2022.
1.
War crimes
in Indian-occupied Kashmir ; Jan 20 2022; A London-based law firm filed an
application with British police on Tuesday seeking the arrest of India’s army
chief and a senior Indian government official over their alleged roles in war
crimes in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK). Law firm Stoke White said it submitted
extensive evidence to the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Unit documenting how
Indian forces headed by Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane and Home Affairs Minister
Amit Shah were responsible for the torture, kidnapping and killing of
activists, journalists and civilians. The law firm’s report was based on over
2,000 testimonies taken between 2020 and 2021. It also accused eight unnamed
senior Indian military officials of direct involvement in war crimes and
torture in IoK. “There is strong reason
to believe that Indian authorities are conducting war crimes and other violence
against civilians in Jammu and Kashmir,” the report states, referring to
territory that is part of the Himalayan region. The request to London police
was made under the principle of “universal jurisdiction” which gives countries
the authority to prosecute individuals accused of crimes against humanity
committed anywhere in the world. The international law firm in London said it
believes its application is the first time that legal action has been taken
abroad against Indian authorities over alleged war crimes in IoK. Hakan Camuz,
director of international law at Stoke White, said he hoped the report would
convince British police to open an investigation and ultimately arrest the
officials when they set foot in the UK. Some of the Indian officials have
financial assets and other links to Britain. “We are asking the UK government
to do their duty and investigate and arrest them for what they did based on the
evidence we supplied to them. We want them to be held accountable,” Camuz said.
The police application was made on behalf of the family of Zia Mustafa, a jailed
Pakistani freedom fighter whom Camuz said was the victim of an extrajudicial
killing by Indian authorities in 2021, and on the behalf of human rights
campaigner Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, who was allegedly tortured before his arrest
last week. The law firm’s investigation suggested that the abuse has worsened
during the coronavirus pandemic. Its report also included details about the arrest of Khurram Parvez,
the region’s most prominent rights activist, by India’s counterterrorism
authorities last year. Parvez, 42, worked for the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition
of Civil Society, which has written extensive reports about Indian troops’ use
of violence and torture. Other accounts in the report discuss journalist Sajad
Gul, who was arrested earlier this month after he posted a video of family
members and relatives protesting the killing of a freedom commander. Human
rights lawyers have increasingly used the universal jurisdiction principle to
seek justice for people who were unable to file criminal complaints in their
home countries or with the International Criminal Court, located in The
Hague. Camuz said he hoped the request
to British police seeking the arrest of Indian officials will be followed by
other legal actions also focusing on IoK. “We are sure this is not going to be
the last one, there will probably be many more applications,” he said.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1670335/uk-police-asked-to-probe-indian-officials-alleged-war-crimes-in-occupied-kashmir
2. Stoke White Investigations; India's War Crimes in Kashmir: Violence,
Dissent and the War on Terror; Jan 20 2022; A selection of new and detailed evidence gathered
from over 2000 testimonies offered by civilians forms the basis of our report
into human rights abuses by India in Jammu and Kashmir, including torture,
extrajudicial killings, and the detention of minors. Although
the violence inflicted on Kashmiri Muslims by the Indian army has been well
documented, this report provides new evidence-based insights into the extent of
the abuse based on 2000 testimonies gathered over one year. The report forms
the basis of an appeal to the UK Metropolitan Police unit for the arrest of
perpetrators of violence against civilians in this context. Within
the framework of the Global War on Terror and counterterrorism, acts of abuse
are directed against those Muslims dissenting against Indian occupation by
conducting legitimate protest, seeking legal recourse through the law, and
embarking on peaceful civil society advocacy. These
individuals, and those who are uninvolved in any of the above activities but
who have been swept up as innocent bystanders, feature as the subjects of this
report. Of particular concern is the kidnapping at age 15 of Zia Mustapha and
his 18-year detention without charge that culminated in his extrajudicial
killing, as well as the torture of human rights defender Mohammed Ahsan Untoo.
This report also provides unique evidence of the presence of Israeli
intelligence operatives during interrogations and torture of Muslims in Jammu
and Kashmir. Indeed, the culture of impunity in the region has been enabled by
a global environment in which torture has become acceptable under Western complicity.
Nearly three decades have passed and not a single member of the Indian military
has been prosecuted, despite growing evidence of unlawful conduct. It is hoped
this documentation will start a process of accountability and justice for
survivors, through a more appropriate and rigorous implementation of
international human rights law.
https://www.swiunit.com/post/india-s-war-crimes-in-kashmir-violence-dissent-and-the-war-on-terror
3. Zia Mustafa’s extra-judicial killing ; Jan 22
2022; The Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK) has
launched a comprehensive dossier on Zia Mustafa’s extra-judicial execution in a
staged encounter at Poonch in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
(IIOJK). According to the dossier,
15-year-old Zia from Rawalakot in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) inadvertently
crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on January 13, 2003, and was arrested by
Indian occupying forces. The family members of Zia lodged a missing report
before the relevant police station. The
army and IIOJK police, led by the then Director General of Police A K Suri,
gave a joint press conference to the Indian media on April 11, 2003, projecting
and presenting Zia as a "foreign militant", allegedly involved in the
so-called terror incident. However, the dossier reported that Zia was a minor
when he crossed the border unknowingly and later, was falsely implicated in
militancy by the Indian forces and agencies. The report further stated that the
trial court in Shopian in IIOJK framed charges against Zia under Sections 302,
120b, 450, 395, of IPC; 7/27 PACT; 2/3 IMCO. However, the state out of
prosecution witnesses failed to produce a single piece of evidence against Zia.
Accordingly, the court closed the prosecution evidence. The state of IIOJK
filed a criminal appeal before the occupied region's high court, which was
meritless and accordingly dismissed by the court. The state again approached
the Supreme Court of India and filed a criminal appeal 39899/2018 with the
condonation of delay application which was still pending. Zia’s lawyer Mubashir
Gattoo, while talking to local media, said that there was no evidence for his
conviction. The dossier highlighted the extra-judicial execution of an under
trial who was in judicial custody when the joint counter-insurgent group
including the Indian army without following the mandate of law took Zia outside
the jail and killed him in a staged encounter.
The dossier also revealed the important documents showing Zia, a minor
boy, at the date of his arrest. Moreover, the prisoners' list exchanged by the
foreign offices listed Zia as an undertrial prisoner. It highlighted the 111
fake encounters and the alleged perpetrators involved in these war crimes. The
LFK held a roundtable debate inviting law experts and key stakeholders on the
‘universal jurisdiction’ case submitted before the metropolitan war crime unit
in the United Kingdom. Hakan Camuz said that he hoped that the request to
British police seeking the arrest of Indian officials would be followed by
other legal actions also focusing on Kashmir. He added that Stoke White was
sure that it was not going to be the last one, there would probably be many
more applications. Towards the end, Executive Director Nasir Qadri said,
"This is the beginning of lawfare against the occupier and his
organisation would further pursue the war crime cases to different available
forums so that the perpetrators involved were apprehended for their
crimes."
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2339777/lawsuit-filed-against-modi-others-in-uk-for-kashmiris-extra-judicial-killing
4.
Two martyred; Jan 23
2022; In Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism
martyred two Kashmiri youth in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, today Jan 2
2022). The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation in
the Kilbal area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/01/22/indian-troops-launch-caso-in-shopian-5.html
Human rights Kashmir
media ServiceWeekly update -125;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jan, 11,
2022 to Jan, 17, 2022.
1.
One martyred; Jan 13 2022: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism, martyred one Kashmiri youth and injured many civilians in
Kulgam district. The killing and injuries took place when Indian Army soldiers
along with personnel of and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force and
Special Operation Group during a cordon and search operation in Pariwan area of
the district, late night.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/01/13/indian-troops-martyr-one-youth-in-kulgam.html
Weekly update -124;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Jan, 4,
2022 to Jan, 10, 2022.
1.
Two martyred; Jan 03 2022: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred two more Kashmiri youth in Srinagar, today. The
youth were martyred by the Indian troops during a cordon and search operation
in Shalimar area of the city.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/01/03/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-youth-in-srinagar.html
2.
Two martyred; Jan 04
2022: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred two more Kashmiri youth in Kulgam
district, today.The youth were martyred by Indian troops during a cordon and
search operation jointly launched by Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force
and Police in Okey area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/01/04/indian-troops-martyr-one-more-youth-in-kulgam.html
3. Three martyred; Jan 8 2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Badgam district, today. The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation in Chadoora area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/01/07/indian-troops-martyr-three-kashmiri-youth-in-budgam.html
Weekly update -123;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Dec, 28,
2021 to Jan, 3, 2022 .
1.
Three martyred; Dec 30 2021: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred three more Kashmiri youth in Kulgam district,
today. The youth were killed by the troops during a cordon and search operation
jointly launched by Indian army, police and Central Reserve Police Force in
Mirhama area of the district. Meanwhile, two Indian army soldiers and a
policeman were also injured in an attack in the same area. The attack was
carried out on the joint team of Indian Army, police and Central Reserve Police
Force, which was engaged in the cordon and search operation.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/29/indian-policeman-injured-in-attack-in-iiojk-2.html
2.
Three martyred Dec 31 2021 ; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred three more Kashmiri youth in Islamabad district,
today (Dec 30 2021), raising the number
of slain youth to six since last night. The troops martyred the three youth
during a violent cordon and search operation in Veerinag area of the district.
Earlier, one Indian policeman was killed and two soldiers and a policeman were
injured in an attack in the same area.The troops martyred three other youth
during a similar operation in Mirhama area of Kulgam district, last night. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/30/indian-troops-martyr-three-more-youth-in-iiojk-toll-rises-to-6-since-yesterday.html
3. World attention
must be focused on Kashmir ;Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai
;Dec 29, 2021; Former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has said, “On Human
Rights Day, I call on States to fulfill the promises they made at the Vienna
Conference.” We all know that the United
Nations World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna in June 1993, was a
landmark event. It was stated that the Vienna Declaration was ‘reflective of
the spirit of our age and the realities of our times’. The Vienna Declaration
called upon the states to abrogate legislation leading to impunity for those
responsible for grave violations of human rights and to prosecute the
violators, thereby providing a firm basis for rule of law. The
United Nations supports an array of human rights institutions, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and many human rights treaties that have been
adopted. These institutions and officials collectively testify to the
blossoming of human rights on the international agenda in the past 73 years
since promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. They
also underscore the Charter obligation on all nations to promote and protect
human rights, which includes an obligation to consider human rights
implications in all bilateral and multilateral negotiations. The basic human rights provisions of the Geneva conventions
including the ones protected under common article 3 of these conventions are
also non derogable in the sense that they must be respected even in times of
international and non-international conflicts, international disturbances and
foreign occupation. The candor and
fair-mindedness support the conclusion that the United Nations has been
painfully ineffective measured by the yardsticks of international peace, human
rights, and self-determination. The presence of the ‘Universal Declaration of
Human Rights’ and other human rights instruments offers no consolence for the
people of Kashmir because its framers have not lived up to its spirit, at least
applying it selectively to suit the objectives of certain powers. The people of Kashmir are simply perplexed as to how to interpret
such joi de vivre. Over seventy-three have lapsed since the adoption of this
Declaration but the people of Kashmir have not seen an iota of change in the
human rights situation in Kashmir. For worse may be but never for the better.
Such documents are meaningless for the people of Kashmir or for any other
people who do not see their application, or even a negative mention to those
who ride rough shod over them with total impunity while enjoying the good
graces of some of the members of the world community to aspire to a high moral
station above others. The people of Kashmir can
hardly believe that august bodies such as the United Nations recognize that the
preservation of international peace and the realization of human rights are
shared and common concerns of humankind. As an
example, the draconian laws continue to remain in operation in Kashmir, with
full impunity to the perpetrators of crime against the humanity and violations
of fundamental human rights, threatening the very existence of Kashmiri people.
The appeals from the UN Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression; Freedom
of Religion; Torture and Extra-judicial execution; the Amnesty International
and other international NGOs have failed to make India to withdraw these laws.
Dr. Nazir Gilani in his letter to UN Secretary General wrote, “Indian
allegation that the OHCHR June 2018 report was ‘false and motivated’ and
further accusation that the Special Rapporteurs had ‘individual prejudices’
against India, would not help the member nation of UN to undo the massive
evidence brought against its human rights record in Indian administered
Kashmir.” If international law were
applied evenhandedly in Kashmir, an international war crimes tribunal would
have been established years ago to try the scores of Indian civilian and
military leaders guilty of crimes against humanity and aggression. What
Slobodan Milosevich did in Kosovo and Bosnia pales in comparison to what Indian
civilian and military grandees have done in Kashmir for 73 successive years,
something resembling genocide on the installment plan. That is why adding teeth to human rights is
urgent. On that count, the news is auspicious. The United Nations should
officially declare that under international law and human rights covenants,
every government official is vulnerable to criminal prosecution in every nation
in the world for either direct or indirect complicity in human rights
violations that shock the international conscience as determined by the World
Court. Every alleged victim of a human rights violation or his or her relatives
should be entitled to sue the alleged official culprits in the World Court to
determine whether the shock the conscience test has been satisfied. Its
verdict would be binding on all countries. Any nation that refused either to prosecute or
to assist in the prosecution of the human rights violators would be expelled
from the United Nations General Assembly, and its leaders could be held in
contempt of court by the World Court. Kashmir
is not beyond a solution if all involved parties make concessions: Pakistan,
India, and Kashmiris. The next step is
not to craft a solution, but to set the stage for crafting a solution. Key to that objective is an appointment of a
person of international standing by the United Nations. The grave situation in
Kashmir demands that it could be brought to the attention of the Security
Council. Whether this could be done successfully depends on the attitude and
policies of the permanent members, but they should be left in no doubt that any
failure to resolve the problem could lead to serious disorders throughout the
South Asian Subcontinent and possibly to yet another war between India and
Pakistan, with incalculable consequences for the whole world, since both states
are now nuclear powers. The question
arises what should be the point of departure for determining a just and lasting
basis? The answer obviously is (a) the Charter of the United Nations which, in
its very first Article, speaks of ‘respect for the principles of equal rights
and self-determination of peoples’ and (b) the international agreements between
the parties to the dispute at the Security Council. If the peaceful settlement
to Kashmir crisis is to be reached, and if India is to stop dealing with the
crises through sheer brutality and terror, world attention must be focused on
Kashmir. Today, in this hour of darkness, in this hour of trial, in this hour
of total isolation and entrapment, the people of Kashmir are being mangled and
decimated, their land is being scorched. Everyday scores of people of dying, with
them are dying the hopes of an entire generation and entire civilization.
4.
Three martyred; Jan 1
2022; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three more Kashmiri youth in
Srinagar city, today (Dec
29, 2021), raising the number of martyred youth in the territory to nine
in 48 hours.The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation
in Panthachowk area of the city.. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/31/indian-troops-martyr-three-more-youth-in-srinagar-toll-rises-to-9-in-48-hours.html
5. One martyred; Jan 01 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one more Kashmiri youth in Kupwara district, today. The fresh killing raised the number of the martyred youth to 10 since Wednesday night. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/01/01/indian-troops-martyr-one-more-youth-in-iiojk.html
Weekly update -122;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Dec, 21,
2021 to Dec, 27, 2021 .
1.
Russell Tribunal; Dec 20 2021: The Russell Tribunal on
Kashmir has held that based on the evidence presented by area experts, the
Kashmir issue should arguably be seen within a broader global context of
settler colonialism, genocide, and crimes against humanity.,The judges at the
Tribunal in their initial statement said, “We the judges are present here today
to submit our initial statement regarding the proceedings of the inaugural
Russell Tribunal on Kashmir. A final, more thoroughgoing statement will be
issued subsequently.”“Based on the evidence presented by area experts, the
Kashmir issue should arguably be seen within a broader global context of
settler colonialism, genocide, and crimes against humanity,” the statement said
and added that serious accusations of genocide, crimes against humanity, rape
as a weapon of war, unlawful arrests and mass blinding have been made.This is
just the beginning of arduous and judicious process to uncover truth, but the
live testimony we have heard thus far, and the reports and evidence we have seen,
have left us with serious concerns about crimes, which appear to have been
carried out on a massive scale.The remaining part of the statement goes as: “At
this time, we would like to share some basic facts and accusations:FACT:
Kashmir is disputed territory, a fact established by 18 United Nations
resolutions. It cannot be claimed legitimately by any country or claimed as an
integral part until the time that the people of Kashmir have been granted the
right to freely, and without fear, express their opinion in the referendum that
they were promised and that the UN continues to urge. To date, that has not
happened;FACT: Following from the above, Kashmir is not a secessionist
movement. In fact, we heard convincing evidence that the people of Kashmir have
been involved in a long struggle of freedom from foreign rulers; FACT: Kashmir
is among the most heavily militarized areas on the planet, with upwards of
700,000 to 900,000 Indian soldiers, paramilitary forces, and private security
forces present; FACT: Significant evidence of atrocities is contained in the
first report ever issued by the United Nations on human rights in Kashmir. The
report was released on 14 June 2018 by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights and released under ZeidRa’ad Al Hussein; FACT:
Significant evidence of crimes is also contained in the second report issued by
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued on
8 July 2019 under UN human rights head Michelle Bachelet. The report is titled,
“Update on the Situation of Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir and
Pakistan-Administered Kashmir from May 2018 to April 2019; FACT: We heard
evidence of genocide, in particular in Jammu in 1947 and 1948, during which
time the Indian government and Dogra regime claimed to be directly responsible.
Events during this time need to be carefully recognized and studied. The
accusations are grave and warrant deeper investigation; FACT: We have heard
evidence from two genocide alerts given by Genocide Watch, an NGO led by
Professor Gregory Stanton. Finally, in conclusion, based on the statements,
oral testimonies and reports we heard on 17 and 18 December, we find serious
indications of constant restrictions on freedoms and gross human rights violations,
including mass crimes, mass rapes and other crimes against humanity. From the
allegations we have heard, these crimes seem to meet the definition of
genocide. This is only the beginning of a long process. Given the seriousness
and gravity of these incriminations, it is important that international
institutions and human rights tribunals urgently open cases and examine these
allegations and prosecute those responsible for violations. The reports we have
heard suggest that the government of India, the Indian Army and the Indian
Intelligence Service are responsible. This requires further investigation. We
invite the world public to visit Kashmir and report on the state of freedoms
and human rights. We are continuing to closely monitor the situation in hopes
of holding criminals to account. We also call upon the United Nations to
properly oversee the decolonialization process in Kashmir. Just as the United
Nations intervened and found that Britain had not properly completed the
decolonialization process in Chagos Archipelago in the 1960s, it could offer a
similar intervention vis-Ã -vis Kashmir. This is the United Nations’
responsibility. As such, we call upon the United Nations General Assembly to
request an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice to
characterize the Kashmir situation as an uncompleted decolonialization process
and to recognize the legal force of the Security Council’s resolution calling
for a plebiscite of the people of Kashmir in order that they may determine
their future.” It is worth mentioning here that Kashmir Civitas, a
Canadian-registered NGO, had partnered with the Russell Foundation in London,
UK, the Permanent People’s Tribunal of Bologna, Italy, the International
University of Sarajevo and the Center for Advanced Studies in Sarajevo to hold
the inaugural Russell Tribunal on Kashmir in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on December
17-19.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/20/russell-tribunal-calls-on-un-to-oversee-decolonialization-process-in-kashmir.html
2. UK House of
Commons on Kashmir; Dec 23 2021; Britain's House of Commons on Wednesday
expressed alarm at human rights violations, including fake encounters by Indian
forces, in Indian-occupied Kashmir and sought a response from the Indian High
Commission over the maltreatment of Kashmiri citizens. As many as 28 MPs of the
British Parliament have written a joint letter to the Indian High Commission,
seeking its response to reports of flagrant abuses of human rights in the
occupied territory. The letter questioned the killings of "innocent Kashmiris"
at the hands of Indian forces who labelled the unarmed citizens as suspected
terrorists before mowing them down. "Those who are killed are mostly
normal citizens," the letter says. The lawmakers also expressed shock at
the incarceration of prominent rights activist Khurram Pervez by Indian forces
and sought an explanation for his detention. "Khurram Pervez is not a
terrorist but a defender of human rights".
The MPs also pointed out that more than 2,500 innocent people had been
detained in the last two years in the occupied territory. Hundreds of people
have been arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) — a
vaguely worded law that effectively allows people to be held without trial
indefinitely — in the Indian-occupied territory since 2019, when New Delhi
cancelled the region’s partial autonomy and brought it under direct rule.
Almost half of them are still in prison and convictions under the law are very
rare.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1665225/british-parliament-expresses-alarm-at-human-rights-abuses-fake-encounters-in-indian-occupied-kashmir
3.
One martyred; Dec 25 2021; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in Islamabad district, today.The
troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation in Arwani area
of the district. The troops blocked all entry and exit points of Arwani,
subjecting the local residents to huge inconvenience. The occupation
authorities suspended the internet and mobile services in the area.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/24/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-islamabad.html
4.
Four martyred; Dec 25
2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh acts of state terrorism martyred four more youth in south Kashmir.
A joint team of Indian army, Central Reserve Police Force and police martyred
two youth in Chowgam area of Shopian and two in Hardumir, Tral area of Pulwama
during cordon and search operations. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/25/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-shopian.html
5.
Rape
; December 26 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and
Kashmir, the wheels of justice have completely collapsed one of the convicts in
the 2018 Kathua rape case was granted bail by a court in Indian Punjab. The
eight-year-old girl, Aasifa, was raped and murdered in Hiranagar area of the
Hindu-dominated Kathua district in January 2018 and the verdict in the case was
pronounced on June 10, 2019, by a court in Pathankot, Punjab, where the case
was shifted on the directives of the Indian Supreme Court. The Punjab and
Haryana High Court suspended the remaining sentence and jail term of dismissed
police sub-inspector, Anand Dutta and ordered that he be released upon
furnishing surety bonds. “Perturbed that the policeman convicted for destroying
evidence in Kathua rape case was granted bail and his jail term suspended. When
a child raped and bludgeoned to death is deprived of justice, it becomes
obvious that the wheels of justice have completely collapsed,” she tweeted. Anand Dutta has already undergone more than half of
the sentence awarded to him, while the sentence of co-accused Tilak Raj was
also suspended on December 16 by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/26/bail-to-convict-in-kathua-rape-murder-case-perturbs-mehbooba.html
Weekly update -121;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Dec, 14,
2021 to Dec, 21, 2021 .
1.
Two martyred; Dec 13 2021 : In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian forces in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Srinagar district.The youth
were martyred by Indian troops during a cordon and search operation in Rangret
area of the district, today.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/13/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-srinagar.html
2.
One martyred; Dec 15
2021: In Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred one more Kashmiri youth in Pulwama district, today
morning
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/15/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-pulwama-3.html
3.
Mosque closed; Dec 17 2021; Jamia Masjid, the grand mosque of Srinagar, dominates its
neighborhood with an imposing main gate and massive turrets. It can hold 33,000
worshippers, and on special occasions over the years hundreds of thousands of
Muslims have filled nearby lanes and roads to offer prayers led from the
mosque. In this bitter dispute, the mosque in Kashmir's
main city has largely remained closed for the past two years. The mosque's
chief priest has been detained in his home almost nonstop throughout that time,
and the mosque's main gate is padlocked and blocked with corrugated tin sheets
on Friday Many Kashmiri Muslims have long said New Delhi curbs their
religious freedom on the pretext of law and order while promoting and
patronizing the annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan cave visited by
hundreds of thousands of Hindus from across
Authorities often clamped down, banning prayers at the mosque for
extended periods. According to official data, the mosque was closed for at
least 250 days in 2008, 2010 and 2016 combined.India.https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1064743864/in-kashmir-closed-mosque-raises-questions-about-indias-religious-freedom
4.
Two martyred; Dec 16
2021: In Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism, martyred two more Kashmiri youth in Kulgam district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/16/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-kulgam-2.html
5. One martyred; Dec 19 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian forces in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one youth in Srinagar district, today. . The eyewitness in the area said that the youth was killed in a fake encounter during a cordon and search operation and there was no encounter in the area. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/19/indian-troops-martyr-one-youth-in-srinagar.html
Weekly update -120;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Dec, 7,
2021 to Dec, 14, 2021 .
1.
AFSPA ; Dec 7 2021;
On Saturday, December 4, Indian Army personnel shot and killed what is now a
toll of 15 civilians in Nagaland The Union government, in agreement with
states, uses a controversial legislation to deploy armed forces in “disturbed
areas” of the country to “support” state governments. This legislation, called
the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), has a dark history. Among the many
provisions that are cause for human rights concerns, AFSPA has provisions that
allow for rare circumstances under which accused personnel can be tried in a
court. AFSPA has established a culture of impunity that allow military forces
and governments to completely disregard human rights and the rule of law.
Allegations of human rights abuses under AFSPA include personnel committing rape, using human
shields on army vehicles, fake encounters, and disappearance
while in custody. A
disturbed area, according to the Act, refers to when an area “is in such a
disturbed or dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of the
civil power is necessary”. This essentially allows the Union government to use
the Army or the Central Armed Forces in anti-insurgency operations against
militants. In the past 12 months, it has been in force in the states of Assam,
Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. An identical legislation has been in
force in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir since 1990. AFSPA does not have
sufficient safeguards to ensure that the personnel conduct
operations in a manner which conforms to standards on the use of force in
conflict areas. When service personnel commit crimes while on duty, they are
rarely held accountable. Accused personnel cannot be prosecuted in a criminal
court unless the Union government or a state government agrees to give
authorisation to prosecute them Citizens in AFSPA-imposed regions have long
advocated abolition of the law for this,
https://thewire.in/rights/afspa-nagaland-civilian-killings
2.
Three
martyred; Dec 08 2021;
In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Shopian
district, today. According to Kashmir Media Service, the troops martyred the
youth during a cordon and search operation in Check-e-Cholan area of the
district. The troops also destroyed a residential house by using heavy weapons
and chemical substance in the area. Meanwhile,
the occupation authorities have suspended the internet service and sealed all
entry and exit points of the area. Media persons are not being allowed to
conduct coverage of the military operation.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/08/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-shopian-2.html
3.
India and human Rights; Dec 2021; A consortium of 34 international multi-faith human rights NGOs
have written a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
expressing their deep concern that the president’s Summit for Democracy Dec. 9-10 will ignore the widespread violations of human
rights, persecution, physical attacks and murder of members of minority
religions in India as the government devolves from democracy to fascism. The
letter, at more than 1,500 words, provides details and indisputable facts for
14 instances in which democracy is under attack or being abused by the
government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of his BJP/RSS
party. The letter has jointly written by the Alliance of South Asians Taking
Action, USA, Alternatives International, Canada, Ambedkar International Center,
USA, Ambedkar King Study Circle, USA, Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance, UK,
Association of Indian Muslims of America, USA, Aotearoa Alliance Of Progressive
Indians (Aotearoa New Zealand.), Center for Pluralism, USA, CERAS (Centre sur
l’asie du sud), Montreal, Canada, Chicago Coalition for Human Rights in India
(CCHRI), USA, Coalition Against Fascism in India (CAFI), USA, Coalition of Seattle
Indian Americans, USA, Dalit Solidarity Forum, USA, Federation of Indian
American Christian Organizations (FIACONA), North America, Foundation: The
London Story, EU, Friends of India—Texas, USA, Hindus for Human Rights, USA,
India Civil Watch International, North America, India Justice Project, Germany,
Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), USA, India Solidarity Germany, Germany,
International Christian Concern, USA, International Commission for Dalit
Rights, USA, International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India,
International, International Society for Peace and Justice, USA, Punjabi
Literary and Cultural Association (PLCA) Winnipeg, Canada, Scottish Indians for
Justice, Scotland, South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network, Canada, South Asian Left
Activist Movement (SALAM), USA, South Asia Solidarity Group, UK, Students
Against Hindutva Ideology, USA, The Humanism Project, Australia, Turbine Bagh,
UK, Voices Against Fascism in India, USA and Islamic Society of North America
(ISNA), USA. The letter also expresses regret that more members of the
international civil society were not included in planning for the summit, and
those who were involved were warned that specific instances of member nations’
internal affairs, abuses, discrimination and persecution will be off-limits.
“While your organizing principles are commendable, the process has been weak
and exclusionary,” the letter states. “… We are committed to working with your
administration to strengthen the Democracy Summit process. We therefore seek
urgent consultation with your administration, not only to ensure that the
Democracy Summit gets off to a meaningful start, but also that the process
going forward gains in strength at every stage.” Unfortunately, the present
Indian government cannot be considered one that shares the democratic values of
your administration. While our two countries could never have claimed to be
perfect democracies, it is important that the Summit start from acknowledging
one key fact: the past seven years of BJP/RSS rule in India have seen a sharp
and dramatic backsliding when it comes to democratic norms. Take the case of
the Farm Laws: after passing sweeping laws as an ordinance without any
consultation with farmers or the opposition, the government brutally repressed
and demonized the farmers’ movement against the laws. Even the repeal of the
three laws occurred in a manner suited to strongmen: instead of communicating
with farmers, or following the parliamentary process, Mr Modi unilaterally
announced the repeal. Not a word was said by Mr Modi about the 700+ deaths that
his government’s intransigence and authoritarian approach in the matter had
produced. We appreciate the three organizing principles around which the summit
is organized, but urge you to attend to our critical concerns regarding India
under each of these pillars: Defending against Authoritarianism: Freedom
House has downgraded India’s democracy to “partly free.” International
commentators from every major media publication have consistently raised the
issue of India’s authoritarian turn over the last seven years. Three specific
issues must be raised with Mr Modi: Anti-Minority Laws: The Modi
government began its second term with the passage of the Citizenship Amendment
Act. Together with its corollary processes of the National Register of Citizens
and the National Population Register, the CAA/NRC/NPR create a framework for
the active disenfranchisement of India’s largest minority—Muslims—stripping
away their voting and citizenship rights. Not challenging these would be the
equivalent of abetting conditions for a future genocide. All this is playing
out in the context of a series of other laws targeting religious minorities,
including anti-conversion and anti-inter religious marriage laws, which also
target Christians. In addition, Christian institutions are under attack, with
International Christian Concern counting India among the seven worst
persecutors of Christians in the world. Kashmir: The sudden revocation
of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, and the overwhelming use of the
military in Kashmir, with there being one soldier for every seven Kashmiris at one stage, is already being acknowledged internationally as the single
most visible and unambiguous sign of BJP/RSS authoritarianism and its
willingness to run roughshod over constitutional protections and guarantees; Dissent,
Political Prisoners, and Draconian Laws: The last 7 years have seen a
continuous and rising tide of arrest and imprisonment of dissenters under
draconian anti-terror laws such as UAPA and the NSA in India. The Bhima
Koregaon 16 case, the arrests of students, activists, and journalists in the
wake of the Northeast Delhi violence, and most recently the arrests of
journalists reporting on religious violence in Tripura, are just the most known
instances. Those jailed without trial include some of India’s most prominent
public intellectuals, poets, writers, journalists, lawyers, and leaders of the
women’s movement. At least one prominent arrestee, Jesuit priest Father Stan
Swamy, passed away while still in custody due to the effects of being incarcerated
during a global pandemic in his 80s. If dissent is the most important aspect of
an active democracy, then PM Modi has a unique record in its repression. This
includes significant evidence that in the landmark BK-16 case, evidence was
falsely planted on defendants’ computers through malware, opening up a new
vector of attack on critics of the government ;Addressing and Fighting
Corruption:While the Modi government first came to office on an
anti-corruption plank, it has since proven to be one of the most opaque and
nontransparent governments India has known. Three issues of international scale
and core to American interests and values must be raised with PM Modi at the
summit: Electoral Bonds: The Modi government introduced electoral bonds
in 2015, sneaking them in as part of the budget process. This set into place
the most opaque electoral finance system in the democratic world. It allows for
national and international corporations to pay into party funds with no
oversight and no transparency. From summary figures available, it is clear that
large numbers of international shell companies are involved in financing Indian
political parties, and that the BJP is by far the single largest recipient of
such funds. While US funders of electoral bonds in India must be revealed, this
assault on the financial underpinnings of India’s democracy must stop ; Rafale
and Crony Capitalism: India’s position as a valued member of the Quad is
premised on transparent and incorruptible trade, particularly in the arms
sector. The Rafale deal with France is a subject of an ongoing French
investigation. What has already been revealed about the deal, including data
submitted to the Comptroller and Auditor General in India, points to a specific
corporation being favored, and millions of dollars of graft money being at
play. Democracy cannot survive in an atmosphere of crony capitalism ; PMCARES
Fund: The PMCARES fund is at the centre of the financial scandal that
emerged even as India faced two devastating waves of the pandemic. Under Indian
law and as per the government’s promotional material while raising money for
PMCARES, this fund meets the definition of a government fund. And yet, today,
the government of India claims the fund is not a government fund, and refuses
to release any details about it, even though several government agencies,
including the Indian consulate in Washington, DC, and 26 other countries, advertised PMCARES and helped raise funds for it! ; Advancing Respect
for Human Rights:This government is marked by explicit attacks on human
rights coming from its top leadership. PM Modi has demonized non-governmental organizations by claiming they are working to
“finish him”; Amit Shah has dismissed human rights as Western concepts that don’t apply to India;
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has branded civil society as the “new frontier of war”; and Bipin Rawat,
the chief of defence staff, has valorized lynching. Such naked attacks on human rights from the very top
echelons of the administration need to be a central concern of the summit ; Digital
surveillance and planting of evidence: Two recent revelations on
surveillance and evidence planting, potentially by the Indian state, suggest a
severe rise in the misuse of spying technologies to attack critics of the
government. Pegasus was used to snoop on journalists, top opposition leaders,
and even independent election commissioners; the malware Netwire went one step
further and planted evidence on the computers of dissenters. While several
democratic governments have opened investigations in the wake of these
revelations, the Indian government has refused to do so thus far. Given your recent
sanctions against the NSO Group, the US must call on Mr Modi to immediately
stop the use of malware to target civil society, investigate these harms, and
punish offenders; Worsening caste oppression and erosion of legislative
protections: Caste remains the most pervasive form of violation of basic
human rights in India, and the last several years have seen an alarming
increase in caste atrocities. Particularly in the northern state of Uttar
Pradesh, the BJP-led state government and police have themselves been complicit in covering up sexual violence against Dalits. Groups connected
to the RSS have led to violence against Dalits on university campuses and in
the state of Gujarat. Moreover, the Modi government failed to protect
provisions in the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which acts as a crucial
deterrent, until protests and the opposition forced it to do so. The BK-16 case
is another example of the BJP/RSS’s punitive retaliation against Dalit
assertion and their exercising of civil and cultural rights by commemorating
Dalit valour in the historic Bhima-Koregaon battle; Labor Codes: In September
2020, the Narendra Modi government passed new laws governing Labor when the opposition was absent from Parliament.
These laws make it harder for labour unions to be recognized; harder for
workers to go on strike, and made it easier for some companies to lay off
workers with impunity. The assault on labour rights is a critical part of the
Modi government’s overall assault on human rights ; The Swedish V-Dem Institute
has described India as an “electoral autocracy,” and we agree: this is the
single most anti-democratic government India has ever seen. Therefore, we are
committed to working with your administration to strengthen the Democracy
Summit process. https://twocircles.net/2021dec08/444316.html
4.
73 years on: Kashmir crisis remains a living hell; Dec 10,
2021; Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General, Washington-based World
Kashmir Awareness Forum today lamented the seeming conspiracy of silence over
gross affronts to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in Indian
occupied Kashmir, an occupation which itself violates still binding United
Nations Security Council resolutions dictating a self-determination there under
United Nations supervision. That unheroic muteness has emboldened India to a
chilling campaign of human rights atrocities against innocent Kashmiris. The 900,000
Indian military and paramilitary forces operate outside the rule of law under
the protective umbrella of an Indian immunity statute. Egregious human rights
violations are commonplaces:
extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, plunder, abductions, mutilations,
and arbitrary detentions. It is even a crime to salute implementation of the
Security Council plebiscite resolutions, a shocking affront to the Council
itself. “The presence of the ‘UDHR’ and other
human rights instruments offers no comfort to the people of Kashmir because its
framers have not lived up to its spirit, at least applying it selectively to
suit the objectives of certain powers. The candor and fair-mindedness support
the conclusion that the United Nations has been painfully ineffective measured
by the yardsticks of international peace, human rights, and
self-determination,” Fai added. Fai warned that the people of Kashmir
can hardly believe that august bodies such as the United Nations recognize that
the preservation of international peace and the realization of human rights are
shared and common concerns of humankind. They are simply perplexed as to how to
interpret such joi de vivre. Over seventy-three years have lapsed since the
adoption of this Declaration but the people of Kashmir have not seen an iota of
change in the human rights situation in Kashmir. For worse may be but never for
the better. Such documents are meaningless for the people of Kashmir or for any
other people who do not see their application, or even a negative mention to
those who ride rough shod over them with total impunity while enjoying the good
graces of some of the members of the world community to aspire to a high moral
station above others. If
international law were applied evenhandedly in Kashmir, an international war
crimes tribunal would have been established years ago to try the scores of
Indian civilian and military leaders guilty of crimes against humanity and
aggression. What Slobodan Milosevich did in Kosovo and Bosnia pales in
comparison to what Indian civilian and military grandees have done in Kashmir
for 73 successive years, something resembling genocide on the installment plan. "Too often," Dr. Fai
deplored, "the international community closes its eyes to the brutal
reality of Kashmir because of India's hegemony in South Asia and its
potentially attractive consumer market. It has crowned India with a veto power
over outside intervention. A shocking affront to the Council itself. Yet, India
has the temerity to seek a permanent seat at the United Nations Security
Council. Dr. Fai appealed to the
United Nations to persuade India for: i). Complete cessation of military and
paramilitary action by Indian forces against the people of Jammu and Kashmir;
ii). Unconditional release of political
prisoners iii). Repealing of all draconian laws; iv) Revoking Domicile
Law which is designed to change the demography of Kashmir and v). Restoring the
right of peaceful association, assembly, and demonstration. “If the peaceful settlement to Kashmir crisis is to be reached,
and if India is to stop dealing with the crises through sheer brutality and
terror, world attention must be focused on Kashmir. Today, in this hour of
darkness, in this hour of trial, in this hour of total isolation and
entrapment, the people of Kashmir are being mangled and decimated, their land
is being scorched. Everyday scores of people of dying, with them are dying the
hopes of an entire generation and entire civilization,” Fai concluded. Dr. Fai can be reached at:
1-202-607-6435. Or. gnfai2003@yahoo.com
5.
Youth martyred; Dec
12, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred one Kashmiri youth in Pulwama
district. The youth was martyred by Indian troops, paramilitary and police
personnel during cordon and search operation at Baragam area of the district,
today, (Sunday) morning..
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/12/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-pulwama-2.html
Weekly update -119;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir Nov,30, 2021 to
Dec ,7, 2021 .
1.
Human cost; Dec 1 2021; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their continued
acts of state terrorism martyred 651 Kashmiris including 13 women since 2019 in
the territory. According to a report compiled by Research Section of Kashmir
Media, of those 99 Kashmiris were killed by the Indian troops, paramilitary and
police personnel in fake encounters and custody since 2019. The Indian troops,
paramilitary, police personnel and notorious National Investigation Agency
arrested over 18,000 Hurriyat leaders, activists, youth, students, journalists,
civil society members and women in, at least, 12,694 cordon and search operations
in the territory.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/11/30/indian-troops-martyr-651-kashmiris-in-iiojk-since-2019.html
2.
November 2021 Human
cost; Dec 2 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops, in
their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred twenty Kashmiris during the
last month of November. According to the data issued by the Research Section of
Kashmir Media Service, today, of those killed eight Kashmiris were martyred in
fake encounters and in custody. These killings rendered three (3) woman widowed
and six (6) children orphaned and a house was damaged by Indian troops during
the period.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/12/01/indian-troops-martyr-20-kashmiris-in-november.html
Weekly update -118;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Nov,23, 2021 to Nov ,30, 2021.
1.
UN; Nov 4 2021;
Rights groups including the United Nations have criticised the arrest of a
prominent activist in Indian-administered Kashmir on terror funding
charges.Khurram Parvez was arrested late on Monday by India's federal National
Investigation Agency (NIA), an Indian official briefed on the situation told
Reuters.
His residence and office were
searched and a mobile phone, laptop and books seized, he added. A spokesperson
for the NIA confirmed Parvez's arrest on Tuesday. He is being held under the
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, that allows for detention of up to six
months without trial. Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights
Defenders, called Parvez's arrest "disturbing". "He's not a
terrorist, he's a human rights defender," she said in a tweet. Parvez, one
of Kashmir's best known activists, is head of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil
Society, a group of rights organisations working in the region. It(India) tightly controls access to Kashmir for
foreign observers, including the UN UN criticises
'disturbing' arrest of rights activist in Indian Kashmir | Reuters
2.
Three martyred; Nov.,
5 ,202l: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Srinagar,
today. The troops shot dead the youth in Rambagh area of Srinagar. The killings
triggered forceful anti-India demonstrations. The protesters raised
high-pitched anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. The demonstrators said that
the youth were innocent civilians and were killed by the troops in a fake
encounter. Eyewitnesses told media that the victims were taken out from a car
and shot dead on the street by the troops. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/11/24/indian-troops-martyr-three-kashmiri-youth-in-srinagar.html
3.
Women ; Nov 25 2021; The world is observing
the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, today,
while women in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir continue to be haunted
by fear, insecurity, agony, mourning and howls of pain inflicted by occupying
India. According to an analytical report released by Kashmir Media Service,
India has designed its own legal license to target the sanctity and dignity of
Kashmiri women. Particularly after August 5, 2019, the BJP’s goons now have
legal cover to openly pursue their evil agenda by passing derogatory remarks
about Kashmiri women while ignoring their human and religious rights. As per
the KMS report, over 2,347 women had been martyred and 11,246 molested by the
Indian troops in the occupied territory since 1989. Indian state terrorism has
rendered 22,939 Kashmiri women widowed in the past 33 years. The report
deplored that India was using molestation of women as a weapon of war in the
occupied territory. India is using molestation of women as a weapon of war in
IIOJK, the report said and added Kashmiri women are mentally tortured through
enforced disappearances of their loved ones. Indian troops are routinely
subjecting Kashmiri women to sexual harassment to humiliate Kashmiris https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/11/25/over-2300-kashmiri-women-martyred-11246-molested-by-indian-troops-since-1989.html
4. Kashmiris have not forgotten UN promises; Dr. Ghulam
Nabi Fai; Nov., 25, 2021; the people of Jammu & Kashmir have not
forgotten that it was on April 21, 1948, that the United Nations Security
Council adopted resolution # 47 which states that the future of Kashmir shall
be decided by its inhabitants. There have been successive United Nations
security Council resolutions that pledged to the people of Kashmir their right
to self-determination. The Indian Government has barred the exercise of this
right and has waged a campaign of terror against the people of Kashmir. The
Kashmiris have become victims of systematic and extreme brutalities, and
nothing has been done by the world powers or any organ of the United Nations
including the Secretary General to permit them any relief or redress. Each time
the people of Kashmir have demanded the right to self-determination, Indian
authorities have responded with extreme repression. India is a signatory to the
‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights,’ which guarantees that ‘everyone has
the right to life, liberty, and security of person,’ that ‘no one shall be
subjected to torture, or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment,’ and that ‘no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention
or exile.’ These rights are being violated by the Indian army and its
paramilitary forces, day in, day out. Since 1989, the Indian Government has
embarked upon a campaign of mass slaughter, rape and robbery against the people
of Kashmir. It is estimated that since January 1990, more than 100,000 people
have been killed in Kashmir at the hands of the Indian forces of occupation.
More than 10,000 persons have involuntarily disappeared. Their wives are called
“Half-widows” because no one knows whether they are dead or alive. Further, it
is estimated that hundreds of Kashmiris are held as political prisoners by the
government of India. Very recently, on November 15, 2021, the killing of three
innocent Kashmiris, Dr. Mudasir Gul, Altaf Butt and Mohammad Amir in Hyderpora,
Srinagar, Kashmir in a fake encounter has once again shaken the conscience of
the global civil society. This act of barbarism by occupation army signifies
the death of so-called Indian democracy. This latest killing of innocent
civilians needs a transparent investigation by a neutral outside agency, like
the United Nations. And, now the Arrest of World-renowned Human Rights Activist
Khurram Parvez by NIA of India on November 21, 2021 is obviously travesty of
justice. Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defender
tweeted: Khurram Parvez is not a terrorist. He is a Human Rights Defender. India
has legalized torture, arbitrary arrest, wanton destruction of property and has
given its soldiers the right to kill at sight, and to conduct searches without
warrant. Here are few black laws authorized by the Government of India which
clearly violate international standards. The Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety
Act (PSA). This law enables the Indian armed forces in Kashmir to detain
civilians for up to one year without trial or due process for a wide variety of
reasons, including the exercise of free speech. Under this law, an individual
who prints pamphlets and newsletters that advocate the implementation of the
United Nations resolutions calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir can also be
arrested and detailed without formal charge or due process. That is why the
Amnesty International calls the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 'Lawless
Law. In 2011, Amnesty International’s ‘Lawless Law’ report revealed that, given
the political context in J&K, the PSA was used to detain, among others,
political leaders, lawyers, and individuals who challenged the state through
political action or peaceful dissent. The report found that the PSA provides
for arbitrary detention, which violates the right to liberty under human rights
law binding on India. Furthermore, the report found that state authorities also
used the PSA to facilitate other human rights violations, including
incommunicado detentions, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment (other ill-treatment) in custody, and detention on
vague grounds. Based on these findings, the report called on the Government of
J&K to repeal the PSA, abolish the administrative detention system, either
release those held under the PSA or charge them with a recognised criminal
offence, and to try them in a regular court in proceedings which meet
international standards of fairness. The Terrorist and Disruptive Act (TADA).
This act allows Indian forces to round up and detain citizens for up to one
year without formal charges, due process of law or formal trial. When and if
court hearings are held, they are held in secret. Victims are not allowed to
confront their accusers, and witnesses can keep their identities secret. The
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 (UAPA). Under UAPA a person can be
incarcerated up to 180 days without a charge sheet being filed. It does not
allow right to dissent. The Amnesty International Executive Director has said
that UAPA has been used to “target journalists and human rights defenders who
criticize government policies.” The National Security Act. Under this law, the
Indian armed forces can detain individuals for up to one year without charges
or trial to prevent them from ‘acting in a manner prejudicial to state
security.’ Under his law, an individual does not even have to take a specific
action to be detained. If the Indian authorities believe that he is about to do
something, they can detain him without charge to prevent him from acting The
Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) [Jammu and Kashmir]. . This law was
passed on September 10, 1990. It allows the Governor of the State of Jammu and
Kashmir to unilaterally ‘declare the whole or any part f the state to be a
disturbed area.’ By identifying Kashmir as a disturbed area, this act empowers
the armed forces to search homes without warrant, arrest Kashmiri people
without warrant, destroy entire home and villages and shoot innocent civilians
in the streets with intent to kill. The United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights in her report issued on July8, 2019 states, "The Armed Forces
(Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act 1990 (AFSPA) remains a key obstacle to
accountability. As described in the June 2018 OHCHR report, this Act
grants broad powers to the security forces operating in Jammu and Kashmir
and effectively bestows immunity on security forces from prosecution in
civilian courts for their conduct, by requiring the Central Government to
sanction all prospective prosecutions against such personnel." Justice
Rajinder Sachar, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, during an event
organized by ‘People’s Union for Civil Liberties’ on May 7, 2016, urged all to
unite to pressurise the government to repeal sedition laws and Armed Forces
Special Power Act (AFSPA) . Dr. Syed Nazir Gilani, President, Jammu Kashmir
Council for Human Rights submitted a written statement to the UN Human Rights
Council on August 30, 2019. He elaborated that there was a war going on between
the people of Kashmir and the Indian Security forces. The June 2018 and July
2019 reports by OHCHR have detailed the situation. According to these reports
“The Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act (AFSPA) grants broad
powers to the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir and effectively bestows
immunity on security forces from prosecution in civilian courts for their
conduct, by requiring the Central Government to sanction all prospective
prosecutions against such personnel”. For any of the above actions, article 7
of the act, titled ‘protection of persons acting in good faith under this act’
holds that ‘no prosecutions, suit or other legal proceeding shall be
instituted…against any person in respect to anything done or purported to be
done in exercise of the powers conferred by this act. This means that any
member of the armed forces who conducts the above-described human rights
violations – torture, summary executions of civilians, burning down homes and
villages, and arbitrary arrest – can do so with total immunity from
prosecution. These draconian laws violate articles 9 and 14 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political rights (ICCPR). Currently, two dangerous
misunderstandings exist about the Kashmir issue. If allowed to continue, they
can destroy the potential of peace making in the subcontinent: These are:
(a) Kashmiris have been battered into submission by Indian forces through
these draconian laws. (b) India is
unbendingly opposed to giving up her occupation of Kashmir; so it is futile to
bring any pressure on her. As regards the first, one need only to recall what
happened to a nation as great as France under the 5-year Nazi occupation. That so many prominent Frenchmen and sections
of French society refused to offer any resistance to German forces; that men of
standing like Petain and Laval collaborated with the Nazis are undeniable
facts. Did they betoken even a limited
popularity of the Nazis? Certainly
not. All they brought out was the
opportunism of a few individuals or groups and the weakness inherent in human
nature when confronted with life’s necessities. The thinking runs along these lines: life is
to be lived; if an overarching issue is remaining undecided, one has
still to face relatively minor but pressing day-to-day matters and
one has to try to tackle them. If this happened in France in four or five years
of alien occupation, is it any wonder that it should happen in Kashmir after
seventy-four years of unremittingly suppressive alien rule. The second
misunderstanding arises from a superficial reading of realities. It is true
that successive governments in India have persistently presented a completely
intransigent front on the Kashmir issue. But if no cracks are visible in that
front, it is because no pressure whatsoever has been applied which would expose
the realities under the surface. During the last two years or so, particularly
since August 5, 2019, when Article 370 and 35A were abrogated, several articles
have appeared in the international press and even in mainstream India press written
by thoughtful Indians opposed to the official policy on the issue. They take
their stand not on morality but realistically on India’ own long-term interest.
That an unresolved Kashmir issue, the occupation of Kashmir in defiance of the
people’s wishes, has damaged India’s democratic credentials and hence her standing
and aspiration for an enhanced status in the United Nations is a point of
emphasis in their pleadings. Only shallow thinking will regard this
current of Indian opinion as inconsequential. If world powers want to help
bring about a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute, it must demand from
India as a first step, the immediate repeal of these black laws. The world
powers and particularly, the United Nations Human Rights Council is in a
position to arrest the course of brutalities by examining and exposing the
situation and persuading both India and Pakistan that the way to bring peace
and stability to the region of South Asia is by resolving the Kashmir dispute
to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. Dr. Fai is the Secretary General
of Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum. He can be reached at:
1-202-607-6435. Or gnfai2003@yahoo.com Courtesy: Daily Sabah,
Istanbul
5. One martyred; Nov., 27, 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred a youth in Poonch district. The youth was martyred by Indian troops during a continued violent military operation in Bhimber Gali, area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/11/26/india-troops-martyr-one-youth-in-poonch.html
Weekly update -117;
- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Nov,16, 2021 to Nov ,23, 2021.
1.
Four martyred; Nov., 16, 2021: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri businessmen and a surgeon doctor in
cold blood in Srinagar. The troops martyred a cement trader Altaf Ahmad Butt, a
property dealer, a tea stall owner and a dental surgeon identified as Mudassar
during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Hyderpora area of the city on
Monday evening. Speaking
to the media, martyr Altaf Butt’s niece Saima Butt said that her uncle was a
common man and was not involved in any militant activity as claimed by the
police. “My uncle has been murdered. He was used as a human shield during the
cordon and search operation. He ran a hardware shop and owned the complex where
the forces had come for checking,” said Saima. During protest at Press Enclave
in Srinagar, family members of the victims also demanded the return of bodies
of the victims for proper burial. “Police should return the body of my beloved
son,” said the wailing mother of victim Dr Mudasir, adding that her son was
innocent. Other family members of martyrs outrightly rejected police claim and
added that all the martyrs were innocent. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/11/16/indian-troops-martyr-three-traders-in-srinagar-in-cold-blood.html
2. Extra judicial killings; No 18,2021; the international rights advocacy group
headquartered in the US, has sought a “credible and independent” probe into the
allegations that a civilian was used as a human shield during a shootout in
Srinagar’s Hyderpora localit. Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of HRW,
said it was the “responsibility of security forces to keep civilians from harm
during an armed operation, not to place them in harm’s way.” “The authorities
should immediately order a transparent, credible and independent investigation
into this incident,” The killing of businessman Altaf Ahmad Bhat, father of
three minor children, in a controversial shootout that left four people dead in
Srinagar, has sparked
allegations that he was used as a human shield by
security forces In a conflict situation, the Geneva Conventions, to which India
is a signatory, forbid the use of human shields who can be either civilians or
prisoners of war. A human shield is used by any side involved in a conflict in
a potentially life-threatening situation to achieve their own military
objectives. Eyewitnesses and family
members who spoke with The Wire said a search team of security forces
led by the J&K police asked Altaf, owner of the shopping complex in
Srinagar’s Hyderpora locality where the shootout took place, to accompany them
when they started the anti-militancy operation.
“If security forces knew there were militants inside the building, why
did they ask my brother to accompany them? They deliberately put him in harm’s
way. He was used as a human shield,” Altaf’s brother, Abdul Majid Bhat, told The
Wire, dismissing rumours that his brother was linked to militancy. Majid’s
claim has been corroborated by several eyewitnesses who saw the happenings at
the shopping complex when the search unit started the operation on Monday at
around 5:30 pm. Two eyewitnesses who spoke with The Wire on the
condition of anonymity, disclosed that when the search unit arrived,
counterinsurgency forces in the civvies were already deployed in the area,
“They asked the traders to down their shutters while other forces laid a cordon
around the complex,” said an eyewitness.Security forces then assembled the
traders and their workers in a two-wheeler showroom housed in the shopping
complex and seized their mobile phones. As the cordon was tightened, the search
unit attempted their first entry into the complex Habeeb Iqbal, a human rights lawyer based in
south Kashmir, said the statement of the J&K police suggests that Altaf was
asked to accompany them when the “possibility of a gunfight was high”, which is
“illegal The families of Altaf and Dr
Mudasir staged a protest in Srinagar’s Press Enclave on Wednesday evening,
demanding that the police must return their mortal remains so that they could
perform the last rites. Despite freezing cold conditions, the families, which
included the wife and one-year-old daughter of Dr Mudasir, were planning to
continue the protest through the night.“We don’t want justice. We only want the
body of my brother. We want to get a glimpse of his face and give him a decent
burial close to his home so that we can visit his grave and pray for him,”
Majid, Altaf’s brother said.
https://thewire.in/security/srinagar-encounter-eyewitnesses-civilians-human-shields-hrw-probe-demanded
3.
One martyred: Nov.,
20. 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in Kulgam
district, today. According to Kashmir Media Service, the troops martyred the
youth during a cordon and search operation in Ashmuji area of the district. Indian troops martyr
one Kashmiri youth in Kulgam – Kashmir Media Service (kmsnews.org)
4.
Weekly update -116;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Nov,9, 2021 to Nov ,15, 2021.
1. Three martyred: Nov., 12, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism, martyred two more Kashmiri youth in Kulgam and Srinagar districts, taking the toll to three since yesterday. A youth was martyred by the troops today morning during an ongoing cordon and search operation (CASO) in Chawalgam area of Kulgam district, taking the number of youth killed in the area to two. Earlier, a youth was martyred during the initial stages of the violent military operation, which began in Chawalgam area on Thursday. In Srinagar, the troops martyred a youth in a fake encounter during a separate cordon and search operation in Bemina area of the city. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/11/12/indian-troops-martyr-kashmiri-youth-in-srinagar.htm
Weekly update -115;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Nov,2, 2021 to Nov ,8, 2021.
1.
Jammu Martyrs’ Day : Nov., 5, 2021:Kashmiris
on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over will observe the Jammu
Martyrs’ Day on Saturday to reaffirm the resolve to continue the martyrs’
mission till the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination.
Hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris were massacred by the forces of Maharaja
Hari Singh, Indian army and Hindu extremists in different parts of Jammu region
while they were migrating to Pakistan during the first week of November in
1947 https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/11/04/jammu-martyrs-day-to-be-observed-on-saturday.html
2. Global expression of solidarity with Kashmiris must:
Nov., 6, 2021: Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that it is very painful to state that on
one hand Security Council resolutions call for Kashmir’s right to
self-determination under United Nations supervised plebiscite, and on the other
hand ‘The International People’s Tribunal on Jammu & Kashmir’ have
discovered thousands of unnamed and unmarked mass graves in Jammu &
Kashmir. He reminded that the demographic changes are taking place in the
IIOJ&K and about 4.1 million new domiciles have been issued to
non-Kashmiris brought from the mainland India, which is a violation of the
Indian constitution and international law. Senator Hussain warned that the
Indian regime is not providing medical facilities to the jailed freedom-loving
Kashmiris, like Yasin Malik, Aasia Andrabi and others. India is also violating
the basic rights of freedom of speech and any Kashmiri who writes anything on the
digital media, is pushed behind bars under the notorious ‘Unlawful Activity
Prevention Act’ (UAPA) laws. The time is ripe to internationalize the Kashmir
issue and there should be global expression of solidarity with the oppressed
people of Kashmir. Let us send a strong message to the people of Kashmir who
are struggling and sacrificing against Indian occupation that Kashmir cause is
above any partisan politics and support to the Kashmir cause is unwavering,
Senator Hussain underscored. Welcoming the participants to the Kashmir Black
Day, Ambassador (Dr.) Asad Majeed Khan said that it is our collective
responsibility to sensitize the world powers, including the United States on
the plight of Kashmiri people and urged them to play their role in resolving the
Kashmir dispute as envisaged in the UNSC Resolutions and in accordance with
wishes of the Kashmiri people. Ambassador Khan said that the abrogation of
Article 370 & 35A were in contravention to India’s commitments to the
United Nations. He added that the illegal and immoral actions taken by Indian
army in occupied Kashmir poses a serious peace and security threat in the
region of South Asia and called the world powers to urge India to end its human
rights violations in IIOJK and rescind illegal and unilateral actions taken on
August 5, 2019. Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness
Forum said “The Kashmiris only want to be given the same opportunity to
determine their future policy that was accorded to the rest of the people of
the undivided India in 1947. The first liberation war was waged that year and
had all but succeeded had India not intervened militarily to enslave the people
of the former princely state of Jammu & Kashmir. Subsequently, the question
of Kashmir’s future was taken to the United Nations, by India itself, be it
noted, and it was at the world assembly that India promised the free exercise
of the right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir. It has never
honored that promise.” Dr. Fai explained that since 1990, there has been a mass
uprising of freedom from Indian occupation in Kashmir. India’s response has
been brutal. At least, 100,000 innocent people have been killed by Indian
occupation forces, thousand women raped, hundreds of villages burnt or raged to
the ground, green fields laid to waste and the most beautiful piece of land on
earth turned into a crucible of hate and violence. Fai asked: How long will the
world powers watch in silence as India carries out the genocide of the people
of Kashmir? This is a question the Kashmiris are asking too. World powers
should persuade India to stop the killing; to end the repression; to revoke
Domicile Law which is designed to change the demography of the State of Jammu
& Kashmir; and to fulfill its promise so that a new era of good will, peace
& prosperity can dawn into Subcontinent. Meanwhile, the United Nations must
establish the necessary conditions for the holding of a free and impartial
plebiscite in Jammu & Kashmir. “Time is not on the side of Kashmiris.
Everyday more and more atrocities are committed by Indian army; everybody a
larger segment of the Kashmir’s population becomes alienated. Therefore, we ask
the Biden Administration to take a principled and practical stand on the
Kashmir issue and state its support for the human rights of the people of Jammu
& Kashmir, and from a practical solution to easing nuclear tensions in the
region by resolving the root cause of the India-Pakistan crisis: the continued
denial of the Kashmir people’s right to self-determination,” Fai added. Dr.
Imtiaz Khan, Professor at George Washington University Medical Center said that
denial of right to self-determination has resulted in the suffering of the
people of Kashmir. It is also an imminent threat to the security of the region.
Dr. Khan gave detailed account of the numerous massacres in Kashmir, including
Chattisingpora, Beijbehara, Mashali Mohala, Sopore, Hnadwara, Gawkadal.
He also reminded the audience about Kunan-Poshpora when Indian army gang raped
over 100 innocent women, between the ages of 10 to 70. Justice is yet to be
delivered, despite the lapse of 30 long years. And world powers do not realize
that the deadly cost of their silence and inaction in this regard. The Kashmir
cause received great momentum and support with the report issued by the United
Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights which called for a fact-finding
mission on this issue. The assertion of Antonio Guterres that Kashmir issue
should be resolved under UN Charter and applicable UN Security Council resolutions
testifies the international sanctity of the Kashmir cause. Dr. Khan urged the
UN Secretary General to take effective and immediate measures: first to bring
the atrocities to an end, second, to bring parties together for a peaceful
settlement of the Kashmir dispute. Ambassador Tauqir Hussain, Adjunct Professor
at Georgetown University said that he always believed any peaceful resolution
of the Kashmir dispute can only happen in the context of India- Pakistan
relations. It had been India’s desire to make Pakistan and the context of India
Pakistan relations irrelevant to the Kashmir dispute. And instead follow the
third option that is of finding an internal solution to the problem without the
involvement of Pakistan and the international community. But the United Nations
resolutions and Article 370 were standing in the way as both had given locus
standi to Pakistan and the international community. The need for the linkage in
a dialogue has never been greater. If India is not interested in such a dialogue
where Kashmir is the central agenda why should Pakistan be? Pakistan needs to
enhance its influence with the international community, especially big powers
more so the United States. One must appeal to their national interests. The
context of doing that is an improved US Pakistan relationship where Pakistan is
relevant to American scheme of things. Pakistan will have a voice then. Ambassador
Hussain underscored that ironically, by slamming the door shut on the
international community, India may have overreached itself diplomatically. In
trying to make Pakistan irrelevant to Kashmir, India has made it even more
relevant. Both the Kashmiris and Pakistan have now nowhere else to go. Colonel
Wes Martin (Ret.), Iraqi war veteran highlighted the human rights atrocities
being committed by the Indian army in Kashmir. He hoped that the United States
intervention can bring it to a halt if it takes a firm stand against India’s
illegal actions in Kashmir, particularly since August 5, 2019. India’s claim
that Kashmir is its internal matter has been rejected by the United Nations
which believes that Kashmir conflict has to be resolved under UN Charter and
applicable UN Security Council resolutions. Col. Martin added that Kashmir was
known as paradise. Now because of India’s actions, the paradise does not exist
anymore. India has enacted new laws to change the demography of Kashmir. Mass
graves have been discovered there. Now is the time that we need to become the
voice of the people of Kashmir. Among others, following Kashmiri Americans were
present: Saleem Qadri, Sardar Zarif Khan, Shoaib Irshad, Akram Butt, etc. Dr.
Fai can be reached at: 1-202-607-6435. Or. gnfai2003@yahoo.com
Weekly update -114;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Oct,26, 2021 to Nov ,1, 2021.
1.
Youth martyred: October 28. 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in
Baramulla district. The troops martyred the youth, Javed Ahmad, resident of
Kulgam district, during a cordon and search operation in Cherdari area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/28/indian-troops-martyr-kashmiri-youth-in-baramulla.html
Weekly update -113;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Oct,19, 2021 to Oct ,25, 2021.
1.
Four martyred; October 20: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred two more Kashmiri youth, raising the toll to four,
today. The troops martyred two youth during a cordon and search operation, this
evening, in Devsar area of Kulgam district
Earlier in the morning today, the troops martyred two youth in a
military operation in Draged area of the Shopian district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/20/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-youth-today-raising-toll-to-4-in-iiojk.html
2.
Four
martyred; October 20: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two more Kashmiri youth, raising
the toll to four, today. The troops martyred two youth during a cordon and
search operation, this evening, in Devsar area of Kulgam district Earlier in the morning today, the troops
martyred two youth in a military operation in Draged area of the Shopian
district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/20/indian-troops-martyr-two-more-youth-today-raising-toll-to-4-in-iiojk.html
Weekly update -112;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Oct,12, 2021 to Oct ,18, 2021.
1.
Two martyred; Oct 12 2021; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts
of state terrorism, martyred two Kashmiri youth in the territory. Indian troops
during violent cordon and search operations killed a youth Imtiyaz Ahmad in
Shahgund area of Bandipore district and another in Khagund area of Islamabad
district.The troops also arrested five youth during the operations in Bandipore
district and Islamabad districts. An Indian police man also received bullet
injuries during the operation in Khagund area. He was shifted to nearby
hospital for treatment.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/11/indain-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk.html
2.
Five martyred; Oct 13 2021; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts
of state terrorism, martyred five more Kashmiri youth in Shopian district,
today. Indian troops during a violent cordon and search operation (CASO) killed
three youth in Tulran area of Shopian district. Two more youth were killed by
the troops during an operation in Feeripora area of the same district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/12/indian-troops-martyr-three-youth-in-shopian.html
3.
Youth martyred;
October 13 : In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one more Kashmiri youth in Pulwama
district, today. The troops martyred the
youth during a cordon and search operation in Tral area of the district https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/13/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-pulwama.html
4. Two martyred; Oct., 16, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Srinagar and Pulwama, today. The troops martyred one youth during a cordon and search operation in Bemina area of Srinagar. The troops martyred another youth during a similar operation in Wahibug area of Pulwama district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/15/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-iiojk-2.html
Weekly update -111;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Oct,5, 2021 to Oct ,12, 2021.
1. Two martyred; Oct 10 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian police martyred a Kashmiri youth in Srinagar, this evening. The police shot dead the youth in Natipora area of Srinagar. Indian troops martyred an unarmed civilian, Pervez Ahmad, by opening fire on his vehicle at Monghal Bridge in Islamabad district, last evening. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/08/one-more-youth-martyred-in-iiojk-toll-rises-to-two.html
Weekly update -110;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Sep ,28, 2021 to Nov,5, 2021
1.
Four youth martyred ; Sep 29 2021; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism, martyred four more Kashmiri youth in Baramulla district The
youth were killed by the troops during a violent continued cordon and search
operation in Gohalanf Uri area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/09/28/indian-troops-martyr-four-more-youth-in-baramulla.html
2.
Women in Kashmir; Oct
1 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops are
deliberately targeting the Kashmiri women to suppress the Kashmiris’ ongoing
struggle for securing freedom from India’s illegal occupation of their soil. An
analytical report released by Kashmir Media Service, today, said Kashmiri women
are the worst victims of Indian state terrorism in IIOJK and they have faced
harassment, abuse and sexual violence at the hands of Indian forces for the
last over seven decades particularly since 1989 when the Kashmiris intensified
their freedom struggle. The report pointed out that the Kashmiri women are raped,
dragged out and sometimes beaten mercilessly by the troops especially during
cordon and search operations in the occupied territory. It cited the recent
incident in which Indian Army personnel assaulted a family during a CASO in
Tral area of Pulwama. The troops broke into Seer Jageer village in Tral and
ruthlessly beat up members of a family including woman on Monday night The
report said that Indian forces are using rape as a tool to humiliate the
Kashmiris and intimidate them into submission. It said that the forces’
personnel have raped 11,246 women since January 1989 till date in IIOJK and
Kunanposhpora mass rape and Shopian double rape and murder case are glaring
examples of barbarity of Indian forces in the occupied territory. Indian troops
had molested around 100 women during a siege and search operation in
Kunanposhpora area of Kupwara district on the night of 23 February 1991. Indian
men in uniform abducted two women Aasiya and Neelofar on 29 May 2009 in
Shopian, raped and subsequently killed them in custody. Their bodies were found
in a shallow stream in the town, next morning. The report said that Indian
troops and police personnel are enjoying complete impunity for their brutal
actions as not a single soldier or policeman has been punished for sexual
abuses of Kashmiri women. It said that Indian’s illegal occupation on Jammu and
Kashmir is the main cause of victimization of women in IIOJK. It added that the
world community must hold India accountable for its atrocities especially for
using rape as a weapon of war in IIOJK.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/09/30/india-targeting-women-to-suppress-kashmiris-freedom-struggle.html
3.
Youth martyred; Oct 1
2021; In Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state
terrorism, martyred a Kashmiri youth in Shopian district.. According to Kashmir
Media Service, the youth was killed ny troops during cordon operation in
Rakhama area of district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/01/indian-troops-martyr-a-youth-in-shopian.html
4.
UN on Kashmir;
October 2): The United Nations has strongly reacted to India’s recent
rejection of the UN Human Rights chief, Michelle Bachelet’s remarks wherein she
voiced her continued concern over the situation in Indian illegally occupied
Jammu and Kashmir. According to Kashmir Media Service, the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, inaugurating the 48th session of the UN Human
Rights Council on September 13 said, “Indian authorities’ restrictions on
public assembly, and frequent temporary communication blackouts, continue in
Jammu and Kashmir, while hundreds of people remain in detention for exercising
their right to the freedom of expression, and journalists face ever-growing
pressure.” Ongoing use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act throughout
India is worrying, with Jammu and Kashmir having among the highest number of
cases in the country,” the UN rights chief said in the section on the disputed
territory, adding that “such restrictive measures can result in human rights
violations and foster further tensions and discontent.” India had stated that
Michelle Bachelet’s comments on the situation in IIOJK are “unwarranted and do
not reflect the ground reality.” Craig Mokhiber, director of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights’ New York office, on Thursday said, “We will
never side with India or Pakistan on Kashmir. But our job is to protect the
vulnerable and take the perspective of the victim.”He maintained that the UN
Charter internationalized the human rights for all of the members of the UN and
it is the responsibility of the governments to ensure freedom from fear for the
people. Kashmir is a difficult issue, he said, because of tensions between
India and Pakistan, as well as the roles that both countries play in the
international community. Mokhiber said the UN Human Right Office “will always
protect the identity of vulnerable witnesses and victims everywhere”. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/10/01/un-reacts-to-rejection-of-rights-chiefs-comments-by-india.html
Weekly update -109;- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Sep ,21, 2021 to Sep , 28, 2021
1.
Youth martyred; Sep 24 2021; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism, martyred three more Kashmiri youth in Baramulla district,
raising the toll to four in a single day, today.Three youth were killed by the
troops in a fake encounter in Uri area of the district. The violent operation
was launched by the troops on September 18 in the area. Earlier, the troops
martyred a youth in Chitragam area of Shopian district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/09/23/indian-troops-martyr-2-kashmiri-youth-in-uri-baramullah.html
2. Biden to Modi; Sep 25 2021; In his first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
US President Joe Biden spoke about the need for non-violence, tolerance and
diversity in current times, even as he said that both countries are destined to
be “stronger, closer and tighter”. Biden’s comment marks the second time the US
has spoken to Modi in public about the importance of democracy in as many days.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said “it is imperative that we defend
democratic principles and institutions within our respective countries”. These
remarks come against the backdrop of growing concerns abroad over the rise in
anti-Muslim rhetoric in India and curbs on dissent. “Kamala Harris presses
India’s Modi gently on human rights in historic meeting,” the Los Angeles Times reported
in its headline.
https://thewire.in/diplomacy/biden-to-modi-gandhis-message-of-tolerance-respect-diversity-needed-more-than-ever
3.
HRs Organations on India in
Kashmir and India; Sep 25 2021; As Indian Prime Minister is set to address the United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) forum in New York on
September 25, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the
international community to "spotlight the human rights abuses" of his
government. On September
22, the U.S. congressional briefing on 'Religious freedom in India'
by the Human Rights Watch revealed an appalling record of the human rights
violations by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The testimony
of John Sifton, Asia
Advocacy Director put forward "scathing criticism" of the Indian government's
assault on religious minorities inIndia.
The U.S. congressmen were briefed that the attacks against religious minorities
in India, especially Muslims,
had increased especially since the BJP came to power in 2014. The testimony
also documented the Indian
laws and policies to discriminate against religious minorities, the bias
against Muslims in the Indian
justice system, ongoing clampdown in Jammu
and Kashmir, BJP's government's
empowering of vigilantes and crackdown on civil society for raising these issues. It was highlighted that
the BJP leaders and affiliated groups had long stigmatized minority
communities as a "threat to national security and to the Hindu way of
life", and making hate-filled remarks against Muslims
around state and national elections. The
Modi government has adopted laws and policies that systematically
discriminate against Muslims and
other minorities.
4.
This divisive political discourse has served to
normalize violence against minorities, especially Muslims,
in India. The prejudices embedded in the government
have infiltrated independent institutions, such as the police,
empowering nationalist groups to threaten, harass, and attack
religious minorities with impunity.
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/modis-rights-abuses-in-spotlight-ahead-of-un-1359060.html
5.
UK on Kashmir; Sep 26
2021; The Members of British Parliament have called on their government
to use its weight to help resolve the decades old Kashmir dispute, and that the
entry of the Indian High Commissioner in the parliament be barred. In a debate
on a motion moved by the MPs from the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)
on Kashmir in the House of Commons on Thursday, the parliamentarians asked the
UK government to use its influence to ensure investigation of the terrible
situation. “The Pakistani government allowed us unfettered access. We used our
meetings to ask pointed questions related to human rights issues highlighted in
United Nations reports,” she said. “Kashmiris must be at the heart of a
trilateral peace building process.” Robbie Moore, the Conservative MP for
Keighley, said, “we can use our influence to ensure that this terrible
situation is investigated and that our government uses its weight and its
influence to put pressure to seek a solution.” In a passionate speech, Yasmin
Qureshi, Labour MP for Bolton South East, outlined the human rights abuses
faced by Kashmiris, saying, “In the last two years, human rights groups have
documented the everyday reality of this governance for Kashmiris. Mass arrests
and raids, torture, the suppression of free assembly, the crushing of the
Kashmiri press, the decimation of the local economy, the crippling of the
education system, the incarceration of thousands of people.” Imran Hussain,
Labour MP for Bradford East, said he expected the UK government to suggest that
disputes in the region should be resolved bilaterally and also stand up for the
rights of oppressed people. In a passionate speech, which was critical of India
and its actions in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Imran Hussain said the UK and other
countries needed to speak up and end their silence. He told the House of
Commons: “For over 70 years, the sons and daughters of Kashmir have been
subjected to persecution, oppression, injustice in the most brutal manner. For
over 70 years, they have been butchered, maimed and killed at the hands of an
occupying Indian military operating under the draconian Armed Forces Special
Powers Act.” Labour MP Tahir Ali called for the Indian high commissioner to the
UK to be barred from Parliament because of the military occupation of Kashmir.
The Birmingham Hall Green MP said action should be taken by the UK because the
situation in Kashmir is “another example of the mess left by the British
government in 1947”. “British parliamentarians, Indian politicians sympathetic
to the Kashmiris, international observers are all denied access to the
Indian-occupied Kashmir Several MPs mentioned that Pakistan’s High Commissioner
Moazzam Ahmad Khan had sent them a dossier on human rights abuses in IIOJK
which was an eye-opener.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/09/25/mps-call-for-uk-influence-to-resolve-kashmir-dispute-ban-indian-envoys-parliament-entry.html
6. Kashmir; Sep 26 2021; "India remains in occupation of an internationally recognized disputed territory whose final disposition needs to be decided in accordance with the democratic principle of a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices, as provided for under numerous resolutions of the Security Council," she said. https://youtu.be/WPX2Gv48rDU?t=6 https://www.dawn.com/news/1648371/pakistan-hits-back-at-indian-claims-at-unga-reiterates-kashmir-not-internal-matter
Weekly update -107;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Sep ,7, 2021 to Sep , 14, 2021
1.
Geelani Burial; Aug 10 2021; Indian
security forces are maintaining an armed guard around the grave of an iconic
Kashmir separatist leader, amid mounting public anger over police footage of
his funeral, which his family say they were barred from attending. India probes late Kashmir
separatist’s family under terror lawIndia locks down Kashmir after quiet
burial of separatist GeelaniObituary: Syed Ali Shah Geelani was
symbol of Kashmir resistanceSyed Ali Shah Geelani: A life
dedicated to Kashmir and its people The next
day, his son Naseem Geelani told Al Jazeera the armed police “snatched his
(Geelani’s) body and forcibly buried him” in the middle of the night and “did
not allow any of us to take part in final prayers” fresh outrage after posting videos on Twitter
on Monday, showing Geelani’s body being washed, wrapped in a shroud and buried.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/8/india-kashmir-police-videos-geelani-funeral-anger
2.
Geelani funeral; Sep
10 2021; Kashmir Civitas, an international civil society and strategic
advocacy organization working for right to self-determination of the people of
Jammu and Kashmir, has depicted through an animated video the inhuman treatment
meted out to the veteran Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Gilani, and desecration of
his dead body by Indian forces.The video described Indian action as a serious
war crime and direct violation of the Article 17 of the Geneva Conventions. In
the video, Syed Ali Gilani has been described as the hero of every Kashmiri,
who never bowed before the Indian oppression. In the video, people of IIOJK
have been asked to massively march towards the grave of Syed Ali Gilani at
Hyderpora in Srinagar, tomorrow, after Juma prayers to pay tributes to him. The
march is also aimed at registering protest against the desecration of the dad
body of the veteran leader by the Indian forces.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/09/09/animated-depiction-of-indias-inhuman-treatment-to-syed-ali-gilani.html
3. HRs; Sep 13 2021; Pakistan has released a comprehensive dossier, exposing the scale of war crimes, human rights violations, fake encounters, false flag operations and use of rape as war tool by the Indian occupation forces in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Giving detail of the Indian atrocities, compiled in the 131-paged dossier, Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said, the Hindutva-inspired BJP regime in India has unleashed a series of atrocities against the people in occupied territory. He said communication blockade in IIOJK continues by design to hamper international media and observers from reporting the heinous crimes being committed by the Indian occupation forces. He said the dossier contains three chapters and first one carries detail of war crimes and genocidal acts of the Indian troops; the second one exposes false flag operations in IIOJK to suppress the indigenous freedom movement while the last chapter tells that how human rights law are being openly being violated by India https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/09/12/pakistan-presents-another-dossier-exposing-indian-war-crimes-in-iiojk.html
Weekly update -106;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Aug ,31, 2021 to Sep , 7, 2021
1. Geelani Sahib passes away Sep 2021; The veteran politician was jailed for nearly 10 years after 1962 and often restricted to his home after that. Since his youth, Geelani had been a member of Jamaat-i-Islami, which was banned by the Hindu nationalist government in 2019. Last year, Geelani had resigned from his post as APHC chief, of which he had been a member since its formation in 1993 as a political arm of the anti-India movement. He was elected its chairman for life in 2003. Hurriyat Conference (Geelani) has more than 24 constituent parties, some of which have only a handful of members. Last month, the APHC had said that the 11-years-long house arrest had taken a heavy toll on Geelani's health and his condition continued to deteriorate. In a press release, a copy of which was shared by the Kashmir Media Service, the APHC said that along with general physical weakness that the veteran leader had been experiencing for some time, his chest infection was also "not satisfactorily" responding to treatment. . https://www.dawn.com/news/1643921/veteran-hurriyat-leader-syed-ali-geelani-passes-away-at-92
Weekly update -105;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Aug ,24, 2021 to Aug , 31, 2021
1.
Three martyred; Aug 24 2021; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian troops in their
fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Sopore, today.
The youth were killed by the troops during a cordon and search operation in
PethSeer area of the town
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/08/24/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-sopore.html
2. UN of Kashmir; Aug 28 2021; UN’s independent human rights experts has asked the
Indian government to explain the legal basis for detention and charges against
four Kashmiri journalists and closure of the allotment of office of Kashmir Times. It has
also sought details on whether these actions complied with India’s obligations
under international human rights law. The letter was written by the UN Human
Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of
the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan and Vice-Chair of
the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Elina Steinerte. While the message
was dated June 3, it was made public earlier this month following the expiry of
the deadline of 60 days. In the letter, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and
protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan and
Vice-Chair of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Elina Steinerte, raised
specific concerns about four journalists, Fahad Shah, Auqib Javeed, Sajar Gul
and Qazi Shibli. They were also “deeply concerned by the alleged closure of the
Kashmir Times offices
which also seems to be connected to its independent and reportedly outspoken
reporting in the region”. “We respectfully recall that journalism constitutes a
necessary service for any society, as it provides individuals, and society as a
whole, with the necessary information to allow them to develop their own thoughts
and to freely draw their own conclusions and opinions (A/HRC/20/17 para 3). We
note that the deprivation of liberty of any individual for exercising his/her
right to freedom of expression would constitute an arbitrary deprivation of
liberty, contrary to Article 9 of the Covenant,” it said. The letter documented allegations of six
cases of intimidation of Fahad Shah, editor of weekly The Kashmirwalla, between
June 2017 and January 2021. Shah had been interrogated for four hours at
Qazigund police station on October 3 last year after returning from a reporting
trip to Punjab. The interrogating officer of the rank of deputy superintendent
of police allegedly warned him to “show “self- restraint” and report
“cautiously” about matters related to “national security”. Before being
released, he was made to sign a statement that his car, phones, and other
belongings were returned without any tampering.
In July 2018, Auqib Javeed was arrested and questioned for three days
over an interview with a Kashmiri separatist leader for an English newspaper. In
September last year, there was an alleged escalation in the intimidatory
tactics against Javeed after he published a story about police silencing
several social media users by cautioning them against writing anti-government
posts. As detailed in the letter, Javeed was summoned by a state government
official to the city of Shergandi. On entering the premises, his phones were
intercepted. Then Javeed was taken away from his friends to another room by a
police officer. “During the interrogation, Mr Javeed was slapped multiple
times, while officers inquired about the article he had written and accused him
of publishing a fabricated story”. The police officer told him that Kashmir was
“burning” because “people like [him] were spreading fake narratives”. Javeed
has written for several publications, including The
Wire. Sajar
Gul, a freelance journalist based in North Kashmir, had received a threatening
call from a local police officer after he wrote an article about demolition
carried out by police without permission in February 2020. A day after the
call, the same officer demolished Gul’s property and his maternal uncle’s
fence. In response, Shahgund villagers pelted stones and organised a protest.
Police charged Gul for rioting, criminal trespassing and assaulting a public
servant. “According to the defense, the journalist was in Srinagar at the
moment of the alleged protests, about 40 kilometres away from the location it
took allegedly took place”. The UN experts also raised the case of Qazi Shibli,
editor of The Kashmiriyat magazine, who was kept in detention and
solitary confinement for nine months under the Public Safety Act. Two months
after release, he was again detained for 18 days “for reporting on a fake encounter
in Shopian Kashmir”. In all the instances, none of the Kashmiri journalists had
access to legal representation during interrogation. The letter also referred
to the closure of The Kashmir Times in October 2020 after the Jammu and
Kashmir state department asked the staff to leave the premises. “According to
the information we received, an eviction process establishes that a notice
needs to be served to the occupant before the eviction takes place, stating
valid grounds on which allotment is being cancelled with a time period of not
less than seven days for the occupant to respond, according to the J&K
Public Premises (Eviction) Act, Article 4. Up to this date, the offices of the
Kashmir Times remain closed and no opportunity to appeal the decision has been
granted”. The UN experts also informed that the Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention might also transmit these cases through the usual procedure “to
render an opinion on whether the deprivation of liberty was arbitrary or not”.
https://thewire.in/media/un-rights-experts-ask-india-to-explain-intimidation-of-4-jk-scribes-closure-of-kashmir-times
3.
DG ISPSR Press conference; Aug 27 2021;
cost of the terrorism activities emanating from Afghanistan in Pakistan role of
India and RAW https://youtu.be/945i8WIokSg
4.
Weekly update -104;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Aug ,17, 2021 to Aug , 24, 2021
1.
Youth martyred; Aug, 21 2021; In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian troops in their
fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Pulwama district,
today. The troops martyred the youth, identified as Musaib Mushtaq and Muzamil
Ahmed Rathar, during a cordon and search operation at Khrew in Pampore area of
the district. .
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/08/20/indian-troops-martyr-youth-in-pulwama.html
2. Three martyred; Aug 22 2021; Three In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three more Kashmiri youth in Pulwama district, today, taking the number of the slain youth in the territory to six since Thursday .The troops martyred the three youth during a cordon and search operation at Nagbarean in Tral area of the district The troops martyred two youth and destroyed a residential house during a similar operation in Khrew area of the same district, yesterday. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/08/21/3-more-youth-martyred-in-iiojk-toll-reaches-6.htmlWeekly update -103;- Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Aug ,10, 2021 to Aug , 17, 2021
1.
India stifles protest; Aug 13 2021; ON THE MORNINGof October 28, 2020, rights activist
Parveena Ahanger was startled by the sound of revving engines outside her home
in Srinagar, the biggest city in Indian-administered Kashmir. She closed the
Quran she was reading from and peeked through a window; there were nearly a
dozen armored vehicles and dozens of police personnel surrounding her house.
Some plainclothes officers came inside and ordered Ahanger to shut all the
windows and lock all the doors. It was a raid by India’s counterterrorism task
force: the National Investigation Agency, or NIA. Ahanger is the chair of the
Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, a collective known as APDP that
she founded in 1994 — four years after her teenage son was arrested by Indian
armed forces then disappeared. During the raid, NIA officials confiscated the
cellphones of her entire family. The agents later drove Ahanger to her office
in Hyderpora, on the outskirts of Srinagar, where they seized documents and
hard drives. That same day, the NIA also
raided the offices and homes of several journalists and other nonprofit groups.
Among the targets was the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, or JKCCS —
a group that documents human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir —
and the home of its program coordinator. At both of those locations, too, NIA
officials confiscated electronic gadgets and seized several documents. The
raids were an escalation in the Indian government’s crackdowns on rights
activists, journalists, politicians, and civilians who express dissent and
views critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata
Party. Just a few days before revoking Kashmir’s special status, the Indian
government amended a controversial anti-terror law called the Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act to make it more stringent, allowing the government to
jail for six months, without trial or bail, anyone arrested under this law.
Over the last couple years, the police have invoked UAPA frequently to restrain
civil liberties. After the raids last October, the NIA said it was acting
on information that groups had been using funding from abroad “for secessionist
and terrorist activities” in Kashmir, invoking the UAPA. The NIA brought
charges against the JKCCS under UAPA, claiming to have “credible information”
the organization was involved in secessionist activities and said the
investigation was ongoing. The raids
had the effect of stifling the only two groups documenting human rights abuses
in the region, whose work has been cited by the United Nations. “These raids are
meant to intimidate Human Rights Defenders, cast a chilling effect on others
and ensure that no information or narrative that contests the discourse of the
Indian state is available, either for discussions in India or outside,” Vrinda
Grover, a human rights activist and lawyer based in New Delhi, told The
Intercept. “Criminal law is being increasingly used to demonise and criminalise
human rights work.” FOR YEARS, the APDP and the JKCCS have played a
leading role in documenting abuses committed by Indian security forces in
Kashmir, including surveillance, disappearances, and violence, as well as
organizing locally to bring attention to these abuses. In 2004, Ahanger
began convening monthly silent protests in Srinagar, where dozens of women and
men would hold signs asking, “Where are Our Loved Ones?” Their family members,
the protesters said, had been subjected to enforced disappearance by Indian
armed forces. But the last time they gathered was on July 10, 2019: a few weeks
before the Indian government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s quasi-autonomous
status. Members of the APDP collective decided they could no longer meet
publicly. “We were scared because of the terror they spread,” Ahanger said.
“People were being arrested. In October 2019, APDP published a report on the use of pellet
guns on protesters during a 2016 civilian uprising; the report included
testimonies from people who had lost their eyesight as a result. Three months
later, the collective released a report detailing human
rights violations in the region during four months of lockdown since the
revocation of Kashmir’s special status. Since then, the APDP has gone silent
out of fear of retaliation by Indian authorities — a fear that was exacerbated
by last year’s raid. The
JKCCS, for its part, was deeply involved in documenting abuses that appeared in
a 2018 U.N. Human Rights report that for
the first time called for an inquiry into the large-scale violations of rights
in Kashmir. The report had stated that in Kashmir “accountability for
violations committed by members of the Indian security forces remains virtually
non-existent.” The last report JKCCS released was in August 2020, a year
after the Indian government imposed a “digital siege” in Kashmir. The report
detailed the costs and consequences of the communication blockade in the
disputed region. JKCCS president and human rights lawyer Parvez Imroz said
the revocation of Kashmir’s special status and the arrests that followed
created a climate of fear. “We had no information about anyone, but months
later we got to know we were on the surveillance and no-flying lists,” Imroz
added. “We have been banned from traveling since 2019. That was one way of
pressurizing us to not do our work.” THE RAMPANT use of the controversial UAPA has led to an environment where
people resort to self-censorship or refrain from going against the interests of
the government. During UAPA prosecutions, the court relies on police documents
to establish the guilt of the accused, giving police outsized power. The law
has the effect of branding people charged under the law as terrorists —
regardless of whether the government secures a conviction against them. “Under
UAPA, the theory of separation of powers has been completely turned on its
head. Police and the executive have become powerful and the judiciary is not
doing the checks and balances,” said Habeel Iqbal, a lawyer based in Kashmir.
He pointed to a 2019 ruling by the Indian Supreme Court reversing a lower court
decision to grant bail to someone charged under UAPA to note that “the Supreme
Court in a recent Judgment gave more teeth to this dreadful law and tied the
hands of the High Courts and lower Courts in matters of bail. Increased use of
UAPA also shows how paranoid the state has become.” In the case of the JKCCS, the NIA brought charges
under the UAPA but took no further action to prosecute the case — yet the
government may have already achieved its objective. “When the NIA raided our office, they seized our
gadgets and documents. They disconnected us from our friends and contacts. For
a long time, we were not in touch with anybody,” said Imroz. “And that finally
led to a situation where we felt that [the NIA] wanted to silence everyone.”
The NIA, which did not respond to multiple
requests for comment from The Intercept, has not released any evidence in support
of its claim that the groups it raided were linked to terror financing
networks. The JKCCS says it is funded locally, while the APDP has received funding from the U.N. Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. “We receive funds through the U.N. grant only,”
said an APDP staff member, who requested anonymity out of fear of reprisal by
Indian officials. “They conducted the raid to create pressure on us. They also
wanted to know the kind of victims we help through our funds.” Ahanger said she thought the real reason the NIA
targeted her collective was their documentation of human rights abuses by
Indian armed forces. “We have been able to work with international
organizations like the U.N., Rafto Foundation” — a Norwegian human rights
organization that recognized Ahanger
and Imroz for their work in Kashmir in 2017 — “and other international
organizations who have built pressure on the Indian government,” she told The
Intercept. The Indian government
continues to weaponize the UAPA against dissenters. Last year, 16-year-old
Athar Mushtaq was killed in an alleged gun battle in Srinagar, and the police
buried him in Sonamarg, a three-hour drive from his home. His father, Mushtaq
Ahmad, battled for several weeks to get his son’s body and bury him near his
home. In February, the police filed charges against him and other
family members under UAPA. In May 2021, Kashmiri politician and separatist
leader Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai died of Covid-19 at a hospital in Jammu during
his imprisonment. At his funeral, less than two dozen attendees, including his
two sons, raised pro-freedom slogans. A few days later, Sehrai’s sons were arrested under UAPA. FOLLOWING THE NIA raids, the JKCCS and APDP were not able to
work as freely as before. The fear of reprisal pushed the two groups into
dormancy.“There were threats. There were raids at the houses of our colleagues.
Then we decided that until this case is resolved, we would not be able to work
properly,” said Imroz. After the NIA raided JKCCS’s office, many of its
volunteers stopped going to the office. “People are scared of coming to us. Many
journalists are also scared to come to us for comments and reports,” Imroz
said. “Fear has been used as a weapon, and the government has been successful
in that.” Ahanger believes the government is “trying to suffocate
every space that exists in Kashmir. It is not just rights groups, they are
trying to choke every space.”
https://theintercept.com/2021/07/26/india-kashmir-human-rights-nia/
2. Youth martyred; Aug 13 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth and injured two civilians in Kulgam district, today. the youth was killed after the troops blasted a four-storey building by using chemical substance during a cordon and search operation in Mirbazar area of the district. Two injured civilians were identified as Sahil Yaqoob Butt (25) and Shahid Farooq Sheikh (22). Earlier, two Indian troops were injured in an attack in the same area. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/08/12/indian-troops-martyr-one-youth-injure-two-civilians-in-iiojk.html
Weekly update -101;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Aug ,3, 2021 to Aug , 10, 2021
1.
One martyred: Aug., 4, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied
Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the Indian troops in their fresh act of state
terrorism, martyred a Kashmiri youth in Bandipora district. According to
Kashmir Media Service, the troops killed the youth during a cordon and search
operation at Chandaji area of the district.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/08/03/indian-troops-martyr-kashmiri-youth-in-bandpora.html
2.
One martyred; Aug 7
2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred a Kashmiri youth in Budgam
district. The youth was killed by troops during a cordon and search operation
in Manchowa area of the district today. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/08/07/indian-troops-martyr-a-kashmiri-youth-in-budgam.html
Weekly update -100;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Aug ,2, 2021 to Aug , 9, 2021
1. Three martyred; Aug,1, 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiris in Pulwama and Bandipora districts, today. The troops martyred two youth during a cordon and search operation in Nagberan-Tarsar area of Pulwama district. The operation continued till last reports came in. The troops martyred a 50-year-old civilian identified as Muhammad Abdullah at an army camp in Tarbal area of Bandipore district during custody. The death of the man sparked protest in Bagroor area prompting the occupation authorities to snap the mobile service. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/31/indian-troops-martyr-three-kashmiris-in-iiojk.html
2. July cost; Aug 2 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred thirty seven (37) Kashmiris including two women during the month of July 2021. According to a report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, today, of those eight were killed by the troops in fake encounters or in custody. The killing rendered two women widowed and seven (7) children orphaned in July. During the month, twenty eight (28) people including media men were critically injured after Indian troops and police personnel used brute force on peaceful protesters in the territory. The report maintained that at least fifty seven (57) civilians, mostly youth, political activists, a religious scholar and a woman, were arrested; several of them were booked under black law Public Safety Act (PSA) and Unlawful Activities (Preventive) Act (UAPA). The troops also damaged ten (10) houses during at least 219 cordon and search operations in the month, the report added. The report pointed out that Indian troops martyred 105 Kashmiris including top APHC leader, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai during the first seven months of this year in the territory. The report maintained that the killing by the troops during the period rendered six (6) women widowed and eighteen (18) children orphaned. The troops damaged over thirty nine (39) houses and structures and molested or disgraced twelve (12) women and arrested 574 persons including students and youth during cordon and search operations across the occupied territory.During the period, 361 people were critically injured due to the use of brute force, bullets and pellets on peaceful demonstrators by Indian military, paramilitary and police personnel in the territory, the report said. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/08/01/indian-troops-martyred-37-kashmiris-in-july.html
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Weekly update -99;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from July ,29, 2021 to July , 26, 2021
1. Human rights ; July 23 2021;In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian troops have upped the ante against people of Kashmir and in their continued state terrorism martyred 42 persons including two women and a young boy during past two months. According to Kashmir Media Service’s research section, in past 20 days of July 135 cordon and search operations were staged in which 24 youth and two women were martyred while in last month (June ) 152 cordon and search operations were conducted in which sixteen (16) Kashmiris were martyred. The report said that over 100 Kashmiri youth were arrested by Indian police in last 50 days. During the period, twenty eight (28) Indian troops and police personnel were killed and forty one (41) were injured in different incidents. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/22/indian-troops-martyr-42-persons-in-iiojk-since-june.html
2.
Two martyred; July 24,
2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Sopore town. The
youth were killed by the troops during a cordon and search operation in Warpora
area of the town. Bodies of the youth were recovered from the debris of the two
residential houses destroyed by the troops with chemical explosive material.The
occupation authorities suspended internet services in Sopore to prevent people
from sharing information about the prevailing situation in the town.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/23/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-sopore.html
3.
HRs ; July 25, 2021; During his visit next week to New Delhi, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will raise concerns
around human rights in India, according to a U.S. official. Mr. Blinken is
expected to arrive in New Delhi late on July 27 and will meet with his
counterpart S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (according to the
U.S. version of his schedule).“And with respect to the human rights and
democracy question, yes, you’re right; I will tell you that we will raise it,
and we will continue that conversation, because we firmly believe that we have
more values in common on those fronts than we don’t,” Acting Assistant
Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson told reporters on
Friday, when asked how important human rights were to the meeting agenda
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/us-secretary-of-state-antony-blinken-will-raise-human-rights-issues-with-new-delhi-us-official/article35503512.ece
4.
Three martyred; July 25
2021; In Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state
terrorism martyred three more Kashmiri youth in Bandipora distinct, today,
taking the number of slain youth to five since yesterday. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/24/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-bandipora.html
5.
One martyred;
July 25 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and
Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred one
Kashmiri youth in Kulgam distinct. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/25/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-kulgam.html
6.
Weekly update -98;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from July ,13, 2021 to July , 19, 2021
1. Three youth martyred; July 15 2021;In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three more Kashmiri youth in Pulwama town. The youth were killed by the troops during a cordon and search operation in New Colony area of the town. The troops destroyed two houses during the operation. Bodies of the youth were recovered from the debris of the destroyed houses. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/14/three-youth-martyred-in-pulwama.html
2.
Two martyred; July 16
2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in
Srinagar, today. The youth, identified as Irfan and Bilal Ahmad, were killed
inside a house, which was destroyed by Indian troops and paramilitary forces,
using chemical explosives during a cordon and search operation in Danmar Eidgah
area of the city, today https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/16/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-iiojk.html
3. Religious freedom; July 7
2021; Officials in Indian-administrated Kashmir
have barred the sacrifice of animals during the upcoming holiday of Eid al-Adha, An order issued Thursday said
the "illegal killing/sacrifices of cows/calves, camels & other
animals” must be stopped, citing animal welfare laws. It is unclear why the
government issued a near total ban on sacrificing animals. Generally, cows are
considered sacred in Hindu-majority India, and slaughtering them or eating beef
is illegal or restricted across much of the country. Despite the ban on cow
slaughter in Kashmir, beef is widely available across much of the
Muslim-majority areas. Muslims traditionally mark Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of
Sacrifice by offering special prayers and slaughtering livestock, usually a
goat, sheep, a cow or a camel, to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s test of faith.
The meat of the sacrificed animals is shared among family and friends and poor
people who cannot afford to sacrifice animals.
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/india-bans-muslim-animal-sacrifices-in-kashmir-on-eid-al-adha
4.
|
Weekly update -97;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from July ,6, 2021 to July , 12, 2021
1.
Youth martyred; July
7 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred a Kashmiri youth in
Handwara district, today. The youth was killed by troops during a cordon and
search operation in Kralgund Handwara area of the district. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/07/indian-troops-martyr-one-youth-in-handwara.html
2.
Four Youth martyred: July 8 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism , martyred four more
Kashmiri youth in two districts of the territory, today. The troops killed two
youth each during cordon and search operations in Pulwama and Kulgam districts
of South Kashmir on Thursday. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/08/indian-troops-martyr-four-youth-in-iiojk.html
3.
Five martyred; July 9
2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops
during a cordon and search operation martyred one more youth in Rajouri,
raising the toll to five in one day in the territory. The troops killed the
fifth youth in Sunderbani area of Rajouri district during an ongoing operation
which entered its 10 day, today. Indian army claimed that the youth was killed
during an encounter, which also left an Indian soldier dead and two others
including a JCO injured. It said, the slain soldier has been identified as
Sepoy Yashwant Reddy while the injured as Naib Subedar Srijith of 17 Madras and
Nk Santosh of 9 Para. Earlier, Indian troops martyred four Kashmiri youth in
Pulwama and Kulgam districts of South Kashmir, today. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/08/five-youth-martyred-indian-soldier-killed-jco-injured-in-iiojk.html
4.
Youth martyred; July
10 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their continued acts of state terrorism martyred one more Kashmiri youth in Rajouri
district, today, taking the toll to six in the territory since yesterday.The
troops martyred the youth during an ongoing cordon and search operation in
Sunderbani area of the district. The troops martyred one youth in the same area
and four others in Pulwama and Kulgam districts, yesterday. Three Indian
soldiers including a Junior Commissioned Officer have been killed in attacks in
Sunderbani during the operation, which is going on since on June 29. The troops
also launched similar operations in Kulgam and Samba districts. The occupation
authorities suspended internet services in Kulgam and Pulwama districts.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/09/troops-martyr-another-youth-in-iiojk-toll-reaches-6.html
5.
Three youth martyred:
July 12 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Islamabad
district, today, raising the number of slain youth in the territory to eight
since Thursday.The troops martyred these youth during a cordon and search
operation at Kawarigam in Achabal area of the district. Indian forces’
personnel beat up and injured a journalist, Shah Junaid, when he was performing
his professional duties during the CASO https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/10/3-more-kashmiri-youth-martyred-toll-reaches-9-since-thursday.html
6.
Woman killed; July 11
2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a 28-year-old
woman was killed on Saturday evening after she was deliberately
hit by an Indian Army vehicle in Yaripora area of south
Kashmir’s Kulgam district. An official told media that a woman, identified as
Rohi Jan, 29, wife of Aabid Ahmad of Kharibarari village of Shopian, was hit by
an Army vehicle at Kaddar Kulgam on Saturday evening.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/07/10/woman-dies-after-hit-by-indian-army-vehicle-in-kulgam.html
Weekly update -96;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from June ,29, 2021 to July , 5,
2021
1.
Young man martyred;
June 29 2021; In Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state
terrorism, martyred one Kashmiri youth in Srinagar, today. The youth was killed
by the troops during a cordon and search operation in Parimpora of the city.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/06/28/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-srinagar.html
2. UN and Human rights
violations against children; June 30 2021; UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed his
concern over the “grave violations” against children in Indian Illegally
Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and called upon the government to take
preventive measures to protect children, including by ending the use of pellets
against them, The call was made by the UN chief in the annual report on Children
and Armed Conflict, which was launched last week by his Special Representative
on the subject, Virginia Gamba. “I
remain concerned by grave violations against children in Jammu and Kashmir and
call upon the Government to take preventive measures to protect children,
including by ending the use of pellets against children, ensuring that children
are not associated in any way to security forces, and endorsing the Safe
Schools Declaration and the Vancouver Principles,” the secretary-general said
in the report. “I am alarmed at the detention and torture of children and
concerned by the military use of schools,” he said, noting that seven schools
were used for four months by Indian security forces. “I urge the (Indian)
Government to ensure that children are detained as a measure of last resort and
for the shortest appropriate period of time, and to prevent all forms of
ill-treatment in detention,” the secretary-general added. “I also urge the
(Indian) Government to ensure the implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care
and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, to address the use of children for
illegal activities and the situation of detained children*.” According to the
UN report, a total of 39 children (33 boys, 6 girl) were killed and maimed (9
killed and 30 maimed by pellet guns) and several casualties in other actions,
including 13 in crossfire and shelling across the line of control. “There is no
place for children in conflict, and we must not allow conflict to trample on
the rights of children”, he said. More than 300 innocent Kashmiris, including
women and children, were killed in “fake encounters” and staged
“cordon-and-search” operations.
3. 750 Kashmiris were critically injured, while 2,770
innocent Kashmiris were arbitrarily detained, and 922 houses destroyed as part
of collective punishment inflicted on the Kashmiri communities.In a
particularly horrifying incident, the Pakistani envoy said, a gut-wrenching
picture of a three-year-old Kashmiri boy sitting on the body of his grandfather
(Muhammad Bashir) killed by Indian forces went viral on the internet, drawing
ire from social media and civil society. The three-year-old boy was shown
sitting on top of his motionless grandfather as he cried.
https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/608425-UN-chief-urges-India-to-end-atrocities-against-Kashmiri-children
4. Three youth martyred; July 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Kulgam district, today.The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation in Chimmer area of the district https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/06/30/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-kulgam.html
Weekly update -94;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from June ,15, 2021 to June , 21,
2021
1.
Broken promises; June 17,2021; if promises are made to
be broken, then Kashmir may be summoned to prove the treacherous proposition.
Broken promises haunt Kashmir's history, and explain its tragedy. I will
confine myself to the last century as a concession to the shortness of life. Under
the 1846 Treaty of Amritsar, Great Britain sold Kashmir and its then 2 million
people to a Sikh ruler, Gulab Singh, like sheep and cattle. The strutting
British Empire valued Kashmiris every bit as much as it did the Irish then
undergoing the Potato famine, which many in New York condemn as a British
genocide. But that was of little solace to their South Asian counterparts.
Kashmir was a princely state under Gulab Singh and his successors, Ranbir
Singh, Partap Singh, and Hari Singh. A princely state was not directly ruled by
the British raj like India, but was subject only to British dictation over
matters of defense and foreign policy. Maharaja Hari Singh, a Hindu, began his
princely rule over Kashmir in 1925. The people of the land were predominantly Muslim,
but lived a warm coexistence with Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs. Their
understanding of Islam had taught them mutual respect, harmony, and ecumenism.
The Maharaja inherited a regime earmarked by brutal repression of Muslims.
Heavy taxation, discriminatory laws, forced labor, and the absence of
representation in services and lack of educational facilities were chief
grievances. The slaughtering of a cow was a capital crime and mosques were
controlled by the state. All dissent or political protest was brutally
suppressed. For instance, the Maharaja summarily drowned state silk factory
workers in 1924 for the audacity of demanding higher wages than the likes of
Oliver Twist. Muslims who petitioned British Viceroy Lord Reading to correct or
ameliorate their grievances during his 1924 visit were sent into exile and
their properties confiscated. The British then appointed a commission headed by
B.J. Clancy to investigate the grievances. It confirmed their authenticity,
recommended remedial measures, which were largely neglected by the Maharaja. A
Kashmiri national movement was galvanized in 1931 when a state factotum forbade
the Imam to deliver a sermon before the customary Friday prayer. Mr. Abdul
Qadeer answered with a fiery speech denouncing the Maharaja's anti-Islamic
injunctions. Muslims rallied to protest his arrest, and 22 were
slaughtered when the police opened fire. The British, predictably, did nothing.
After all, it was difficult to distinguish the Maharaja's savagery from the
mass killings of Indians by the British in 1919, known as Amritsar massacre. I
would argue that this British callousness or aloofness was a pre-partition
broken promise number one. As Rudyard Kipling had versified to the world in
1899, the British Empire and suzerainties had been undertaken to discharge the
"White Man's burden" of civilizing backward races or religions.
But in Kashmir, it had apostatized from its promise and abandoned Muslims to
the law of the jungle. With the lapse of British paramountcy on August 15,
1947, broken promises over Kashmir came not like single spies but in
battalions, to borrow from Hamlet. Princely states enjoyed three options:
accession to India, accession to Pakistan, or independence. But the choice,
according to India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and tacitly endorsed by
the British was to be made by popular referendum in cases where the creed of
the ruler varied from the religion of the majority. That fundamental democratic
principle had been sternly applied by Nehru with military means in Hyderabad
and Junagadh where the rulers were Muslim but their inhabitants largely Hindu.
Kashmir presented a converse case: the Maharaja was Hindu but the majority
subscribed to Islam. When paramountcy lapsed in Kashmir, the Maharaja's
despotic regime was tottering. An indigenous rebellion was in full swing.
Instead of submitting to a referendum, Maharaja’s vaulting and mean-spirited
ambition prompted a plea to the Indian army for intervention. Nehru responded
with alacrity on October 27, 1947, and intrigued to generate a bogus instrument
of Kashmiri accession to India to justify its aggression. British scholar
Alistair Lamb has persuasively exposed the forgery, a first cousin to the
Tzar's Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Indigenous Kashmiris fought Indian troops
to a standstill. Contemporaneously, India's head of state, Lord Mountbatten,
officially promised a Kashmiri plebiscite in plain language over which only Mr.
Pickwick might puzzle: "[I] n consistence with their policy that in the
case of any state where the issue of accession has been the subject of dispute,
the question of accession should be decided in accordance with the wishes of
the people of the state. It is my government's wish that as soon as law and
order have been restored in Kashmir and its soil cleared of the invaders, the
question of the state's accession should be settled by a reference to the
people." India then raced to the United Nations Security Council on
January 1, 1948, and championed a pair of resolutions on August 13, 1948 and January
5, 1949 that prescribed a self-determination vote for Kashmiris on the heels of
United Nations supervised demilitarization. Pakistan eagerly endorsed that
solution to Kashmir's disputed territory. India, however, was soon undeceived
of its delusions over Kashmir's political yearning. Recognizing that its people
would never freely vote accession to India, it contrived excuse after excuse to
frustrate a plebiscite. When the United Nations proposed arbitration, a
reference to the World Court, or any other method of resolving minor
demilitarization quarrels, India nixed them all. After a few years, it dropped
all pretense of acceding to a referendum by unilaterally proclaiming its
annexation of Kashmir. India's proclamation has never been accepted by
the United Nations, which continues to list Kashmir as disputed territory and
subject to the Security Council's self-determination resolutions. When Antonio
Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations was asked to clarify the
position of the UN on Kashmir soon after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A
by the Government of India, he said on August 8, 2019, “The
position of the United Nations on this region is governed by the Charter of the
United Nations and applicable Security Council resolutions.” Dr.
Syed Nazir Gilani, President, JKCHR is correct when he said, “Indian action of
5 August 2019 in Kashmir has consequences at home, in the neighbourhood and at
the international level. This action is a breach of the terms of the Instrument
of Accession and under the UN template on Kashmir India has loaded upon itself
a very grave offence against the United Nations and the right of the
people of Jammu and Kashmir to self-determination”. Broken promises two, three,
and four thus represent India's reneging on its Kashmir plebiscite pledges made
by Lord Mountbatten, Prime Minister Nehru and Indian delegate to the United
Nations. Broken promise number five can be laid at the feet of the Security
Council which has never exerted any moral or other clout to even nudge India
towards compliance with its resolutions. It seems that the Security Council has
honored India's indefensible defense of its Kashmir broken promises because of
its muscular military, nuclear and economic profile and hegemony in South Asia.
Broken promises number six, seven, and eight came in 1966, 1972, and 1999. At
Tashkent following the 1965 India-Pakistan war, promises were made by India to
negotiate seriously over Kashmiri sovereignty. But nothing was done. At Simla,
following a 1971 war over Bangladesh, India again agreed to talk seriously
about Kashmir. But again the promise was honored in the breach, not the
observance. During a brief honeymoon between India and Pakistan at Lahore in
1999, India once more promised genuine negotiations over Kashmir, and once more
betrayed its pledge by instantly insisting that India's claim of sovereignty
over Kashmir would never be placed on the negotiating table. When President
Donald Trump offered his office of mediation on July 23, 2019 to resolve the Kashmir
dispute, S. Jaishankar, Indian foreign minister said on August 2, 2019
that any discussion on Kashmir will only be conducted with Pakistan and
only bilaterally. Then Jaishanker broke the promise number nine when he told
Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi just two weeks later on August 13, 2019 that
Kashmir was an internal matter of India. The train of broken promises over
Kashmir might be forgiven if the consequences were innocuous or
inconsequential. But I submit the opposite is the case. India exerts an
iron-fisted rule over Kashmir that would stir the heart of Genghis Khan. With
approximately 900,000 military and paramilitary troops in the territory,
gruesome human rights violations are perpetrated with impunity on a scale that
makes East Timor under Suharto seem tea party. Every human rights group that
has surveyed the grim Kashmir landscape, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty
International and the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, has been shocked
and horrified by the daily atrocities against the people of Kashmir. Ditto for
the annual human rights country reports of the U.S. State Department To hide
its human rights inferno in Kashmir, India prohibits world parliamentarians,
international broadcasts or unchaperoned international electronic media. With
no heart-clutching pictures in the living rooms of the United States and the
European Union, no moral clamor has arisen to do something to relieve the
horrors of millions of Kashmiris. But griping at the unfairness of the
world is as otiose as shouting at the weather. The people of Kashmir are not
vengeful. Charity and magnanimity would be their loadstars if
self-determination were honored despite so many betrayals. Let us hope
that the last promise over Kashmir has been broken. Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai is the
Secretary general, Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum. He can be
reached at: 1-202-607-6435 or gnfai2003@yahoo.com https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/kashmir-a-chain-of-broken-promises
2.
Youth martyred l June
17 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in
their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in a fake
encounter in Srinagar. The youth was martyred during a cordon and search
operation launched by the troops in Wagoora area of Srinagar, last night.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/06/16/troops-cordon-nowgam-in-outskirts-of-srinagar.html
3.
Modi on
J&K; June 20 202l;a s many as 14 leaders from Jammu and Kashmir,
including four former chief ministers of the erstwhile State, have been invited
for a meeting that will be chaired by Prime Minister Modi in
New Delhi on June 24, officials said on Saturday. Among those invited are four former chief
ministers — Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National
Conference, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and PDP chief Mehbooba
Mufti. Four former deputy chief ministers of the erstwhile State — Congress
leader Tara Chand, People's Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, and BJP
leaders Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta — too have been invited to the meet. In
addition, CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party
(JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, Sajjad Lone of the People's Conference, J-K
Congress head G A Mir, BJP's Ravidner Raina, and Panthers Party leader Bhim
Singh have been invited to the meeting.The meeting — the first such exercise
since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status
and its bifurcation into Union Territories in August 2019 — is likely to be
attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders. When
contacted, Omar Abdullah said that he had received an invitation and would go
along the direction of the party chief. Sources in the National Conference said
that over the next few days, the senior Abdullah will be holding consultations
with party leaders. The Political Affairs Committee of the PDP would also be
meeting on Sunday to take a decision about the talks. Source The Hindu
4. Rape as an instrument of war; June 20 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, women are the worst victims of Indian forces’ barbarities as India is using rape as a weapon of war to suppress the Kashmiris’ ongoing freedom struggle. An analytical report released by Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, today, revealed that Indian forces’ personnel have sexually assaulted over 11,240 women during the past three decades in the occupied territory. It said India is deliberately targeting women in IIOJK to humiliate and terrorize the Kashmiris. The report pointed out that Kunanposhpora mass rape, Shopian double rape and murder, and rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua depict the brutal face of Indian forces. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/06/19/india-using-rape-as-a-tool-to-suppress-kashmiris-struggle-2.html
Weekly update -93;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from June ,7, 2021 to June , 15,
2021
1.
Chotta Bazaar
massacre: June , 2021: On June 11, 1991, the Indian paramilitary
CRPF troops after an alleged clash with unknown attackers at Zainakadal in the
city went berserk, and opened indiscriminate firing with their automatic
weapons all the way from their camp at Syed Mansoor to the densely populated
downtown area of Srinagar, Chotta Bazaar.The report further said that with
blood in their eyes, the troops barged into the shops, gathered people outside
on the streets and killed them randomly. Four people were shot in a motor
mechanics’ workshop and four others were shot outside a medical college. Some
rickshaw drivers and bystanders were also shot by the troops. The
indiscriminate firing by the forces’ personnel took a massive toll of 32 lives
of innocent civilians. Around 22 persons were also critically injured in the
incident. The bullets hit shopkeepers, passerby, a 75-year old woman and a
child of ten years age. According to the reports published in The Kashmir Times
next day, the entire area from where the dead bodies were picked and brought to
the police control room by 8 pm bore blood stains, the KMS report added.It
pointed out that this blood curdling incident still causes a deep stir inside
the hearts of the scores of bereaved families whose kiths and kins were
massacred. Even Amnesty International then expressed its serious concern on the
horrific incident and demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter, the report
said. It maintained that, 30 years on but memories of Chotta Bazaar massacre
are still fresh in the Kashmiris’ minds and the victims are still awaiting
justice.The report said that history of IIOJK is littered with many Chotta
Bazaar like carnages as Indian troops have carried out dozens of massacres in
IIOJK since 1990. The aim of committing Chotta Bazaar like carnages is to
instill fear among the Kashmiris, it added.
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/06/10/chotta-bazaar-incident-one-of-bloodiest-massacres-in-iiojk.html
2. Three martyred; June 3 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, three persons were martyred by the random firing of Indian forces’ personnel at Aarampora in Sopore town, today. The incident triggered a forceful anti-India protest in the area, mostly participated by women. The Indian police resorted to firing in a vindictive action after two of their personnel were killed and three others including an assistant-sub-inspector injured in an attack by unknown persons. The protesters raised high-pitched pro-freedom slogans and denounced the killings by Indian police. https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2021/06/12/unknown-gunmen-attack-indian-police-in-sopore-civilian-injured.html
Weekly update -92;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from June ,1, 2021 to June , 7,
2021
1.
Youth suicide: Jun., 2, 2021: Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a last video
message from a student, Shoib Bashir, who died by suicide on Saturday, has
drawn attention to the miserable plight of a group of government school
teachers in the territory. Shoib Bashir, the son of a government school
teacher, was forced to end his life by his failure to pay the fees for his MA
course in psychology.“The only reason behind my suicide is non-payment of
salary to my father for last over two years. It has made our life pathetic
beyond words,” Shoaib Bashir is heard saying in the video. His father, Bashir
Ahmad Mir, was not paid since March 2019. The authorities had blocked his
salary citing a police verification report. The 51-year-old teacher was
arrested in 1990s on the charges of supporting the freedom movement. A local
court later acquitted him of all charges. The CID verification report contains
no adverse remarks against Bashir Mir. The report concludes that “he is
presently silent and busy with his job”. “A court has also issued orders asking
that wages be released,” Shoib Bashir’s father said. Around 140 teachers in
IIOJK have not received salary since March 2019. All of them have blamed the
former Director of School Education Younis Malik, who was transferred a few
months ago.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/06/01/in-video-before-suicide-kashmiri-student-highlights-salary-denial-to-teachers/
2.
UN to India: June 6 2021; United Nations (UN) in a letter from its special rapporteurs
has requested a response from the Government of India over a series of
allegations in the cases concerning arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killing,
enforced disappearance, torture, and ill-treatment committed against three men
from Kashmir.“These allegations are part of what appears to be an ongoing
pattern of serious violations of human rights by police, army, security
agencies and the judiciary in the Jammu and Kashmir region, warrants in our
view the most serious attention on the part of the highest authorities”,
mentioned the letter addressed to the Indian government.The letter highlighted
the cases of Waheed Para, Irfan Ahmad Dar, and Naseer Ahmad Wani. Waheed Para, a political and social activist,
who is also a member of ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’
was arrested on November 25 2020, and has remained under detention since then.
According to the letter, Para had participated in a closed virtual meeting with
the UN on 30 July 2020. In the meeting, he raised concerns over the Government
of India’s actions in Jammu and Kashmir, its treatment of Muslim minorities,
and the recent border tensions with China. Following his interaction, he
started receiving threats from officials with the NIA. They indicated that he
was inviting trouble by engaging in such events. He was given an ultimatum that
if he did not stop speaking out about the Government of India, action would be
taken against him. “He was subject to abusive interrogations after his arrest,
which lasted from 10 to 12 hours at a time and questioned about his
participation at the above-mentioned event where he interacted with UN Security
Council members. He was held in a dark underground cell at subzero temperature,
was deprived of sleep, kicked, slapped, beaten with rods, stripped naked and
hung upside down. His ill-treatment was recorded. Mr. Para was examined by a
government doctor three times since his arrest last November and three times by
a psychiatrist. He requested medication for insomnia and anxiety.”, mentioned
the letter. The special rapporteurs also mentioned, “Our concern in the case of
Mr. Waheed Para is heightened by the fact that his arrest and detention appear to
be linked to his interaction with UN Security Council members, which would
amount to acts of reprisals for such cooperation.” Irfan Ahmed Dar, a
23-year-old shopkeeper, was arrested near his residence in Sopore area of
northern Kashmir by Jammu and Kashmir Police Special Operations Group (SOG) on
15 September 2020. He was detained without a warrant. SOG raided his house, his
family members were beaten and their house was vandalized. On 16 September
2020, Dar’s family received news that he died. “The police claimed that Mr.
Ahmad Dar was killed while he was trying to escape from their custody. However,
while performing their last rites on his body, it was found that his facial
bones had been fractured, his front teeth were broken and his head appeared to
have bruises of blunt force trauma.”, the letter said. On 29 November 2019,
19-year-old Naseer Ahmed Wani’s house was raised by a team of 44 Rashtriya
Rifles (44 RR). They allegedly claimed that his phone was used by militants. While vandalizing Wani’s house, “The army
personnel assembled all the women in a single room and asked their names, took
their photographs and requested everyone to handover their mobile phones. They
were threatened that if they did not comply, they would be stripped naked”,
mentioned the letter. He was taken away by the soldiers. The next evening, the
same army officers visited Wani’s house and told his family that there was no
need to visit the police station or to ‘initiate any legal proceedings’ as they
released Wani. He never returned home and his whereabouts are unknown ever
since. According to the letter, his family was threatened “not to make any
further enquiries or take legal action.” Seeking out clarifications into the
allegations made about the ill-treatment of three Kashmiri men, the letter
said, “It is of particular concern that no investigation into the allegations
of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings have yet to be conducted
in an independent, impartial, prompt, effective, thorough and transparent manner
in accordance with the human rights obligations of India.” Under the mandates
provided to special rapporteurs by the Human Rights Council, they seek
observations from the Government on India in the matters of: ‘fate and current
whereabouts of Mr. Naseer Ahmad Wani’, ‘inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment of Mr. Waheed Para, Mr. Irfan Ahmad Dar, Mr. Naseer Ahmad Wani’,
‘detailed information about the factual and legal grounds for the arrests and
continued detention of Mr. Waheed Para and Mr. Dar’ and ‘factual basis
justifying the recourse to terrorism related charges levied against Mr. Waheed
Para’. “If no such measures have been taken, please explain how this is
compatible with the international human rights obligations of India,” said the
letter. Concluding the matter, the special rapporteurs of the UN said: “These
allegations are part of what appears to be an ongoing pattern of serious
violations of human rights by police, army, security agencies and the judiciary
in the Jammu and Kashmir region, warrants in our view the most serious
attention on the part of the highest authorities. In this regard, we may
publicly express our concerns in the near future, as we believe that the wider
public should be informed about the implications of these allegations on the
exercise and enjoyment of their human rights.”“The Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) did not respond to a request for a comment, or for confirmation that it
has received the letter”, as reported by The Hindu.
https://www.siasat.com/un-seeks-indian-govts-response-on-human-rights-violations-in-kashmir-2145382/
Weekly update -91;-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from May ,25, 2021 to May , 31,
2021
1.
Youth martyred; may
29,2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops
in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in Shopian
district, today.The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search
operation in Ganowpora area of the district.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/28/indian-troops-one-kashmiri-youth-in-shopian/
2. Rape in IOK; May 30 2021; All Parties Hurriyat Conference and other Hurriyat leaders and organizations expressed solidarity with the family of Aasiya and Neelofar of Shopian on their 12th martyrdom anniversary. Aasiya and Neelofar were abducted by Indian men in uniform on May 29 in 2009, gang-raped and subsequently killed in custody.The APHC spokesman in a statement in Srinagar said, the ruthless rape and murder of Aasiya and Neelofar, like other hundreds of such cases, remains a black stigma on the face of Indian judiciary and military system which have never been fair to the subjugated people of Kashmir. A woman, who was injured in a blast in Handwara area of Kupwara district on Wednesday, succumbed to her injuries at a hospital in Srinagar, today. KMS https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/29/india-using-rape-of-kashmiri-women-as-a-weapon-of-war/
Weekly update -90-
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from May ,18, 2021 to May , 24,
2021
1.
Two youth martyred; may 17 2021; In Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their continuing acts of
state terrorism martyred two more youth in Khonmoh area of Srinagar today.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/17/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-srinagar-4/
2.
Fake Encounters; may
18 021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu
and Kashmir, the residents of Khonmoh in Srinagar have categorically refuted
the Indian military authorities’ claim that the two youth martyred in the area,
today, were militants killed in an encounter. The residents told the media that
it was a clear case of fake encounter as has been a practice of the Indian
troops of killing the Kashmiri youth so far. The gunshot wounds on the dead
bodies including on legs and feet also indicated that it was not a firefight.
It appears that the youth have tried to flee and were shot in the legs and
after getting hold of them they were killed.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/17/two-martyred-youth-in-khonmoh-were-killed-in-fake-encounter/
3.
Kashmir struggle:
May, 23, 2021: The sacrifices of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain byDr.
Ghulam Nabi Fai; In the annals of history, nations and peoples are often
blessed with leaders, guides and activists who play singular roles providing
leadership that transcends inspiration and casts a lasting impact on these
societies. May 21, 1990 was the day when the Indian occupation forces
assassinated an illustrious Kashmiri freedom‑fighter, Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq
along with 70 mourners when the army resorted to firing on his funeral
procession while it was on its way to Martyrs Cemetery. Twenty-two years later,
on May 21, 2002, Indian forces also killed Khawaja Abdul Gani Lone, leader of
All Parties Hurriyet Conference who had come to Martyr’s cemetery to pay homage
to the Kashmiri martyrs, including Mirwaiz Sahib who gave their last full
measure of devotion in unflagging pursuit of a just and noble cause. May 21
will remain embedded in the history of Kashmir and in the hearts and minds of
millions of Kashmiris as the day of supreme sacrifice. While our martyrs earned
a choice place in the Hereafter, the Indian occupation forces earned the
dubious honor of creating more martyrs ‑ over 100,000 to‑date and the count
goes on. These martyrs include infants, women, and the old; they are common
Kashmiris as well as outstanding scholars and leaders.In many ways, Mirwaiz
Sahib and Lone Sahib were yet other martyrs to the cause, another addition to
the list of martyrs of Kashmir being compiled since 1931 when our people first
raised their voice against tyranny and alien occupation. When in 1990 the winds
of change blew across the world, destroying dictatorships and occupations, the
people of Kashmir also renewed their struggle. During our period of quiet the
world had forgotten us. Now, they were filled with hope and longing of a new
dawn. It was at this crucial juncture that the Mirwaiz Sahib and Lone Sahib
emerged to present a much larger aspect of their leadership. They not only
rekindled the issue afresh but also gave it a new vigor and meaning. Mirwaiz
Sahib and Lone Sahib were brilliant and articulate statesmen who were
gunned down for their leadership role in educating their people in their
struggle for self‑determination. They were gunned down because they reminded
the world about the pledge that was agreed upon by India and Pakistan, and
championed by the democratic powers, including the United States and endorsed
by the UN Security Council. I had the good fortune of having a detailed meeting
with the late Mirwaiz in 1980 just two weeks before I was forced to leave
Kashmir. This meeting took place during the visit of the Imam Kaaba to Kashmir
when Mirwaiz had been kind enough to invite me along with the Imam to the
Mirwaiz Manzil. We discussed the issues of mutual concern and more importantly
the ways for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. I could discern within him a
selfless desire to serve and emancipate his people from under the Indian
occupation. Lone Sahib was a great personality blessed with great talents, not
only as a politician but also as a deep thinker. By far the most vivid
recollection I have of Lone Sahib was his speech at the United Nations
headquarters in New York during an OIC – Foreign Minister Annual Meeting on
September 27, 1999. The participants were fascinated by his presentation. Lone
Sahib said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to address the Organization of
the Islamic Conference as the voice of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference, the
genuine embodiment of the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.” He added,
“Indeed, to speak of humanitarian tragedies and injustice without mentioning
Kashmir is like reciting the Holocaust without mentioning Auschwitz or the
Palestinian‑Israeli cruelties without mentioning Shaba and Shatila refugee camp
slaughters.” Lone Sahib shock the conscience of the OIC leadership by asking:
“Is the lesson of Kashmir to be that a nuclear power with an attractive
economic market can defy international law, human rights, and morality with
impunity? What would that do to the cause of non‑proliferation?
What would that do for the cause of humanity? What would that do for
securing adherence to the international norms, universal values and above all
to the United Nations Security Council resolutions?” The people of Kashmir will
never forget the selfless contribution and the tireless efforts of the Mirwaiz
Sahib and Lone Sahib. Their efforts will remain forever a milestone in the
history of the freedom struggle of Kashmir. The vision of Mirwaiz Sahib, Lone
Sahib and the unity and sacrifices of the people of Kashmir will undoubtedly
lead the Kashmiri freedom struggle to its logical conclusion, that is freedom
from the occupation and alien subjugation. Let us all rededicate ourselves to
the vision of our martyrs and continue our struggle in unity with full faith in
Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) to whom belongs victory and defeat, success and
failure. May Allah accept the sacrifice of the fellow Kashmiri martyrs? Ameen; Dr.
Fai is the Secretary General of Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum
and can be reached at: 1-202-607-6435 or gnfai2003@yahoo.com
4.
Weekly update -89:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from May, ,11, 2021 to May , 18,
2021
1.
Unlawful
law; May 11, 2021; On January 24, 2012, 25-year-old Sajad
Ahmad Dar of Sopore, who had a firearm injury in the head, was detained under
the Public Safety Act (PSA) and subsequently lodged at the district jail
Kupwara. Two months later, he died at Kashmir’s lone tertiary-care health
institution – Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS), Soura – a few
hours after being brought there for treatment. Dar’s family blamed the jail
authorities for his death, saying they failed to provide him with medical
assistance on time. The family of veteran separatist leader Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai,
who breathed his last at a hospital in Jammu on May 5 after being shifted there
from district jail Udhampur, has accused the authorities of denying him medical
treatment in prison. Seventy-seven-year-old Sehrai was chairman of
Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, an influential separatist group. His family told The Wire that he was
suffering from multiple ailments for the past 15 years and medical tests were
conducted every three months in the earlier period of his detention. “But he
was not provided any such medical facility after he was lodged in Udhampur jail
last year. He was never brought out of the jail for treatment or medical
examination in the past 10 months,” his son, Mujahid Sehrai, said. According to
him, his father told them several times over the phone from the jail that he
was not feeling well. “We approached a court for providing him medical
treatment but it did not pass any direction yet,” he said, adding that the jail
authorities shifted him to the hospital on May 4 only after his condition worsened.
His death is one more addition to the list of Kashmiris who died while while
detained under the PSA – a law under which a district magistrate can detain a
person on his/her subjective satisfaction that the person is likely to act
prejudicially to the security of the state or public order. Four Kashmiris have
died under similar circumstances in the past nine years. The deaths have also
raised questions about the detention of ailing and aged persons under the PSA,
which has been described as a “lawless law” by Amnesty International, a
London-based rights group. In July 2018, 70-year-old PSA detainee Ghulam Hassan
Malik alias Noor Khan of Gulistan, Narvaw, Baramulla died at a hospital in
Jammu after being shifted there from Kotbhalwal jail. “My father was not
provided proper medical care by the jail authorities after he fell ill. They
(jail authorities) dumped him in the hospital only when they realised that he
would not survive. The jail inmates told us that he was pleading with the
authorities to provide him treatment but they did not even go near to him,”
says his son Irshad Ahmad, a driver In
December 2019, 66-year-old Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, a member of proscribed
Jamaat-e-Islamia, died inside a jail in Uttar Pradesh where he was lodged after
his detention under the PSA
https://thewire.in/health/public-safety-act-kashmir-detention-healthcare
2.
Youth martyred; may
12 2021; Indian illegally occupied Jammu and
Kashmir, Indian troops in their continued acts of state terrorism martyred
three Kashmiri youth in Islamabad district, today.The troops martyred the youth
during a cordon and search operation in Vailoo area of the district. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/11/indian-troops-martyr-three-youth-in-iiojk/
3. Arrests for peaceful protects; May 16 2021; In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, police arrested around three dozen people including prominent Hurriyat leader Maulana Sarjan Barkati in Srinagar, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian districts. Police during house raids arrested 28 youth in Badshahi Bagh and other areas of Srinagar for holding anti-Israel and anti-India protests. Maulana Sarjan Barkati, the face of pro-freedom and anti-India protests, was arrested from his residence at Zainapora in Shopian. He was arrested after he delivered a speech in his locality on the occasion of Eidul Fitr. Sarjan Barkati became famous after he introduced new styles of raising pro-Azadi slogans in the wake of martyrdom of youth leader Burhan Muzaffar Wani in July 2016. Several youth including a teacher was arrested in Pulwama while a Srinagar’s artist Mudasir Gul who painted Palestinian women face was booked under black law Public Safety Act. Police also booked three workers of Jamaat-e-Islami in Kulgam district. Despite curfew, the youth staged anti-India and anti-Israel protests in different areas of the Kashmir valley. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/15/indian-police-arrest-three-dozen-youth-sarjani/Weekly update -88: Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from May, ,4, 2021 to May , 11, 2021
1.
COVID19 vaccination ceased: May, 4, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in another
act of repression against the Kashmiri people
Indian government has not only stopped supply of Covid-19 vaccine to the
territory but is also diverting the allocated stocks to other Indian cities. A
top health official of IIOJK’s anti-coronavirus operations said, vaccine
supplies from outside of Kashmir have been stopped since last Thursday,
resulting into halt of vaccination in the occupied valley, which is currently
under lockdown,
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/04/iiojk-runs-out-of-covid-vaccine-as-india-diverts-fresh-supplies/
2.
Youth martyred; May, 5, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in
Sopore town of Baramulla district, today. The troops martyred the youth during
a cordon and search operation in Nathipora area of the town. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/04/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-sopore-2/
3.
Sehrai : May, 6, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, senior APHC
leader and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai has been laid to
rest in tight military siege in his ancestral village Tekipora in Lolab area of
Kupwara. The occupation authorities had put strict restrictions on the movement
of the people and the whole area was cordoned off. At the time of the arrival
of the dead body and its burial the electricity in the village was completely
cut off, plunging the area in total darkness. Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai was
deprived of all medical facilities and even basic human facilities in Udhampur
jail which became the cause of his failing health. His dead body was brought in
police custody from Jammu to his native village.The All Parties Hurriyat
Conference has fervently appealed to the people of Kashmir to come out of their
homes and hold large protest against the cruelty of Modi regime. The APHC has
asked people to hold Gaibana Namaz-e-Janza (funerals in absentia) in every nook
and corner of the occupied territory.The appeal has also been made to the
Kashmiri and Pakistani diaspora and peace loving people all across the globe to
hold protests and Gaibana Namaz-e-Janaza all across the globe.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/06/ashraf-sehrai-laid-to-rest-amid-tight-military-siege-in-iiojk/
4.
Three
youth martyred: May, 6, 2021: In Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state
terrorism, martyred three Kashmiri youth in Shopian district, today.The
occupational forces martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation in
Kanigam village of the district.https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/05/indian-troops-martyr-3-kashmiri-youth-in-shopian/
Weekly update -87 :
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Apr. ,27, 2021 to may, 4, 2021
1.
Rape
and Indian Army; Apr 30 2021:#RapistIndianArmedForces. Indian armed forces’ personnel are rapists in uniform
and even women officers of the forces are not safe from their barbarity. A
report released by Kashmir Media Service, today, said that earlier this week, a
woman pilot of Indian Air Force (IAF) moved the High Court of Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir after facing sexual harassment by a senior officer.
She also raised objection to the way the Internal Complaints Committee of the
Armed Forces conducted its inquiry. The report said that last year in December,
an Indian Army colonel was booked for raping friend’s Russian wife in Uttar
Pradesh.“The Indian armed forces have no specific provisions pertaining to
sexual harassment. Sexual assault victims rarely receive justice within the
Indian armed forces,” it added. The report pointed out that Indian forces’
personnel frequently indulge in inhuman and brutal acts of rape in Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It maintained that the Kashmiri women are
facing unending ordeal of trauma due to sexual violence at the hands of Indian
forces. It said that Indian troops are using rape as a weapon of war in IIOJK
to humiliate the Kashmiris and suppress their struggle for securing their right
to self-determination. It said 11,236 cases of rape, gang-rape and molestation
by Indian forces have been reported since January 1989 till date in IIOJK. The
report said that the Kunanposhpora mass rape, Shopian double-rape-and-murder
and gang-rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua are some examples of this barbarity
perpetrated by Indian forces’ personnel in the occupied territory. Around a
hundred women were raped by Indian troops during a cordon and search operation
in Kunanposhpora area of Kupwara district on the night of February 23 in 1991.
Two young women Aasiya Jan and Neelofar were abducted by Indian men in uniform
in Shopian when they had gone to tend their orchard on May 29, 2009. They were
gang-raped raped and subsequently murdered in custody. Their dead bodies were
recovered from a shallow stream. An eight-year-old girl, Aasifa Bano, of Kathua
was abducted, gang-raped and subsequently murdered by Indian police personnel
and fanatics affiliated with Hindu extremist organizations in January 2018. The
report said that the world community must wake up to contain sexual violence
being perpetrated by Indian Army in IIOJK.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/04/29/indian-soldiers-are-rapists-in-uniform-report/
2.
Youth martyred in April; May, 1, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian
troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred 18 Kashmiris during
the last month of April. during the period, at least 64 persons were injured
due to firing of bullets, pellets and teargas shells by Indian troops and
police personnel on peaceful protesters while 92 persons were arrested in the
territory. The Indian forces’ personnel destroyed and damaged 9 houses and
other structures during so-called cordon and search operations in the month.
The troops also molested 4 women during the period. Hurriyat leaders, Javaid
Ahmed Mir, Mir Shahid Saleem and Khawaja Firdous, in their statements appealed
to the world human rights organizations to take cognizance of the plight of
Kashmiri political detainees and play role in their immediate release. In
Brussels, the Kashmir Council Europe organized a protest demonstration to
express solidarity with the illegally detained Kashmiri prisoners lodged in
Indian jails. Talking to the media at the conclusion of the protest, the
Council Chairman, Ali Raza Syed, said as the coronavirus is widely spreading in
the Indian prisons, threats to the life of the Kashmiri prisoners have
increased and their immediate release is essential for safety of their life.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/01/indian-troops-martyr-eighteen-kashmiris-in-april/
3. Toxic laws: May 4 2021: The Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights (JKCHR) has taken a serious exception to the termination of a Muslim school teacher (Idrees Jan )in the name of so-called security concerns by the authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir The message of concern has been sent to National Human Rights Commission of India, Prime Minister of India, Home Minister of India, Ghulam Nabi Azad leader of the opposition in the Indian Parliament and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, he maintained. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/05/02/termination-of-muslim-school-teacher-unacceptable-jkchr/
Weekly update -85
and 86 : Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Apr. ,12, 2021 to Apr., 26 , 2021
1. Youth martyred: Apr 20, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Shopian district, today.The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Zeipora village of the district. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/04/19/indian-troops-martyr-one-youth-in-iiojk-7/
Weekly update -84:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Apr. ,7, 2021 to Apr., 12 , 2021
1.
25 Years later: Getting Away with Extrajudicial Execution of Jalil Andrabi:Dr.
Ghulam Nabi Fai:April 7, 2021:
One of the darkest chapters of Indian judicial partiality was left hanging half
closed and banging in the wind when Major Avtar Singh, the killer of
internationally known human rights activist and Chairman of Kashmir Commission
of Jurists, Advocate Jalil Andrabi, was found dead after he killed his wife and
two children, and finally himself on June 9, 2012, in Selma, California. Avtar
Singh, a fugitive from justice, who lived in the hot dry central California
community, a suburb of Fresno, was clearly haunted by his past, a past that had
seen the blood spilled of more than one man by his own hands. He had killed
four others to hide the murder of Andrabi, and then he had killed his own
family. In killing Jalil Andrabi, Avtar Singh certainly did not act on his own
volition. He was only a major. His act was no doubt a response to orders from
above and occurred in a longstanding climate of impunity that the Indian army
enjoys in Kashmir. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives any
Indian soldier the right in Kashmir to take a Kashmiri’s life under any
circumstance, has enabled such a climate for decades. And Jalil Andrabi had
become a hated, despised man by the Army, a man dangerous to the status quo of
continued murder and torture that had been taking place in Kashmir’s jails,
interrogation centers and detention facilities for many years.
Arshad Andrabi, Jalil Andrabi’s brother, has said that the real killers are
still at large, and he is right. The real killers are not just army officers
but all those from the highest office in India on down through Parliament who
had arranged his escape from Kashmir to Canada before he moved illegally to the
United States, or looked the other way and refused to extradite him when
California authorities notified India that they had their man. They are guilty
of maintaining murderous policies, defending hideous acts that take place,
encouraging even more grotesque behavior by the mere act of covering up what
does occur and failing to prosecute those who have used the law vindictively
and without justifiable reason. One wonders whether the government of India is
in control of its own policies or is intimidated by the grip of a military
industry that has its own agenda. Had the government acted in a timely manner,
more lives would have been saved, and perhaps a new horizon in the Indian
judicial system would have finally appeared. Some say that Avtar Singh’s death
was “poetic justice,” and perhaps in some small way it was, but it’s extremely
difficult to see the death of his wife and children as anything but just
another sad tragedy, and another great stain on the history and reputation of
the world’s largest “democracy.” Arshad
Andrabi touched the heights of magnanimity when he said that he was extremely
pained by the death of not only his brother but the deaths of the murderer’s
own family as well. This also symbolizes the compassion of not only Arshad but
the heart and character of the Andrabi family. Jalil Andrabi, his primary
victim, had been a friend of mine. His trip to Geneva in August 1995 shortly
before his murder to attend the ‘47th session of the United Nations
Sub-Commission on Human Rights ‘was at my invitation, as were other
international engagements he had attended in Washington and elsewhere. On one
such occasion, we had traveled by car together, along with my wife, to attend a
convention which was held between September 1 - 4, 1995 in Columbus, Ohio, in
order to talk and exchange views intimately on various issues on which we
shared an interest. It was on this trip that I gained a much deeper
appreciation for Jalil Andrabi’s character. He was a man of deep compassion and
vision, high intellect and deep judicial insight and had been personally
responsible for bringing many human rights violations in Kashmir into the light
of day. During
the United Nations Sub-Commission, Dr. Nazir Gilani, President, JKCHR hosted a
dinner in honor of Jalil Andrabi which was attended by many international
NGO’s. Dr. Gilani played an important role during the Commission to declare
Jalil Andrabi as a ‘UN Protected Person’. Following year Dr. Gilani organized a
memorial for Jalil Andrabi on April 1, 1996 in Geneva to pay respect to his
friend who fell to a death under torture for cause – that we all – so dearly
uphold. During
the Commission, Jalil Andrabi made two interventions, one on August 7, 1995,
under agenda item 18, which was on the issue of ‘Freedom of Movement.’ On that
occasion he had said, “Mr. Chairman, the Kashmiris are waging a legitimate
struggle for achieving the exercise of their right of self-determination, and
the atrocities which constitute war crimes forbidden under the Geneva
Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are being inflicted
upon them only because of this struggle. Therefore, besides, calling upon India
to put an end to the crimes against humanity, it is necessary to compel India
to allow the people of Kashmir an unfettered exercise of their right of
self-determination under the UN auspices.” ”The atrocities,” he said, “which
are perpetrated upon my people are not aberrations but rather integral
components of a systematic policy. These atrocities are being perpetrated as a
weapon of war in order to break the will of the people.” Jalil Andrabi also spoke under the agenda item, ‘The
Administration of Justice’ on August 17, 1995 and said, “ The laws conferring
and unrestricted and arbitrary powers on the armed forces continue to remain in
operation in Jammu & Kashmir, with full impunity to the perpetrators of
crimes against the humanity and violations of fundamental human rights,
threatening the very existence of Kashmiri people.” Advocate Jalil Andrabi knew firsthand
the facts. He had been documenting the human rights violations by taking
information from victim’s families and witnesses. In personal conversations he
had told me how very difficult it was for lawyers to meet with the detainees
and how much they are under pressure, and he had also told me that because of
his political views the Indian Army had often harassed him. He knew that
his life was on the line, in fact, and had spent a month in New Delhi just
prior to his murder, hoping to escape India’s wrath. He had only returned to
Kashmir to celebrate Eid with his family and friends. It was in response to information he
had gathered that in 1994 he filed a petition in Jammu & Kashmir High Court
of Jammu & Kashmir demanding greater access to prisoners. The evidence he
presented was substantial and his arguments convincing, and the High Court
ordered that all district committees consisting of judicial police and medical
authorities make regular visits to jails, detention and interrogation centers,
and police stations all across the state. This was a huge victory. It brought
the state government to its knees. Once he had opened the floodgates, much more
evidence of torture and other crimes became public and it was then, no doubt,
that the Army wanted him dead. The target of guilt had been placed squarely on
their backs, and there was no escape. Many more cases of torture and other
human rights violations became known. Jalil Andrabi was a Muslim but his compassion and love
transcended all religious boundaries. During his intervention in Geneva he
said, “My people are intelligent, industrious and peace loving. The ethical concept of human brotherhood
beyond the bonds of closed religious groupings has always animated Kashmiris.”
During his visit to Geneva Jalil Andrabi met with more than a dozen United
Nations experts, hundreds of members of NGOs, and various delegations
representing different governments. We also had a meeting with UN High
Commissioner on Human Rights, Jose Ayala Lasso. Jalil Andrabi was so convincing
in his argument because he presented every detail with documentation and logic
that I felt it would be helpful for the cause of Kashmir to invite him to the
United States. In Washington we had meetings with members of Congress, the
State Department, the National Security Council and members of think tanks and
human rights organizations. Jalil Andrabi also spoke during the national annual
convention of the Islamic Society of North America on Labor Day weekend, 1995,
in Columbus, Ohio, which was attended by more than 20,000 people who came from
all across America. I
wanted to invite him again in 1996 to attend the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights in Geneva, but unfortunately in March of that year, while he was
returning home to Srinagar with his wife, the car was stopped, and he was taken
into custody. Twenty days later, his dead body was seen floating in the Jehlum
River. His hands were tied, he had been shot, and his eyes were gouged out. He
had been tortured mercilessly, an inhuman brutality which can never properly be
explained. Here in Washington, the spokesperson of the State Department, Mr.
Nicholas Burns issued a statement on March 29, 1996, condemning the killing of
Jalil Andrabi and called upon the government of India to conduct a full and
transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Andrabi’s abduction
and murder. Mr. Burns expressed hope that Andrabi’s murderers would be quickly
apprehended and punished. Such
a statement was also issued by the UN Human Rights Commissioner Jose Ayala
Lasso condemning the murder and calling for an impartial investigation. Various
members of Congress, including Congressmen Donald Payne, James Moran, Dan
Burton and Dana Rohrabacher wrote a joint letter to then Prime Minister P. V.
Narasimha Rao of India on March 27, 1996 conveying their profound dismay at the
death of Jalil Andrabi. They asked that the Indian government thoroughly
investigate this shocking murder and bring the perpetrators to justice. Members of Congress also wrote a
joint letter to Secretary of State Warren Christopher on March 27, 1996 and
said that Mr. Andrabi’s death was a shocking reminder of India’s brutal conduct
in Kashmir. They requested that the Secretary of State call upon our ambassador
to India and raise this matter with the government of India. They hoped that
the Secretary of State would express their shock at this extrajudicial killing
to his counterpart in India and call for a thorough investigation to bring the
killers to justice. Amnesty International also issued a statement on March 28,
1996 condemning the killing and asked for an impartial investigation. Unfortunately despite this
condemnation at a global level, the government of India not only did not punish
the perpetrator but did not even arrest the main culprit. When the Jammu &
Kashmir High Court found Major Avtar Singh to be the person who killed Jalil
Andrabi, the High Court ordered his arrest in 1997. The judge who did so was
punished by immediately being transferred from Kashmir to India. In addition,
because Indian army personnel have full immunity in Kashmir, the government of
India arranged a passport despite the court order for his arrest, and
facilitated his exit from India to save him from any legal proceedings. In
2011, the Selma police in California informed the government of India that they
had Avtar Singh in custody and were aware of his fugitive status, a discovery
that was made through Interpol when his wife filed a domestic abuse complaint
against him. India failed to respond to this notice. He w as never extradited.
The U.S. Immigration Service could have deported him, but again did not,
refused comment when contacted and clearly did not act. Avtar Singh is reported
to have said at the time, “The law here is on my side. The case against me will
not stand in court here.’’ The writer interviewing him, Hartosh Singh Bal,
asked him, “what if the extradition does go through? He does not hesitate:
‘There is no question of my being taken to India alive, they will kill me.’ Who
will, I ask him. ‘The agencies, RAW, military intelligence, it is all the
same.’ ‘If the extradition does go through, I will open my mouth, I will not
keep quiet.’” [Source: http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/nation/the-man-who-knows-too-much ] The foundation of America’s greatness was established
long ago in the Bill of Rights and its underlying recognition of human rights.
Whenever America applied these principles, it set the bar for the highest moral
standing in the global community. But unfortunately today America seems to
worry more about a corporate agenda of business deals and trade than it does
human rights. India is being encouraged to take over America’s battle in
Afghanistan and restrain the encroachments of China. Global hegemony takes
precedence. The pot can no longer call the kettle black. It fails to
appreciate or uphold those golden values of universal human rights and
democratic values. Yet,
paradoxically, it is important to note that it was our State Department, which
in 1995 not only condemned the murder of Jalil Andrabi but asked for an
impartial investigation and had hoped the murderers would be quickly
apprehended and punished. It was kind of them to say so. But apparently, it
doesn’t take much moral strength or political will to utter mere words.
Twenty-five years later, the justice has not been served. We hope now that the
inaction and passivity of the world powers will prick the conscience of Biden
Administration and motivate her to end these crimes against humanity. Their
justice is awaited. Dr. Fai is the Secretary General, of Washington-based World
Kashmir Awareness Forum. He can be reached at: 1-202-607-6435 or gnfai2003@yahoo.com
2.
Three young men martyred: Apr., 9, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops
in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in South
Kashmir’s Shopian district, today.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/04/08/indian-troops-martyr-3-youth-in-shopian-today/
3.
Seven youth martyred: Apr., 10, 2021: In Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts of
state terrorism martyred four more Kashmiri youth in Shopian and Pulwama
districts, today, taking the number of the martyred youth in the territory to 7
since yesterday. The troops martyred two more youth during the continued cordon
and search operation in Jan Mohalla area of Shopian. The troops killed three
youth in the same area, last evening. The troops also damaged a mosque in the area
during the operation. Indian troops martyred two other youth during a similar
operation at Naibugh in Pulwama district,
today.https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/04/09/indian-troops-martyr-two-kashmiri-youth-in-pulwama-today/
4.
Youth martyred: Apr., 11, 2021: In Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts of
state terrorism martyred five more Kashmiri youth in Shopian and Islamabad
districts, taking the number of the martyred youth in the territory to 12 since
Thursday. Three youth were martyred by the troops during cordon and
search operations in Hadipora area of Shopian while another two youth were martyred
in Bijbehara area of Islamabad district. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/04/11/indian-troops-martyr-five-more-youth-in-iiojk/
Weekly update -83:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Mar. ,30, 2021 to Aor., 5 , 2021
1.
US HRs report: Mar., 31, 2021: governments also
placed severe restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of movement.
Corruption within the bureaucracy, lack of investigation and accountability for
violence against women were also common. Problems identified in India include
trafficking in persons; crimes involving violence or threats of violence
targeting members of racial and ethnic minorities. The chapter on India also
mentioned crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex persons by nonstate actors. The report
noted that in both countries, efforts to address the abuses were marred by “a
lack of accountability as official misconduct persisted at all levels of
government, contributing to widespread impunity.” ” https://www.dawn.com/news/1615606/us-report-highlights-serious-rights-violations-in-india-and-pakistan
2.
Protests: Apr.,1, 2021: Pakistani-Kashmiri,
Bangladeshi and Sikh rights groups have vowed to stage demonstrations across
the United Kingdom (UK) on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to attend G7 summit 2021.
Tehreek- e- Kashmir TeK (UK) President Raja Fahim Kayani, Dalkhalsa Chairman
Gurcharan Singh, and Former Councillor and Chief Advisor of British Bangladeshi
Community Alliance, Mozaquir Ali held a discussion on Wednesday to chalk out
the campaign under the banner of United Front against Modi, on the occasion of
his scheduled visit to the UK in the Coastal Town of Carbis Bay Cornwall to
attend the G7 Summit being held on June 11-13. Dalkhalsa Chairman Gurcharan
singh, representing Sikh's in the UK, said that he would like to call on the
British people to oppose PM Modi's visit to the UK. “Modi is a fascist dictator
whose sole aim in politics is Hindu supremacy and creation of a Hindu state.” https://tribune.com.pk/story/2292574/protests-planned-for-modis-visit-to-attend-g7-summit-in-uk
3. Focus on Jammu
& Kashmi by Dr. Ghulam Nabi
Fai: April 1, 2021: Once again, the United States Department of State, 2020 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices, issued on March 30, 2021 has reproached
India on her human rights record. The country report contains graphic
documentation of human rights violations being committed by the Indian military
and paramilitary forces in Jammu & Kashmir. This is a significant step
towards greater international recognition of the serious abuses committed
against Kashmiris at the hands of Indian army. This report will take the veil
of secrecy off of India’s crimes against humanity. The country report cites
various examples where the authorities intimidate and threaten the media. The
report says, “Journalists working in Jammu and Kashmir
continued to face barriers to free reporting through communications and
movement restrictions. Criminal prosecutions were often used to gag journalists
critical of the authorities, including the use of a section of the penal code
that includes sedition punishable by life imprisonment. In February the Kashmir Press Club stated security
agencies had routinely deployed intimidation tactics such as threats,
summonses, and physical attacks on journalists in Jammu and Kashmir.” The country report in particular describes an incident
when “On April 18, police in Kashmir booked photojournalist Masrat Zahra under the UAPA for indulging
in “antinational activities” on social media. In a statement police accused
Zahra of “uploading antinational posts with criminal intention, uploading posts
that glorify antinational activities and dent the image of law enforcing
agencies besides causing disaffection against the country.” Zahra maintained
she was sharing archival images that had already been published in different
local and international social media platforms. The investigation continued at
year’s end.” “On April 10, authorities arrested pregnant
student leader Safoora Zargar under the UAPA for allegedly conspiring to incite
the Delhi riots. The Delhi High Court released her on June 23 after the central
government did not object to her release.”The country report details
many instances where the use of draconian laws has given sense of total
impunity to the Indian army in Kashmir. It states “Under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the
central government may designate a state or union territory as a “disturbed
area,” authorizing security forces in the state to use deadly force to
“maintain law and order” and to arrest any person “against whom reasonable
suspicion exists” without informing the detainee of the grounds for arrest. The
law also provides security forces immunity from civilian prosecution for acts
committed in regions under the AFSPA.” “The Public Safety Act (PSA), which applies only in Jammu
and Kashmir, permits authorities to detain persons without charge or judicial
review for up to two years without visitation from family members.” The
country report underscored that “There
were allegations of enforced disappearance by the Jammu and Kashmir police.
Although authorities denied these charges and claimed no enforced
disappearances had occurred since 2015, the International Federation for Human
Rights reported that cases of enforced disappearances continued through 2019.”
“In February the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
identified seven cases under its standard procedures concerning individuals who
were arrested, detained, or otherwise deprived of rights. The Working Group had
not received permission to visit the country since it first submitted a request
to the government in 2010.”The country report cites specific
incidents where the Indian Government violated the very principles of human
decency and democratic freedom against the people of Kashmir. The
report states that, “In responding to demonstrations that started in July 2016,
Indian security forces used excessive force that led to unlawful killings and a
very high number of injuries. … One of the most dangerous weapons used against
protesters during the unrest in 2016 was the pellet-firing shotgun.” The country report was very concerned about arbitrary
arrests and detention. It says, “Following
the central government’s August 2019 abrogation of a special constitutional
provision that provided autonomous status for Jammu and Kashmir, authorities
used a public safety law to detain local politicians without trial. Most
detainees were released during the year. Media reports indicated those released
were required to sign bonds agreeing not to engage in political activity.” The country report talks about the denial of fair public
trial. It says, “In April, Mohammed Yasin Malik, leader of the pro-independence
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), was arrested and charged with murder
in the death of four Air Force officials in 1990. Malik was denied the right to
be physically present in court. Human rights groups in Kashmir, including the
JKCCS, expressed concern regarding whether Malik was receiving a fair trial.” Political prisoners are facing many hardships. Their
relatives do not have free access to meet with them even on special occasions.
The report says, “NGOs reported the central government held political prisoners
and temporarily detained individuals in Jammu and Kashmir under the PSA. On
September 15, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed parliament that 223
political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, who had been detained after August
2019, remained in detention but added “no person is under house arrest.” The country report quoted international experts and NGOs
who have not been able to visit Jammu & Kashmir. The report says, “Various
domestic and international human rights organizations continued to express
serious concern at the use of pellet guns by security forces for crowd-control
purposes in Jammu and Kashmir. In March the Jammu and Kashmir High Court
dismissed the public interest litigation petition seeking a ban on the use of
pellet guns on protesters, asserting that police have the right to administer
force in self-defense when facing violent protests.” The country report cites many examples of torture which
has been used against civilians in Jammu & Kashmir. The report says, “A May
2019 report by the JKCCS and the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons
alleged that police, military, and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir
used torture against civilians and opposition over the past four decades. The
report documented 432 testimonies from individuals who claimed to have been
tortured. There were continued allegations of physical abuse and torture
following the government’s enhanced security measures in Jammu and Kashmir
after the August 2019 move to abrogate Article 370 of the constitution.” As we all know that Internet ban has been a serious
problem. The report says, “The center reported the longest shutdown occurred
between August 4, 2019, and March 4 in Jammu and Kashmir.” The right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly
are basic human rights. The report says, “Jammu and Kashmir was an exception,
where the state government sometimes denied permits to separatist political
parties for public gatherings, and security forces reportedly occasionally
detained and assaulted members of political groups engaged in peaceful protest
(see section 1.g.). During periods of civil unrest in Jammu and Kashmir,
authorities used the law to ban public assemblies and impose curfews.” International NGO’s including the United Nations Special
Rapporteurs have been denied entry into Kashmir. The report says, “The
government continued to decline access by the United Nations to Jammu and
Kashmir and limit access to the northeastern states and Maoist-controlled
areas. In an August statement, UN human rights experts called on the government
“to take urgent action to address the alarming human rights situation in the
territory.” The UN special rapporteurs noted that since August 2019, “the human
rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir has been in free fall,” and they were
“particularly concerned that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many protesters are
still in detention and Internet restrictions remain in place.” The group
appealed to the government “to schedule pending visits as a matter of urgency,
particularly of the experts dealing with torture and disappearances.” It is
well documented that the bloody occupation has resulted in massive human rights
violations, particularly targeting women and children. The sanctity of women
has been violated, in a gruesome and unforgiving fashion. It
is our hope that the State Department Country Report will mobilize the policy
makers and the members of Congress to do everything in their constitutional
power to stop the killings in Kashmir. It is further our hope that the Biden
Administration will look to solving the root cause of the problem – the
unfulfilled promise of self-determination as guaranteed by successive United
Nations Security Council resolutions. We believe that history is not
predestined, and it is up to us to make peace its destiny in Kashmir through
all of our energies, goodwill, wisdom, and compassion for the tragic
afflictions of that once glorious land. Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai is the
Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness Forum, Washington, D.C. He can be
reached at: 1-202-607-6435 or gnfai2003@yahoo.com
4. Three youth martyred: Apr., 2, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Pulwama district, today. The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation in Kakapora area of the district. The troops also blasted a house with explosive material during the operation. The killing of the youth triggered forceful anti-India demonstrations in the area. Several persons, including a woman, were injured, some of them critically, due to the firing of bullets, pellets and teargas shells by the troops on the demonstrators. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/04/02/indian-troops-martyr-one-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk-3/
Weekly update -82:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Mar. ,24, 2021 to Mar., 29 , 2021
1.
Four youth martyred: Mar., 23, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred four Kashmiri youth in
Shopian district, today. The youth were killed by the troops in a fake
encounter during a violent cordon and search operation in Manihal area of the
district. The operation was jointly launched by Indian Army, Central Reserve
Police Force and Indian police. The troops destroyed many houses during the
operation. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/03/22/indian-troops-martyr-four-kashmiri-youth-in-shopian-3/
2.
Youth martyred: Mar., 28,
2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their
fresh act of state terrorism, martyred one Kashmiri youth in Shopian district
on Saturday evening. According to Kashmir Media Service, the troops martyred
the youth during a siege and search operation in Wangam area of the district. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/03/27/indian-troops-martyr-another-kadhmiri-youth-in-shopian/
3.
Human right violations in IOK:
Mar., 28, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu
and Kashmir, unrelenting military siege imposed by Narendra Modi-led fascist
Indian government on August 05, 2019, continues to take a heavy toll on daily
life of the people in the territory. A report released by the Research Section
of Kashmir Media Service on the completion of 600 days (almost 20 months) to
the military siege, today, revealed that Indian troops martyred 323 Kashmiris
including 7 women during the period. It said that most of the victims were
killed by the troops in fake encounters and in extra-judicial manner in the
garb of so-called cordon and search operations. The report maintained that most
of the youth were picked up from their homes and then eliminated after falsely
labeled as mujahideen or over-ground workers of mujahid organizations. It said
that the killings during the period by the troops during the last 600 days
rendered 17women widowed and 39 children orphaned. The report pointed out that
at least 1,753 people were critically injured due to the use of brute force
including firing of bullets, pellets and teargas shells by Indian troops on
peaceful demonstrators in the territory. It said that at least 14,621 persons
including Hurriyat leaders, activists, women, students and young boys were
arrested and thousands of them were booked under black laws. The troops damaged
1,008 houses and structures and molested or disgraced 106 women in the period,
it added.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/03/27/323-kashmiris-martyred-by-indian-troops-during-600-day-siege/
4.
Youth martyred; mar
29 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu
and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred two
Kashmiri youth in Shopian district. The troops martyred the youth during a
siege and search operation in Wangam area of the district.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/03/27/indian-troops-martyr-another-kadhmiri-youth-in-shopian/
Weekly update -81:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Mar. ,16, 2021 to Mar., 22 , 2021
1.
Youth martyred: Mar., 16, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir; Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one more Kashmiri youth
in Shopian district, today, raising the toll to two in the past two days. The
troops martyred the youth during a violent cordon and search operation in
Rawalpora area of the district while body of one youth was recovered on Sunday
from the debris of a house destroyed by the troops. Wilayat Lone alias Sajad Afghani has been
killed in the three-day long operation in Rawalpora area of Shopian district. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/03/15/indian-troops-martyr-one-more-youth-in-shopian/
2. Women in IOK: Mar., 21,
2021: The panelists discuss the issue of 'half-widows'
of Kashmir atan online conference. The
conference was moderated by prominent peace activist Marijan Lucas from the
Netherlands and Ali Raza Syed who is the chairman of Kashmir council EU.
Mashal Malik, head of the Peace and
Culture Organisation, says that women in Occupied Kashmir have been facing a
lot of hardships.The
woes of Kashmiri 'half-widows' is a very serious issue and should be
immediately addressed. The term "half-widow" is used for
Kashmiri women whose husbands have disappeared and still missing during the
ongoing conflict in Kashmir. These women are called "half-widows"
because they have no idea whether their husbands are dead or alive. Assabah
Khan from Srinagar, who is a human rights activist for the last 20 years,
narrated her story. Khan’s husband, Farooq Ahmed Dar, is in an Indian jail. She
also mentioned the names of some women in the occupied valley who are fighting
for the release of their loved ones. Assabah also highlighted that in an
alarming sign, there are currently 18,000 Kashmiri children in Indian jails
whose mothers are worried. Hawala Siddiqui from Canada, the co-founder of the
Silk Organisation, said that people should highlight the issues of women in
Occupied Kashmir, especially sexual violence against them, through social
media. Over 10,000 Kashmiri men have been missing and their wives, mothers, and
sisters were still waiting because they did not know if they were dead or
alive, Hawala said. Suraya Siddiqui, another Kashmiri woman from Canada, also
stressed the need for global action against violence against Kashmiri women. https://www.geo.tv/latest/340574-panelists-discuss-hardships-faced-by-half-widows-of-iok-at-virtual-conference
3. Women’s rights in conflict area, a case study
of Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmi by Dr. Shagufta Ashraf : March
20, 2021:Kashmiri women are the biggest
victims of the ongoing conflict. They have suffered human rights abuses under
the impunity of the suffocating Indian military presence in Indian administered
Kashmir. According to statistics from Jammu and Kashmir state commission from
women, a now defunct government institution is established to protect women and
children rights to ensure quick prosecutions. Cases of domestic violence and
general violence have been rising more than three thousand a year during the
previous clampdowns in 2016 and 2017. Ever increasing number of widows and half
widows in Indian Administered Kashmir is a matter of great trauma as it reduces
the grace and color of life of a woman. There is a long way to get freedom for
women from the clutches of suppression and humiliation committed against them.
Women of Indian Administered Kashmir die in silence. The economic, social and
psychological status of widows devastates under the social patriarchy and
inequality. In most of the cases she loses the property rights. There is no
existence of initialization and rehabilitation. Most of the widows and half
widows are from poor. Kunan and Poshpora in the India-administered Kashmir
was such an incident that had changed the social and mental life of our women
when 150 girls and women were raped that night; nearly 200 men were tortured.
Barns became torture chambers. The next morning, as one can well imagine, was
marked by immense horror and paralyzing pain. And yet, justice is elusive over
all these years, as the Indian army has continued to exercise brutality and has
enjoyed complete impunity, thanks to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
The controversial law lets Indian Army personnel enter any premise at any time
in the Valley, without a search warrant, and use lethal force, if they deem it
necessary. The Indian state has continuously avoided responsibility for abuses
at the hands of the Army. Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned
extrajudicial killings by Indian forces [BBC report]. The Shopian rape and
murder case is the abduction, rape and murder of two young women allegedly by
local Indian army, in mysterious circumstances between 29 and 30 May 2009 at
Bongam, Shopian district in the Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Two women who were sisters-in-law went missing from their orchard on the way
home on 29 May 2009. The next morning, their bodies were found both one
kilometer apart. Local police rejected the allegations saying that the women
appeared to have drowned in a stream. There has been no justice since and that
is what they mean when they say justice denied. “The killers, the rapists are
the ones who are doing the investigation,” says the father of one. How can you
trust a system that is run by the very people who are part of the society that
questions the integrity of a woman who has been raped?, Eight year A. was
kidnapped and gang raped and then murdered by the priest and government
servants in a temple in Kathua, in Indian-administered Kashmir. On the morning
of 17 January, Muhammad Yusuf Pujwala was sitting outside his home in Kathua
when one of his neighbors came running towards him. He stopped in front of Me
Pujwala and broke the news: they had found his eight-year-old daughter, A. B..
Her body lay in bushes in the forest, a few hundred meters away. The Indian
Administered Kashmir valley has a turmoiled relationship with India - the way
women and children have been targeted. I demand an impartial investigation of all
these cases by international organizations. The way women and children are used
as weapons of war are alarming. Indian rule from 1989 to 2020 has increased
pain among women and their families by arresting their only bread earners and
kept in different Indian jails. Despite the fact that 187 countries have
ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), discrimination against widows has been
ignored. Before conclusion it needs to be emphasized that every conflict has
many consequences. Oppression and state sponsored terrorism are responsible for
increasing the population of widows, half widows and rape victims. Enlightened
opinion of the world must converge to resolve the conflict by redeeming their
democratic right to choose their future as per United Nations Charter and
United Nations resolutions. :She can be reached at:xhagufta@yahoo.com
Weekly update -79
& 80: Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Mar. ,2, 2021 to Mar., 15 , 2021
1.
Australian Ex Senator on Kashmir: Mar., 8, 2021: Former Australian Senator Lee Rhiannon in her message on
the eve of International Women Day has said that the idea of IWD 2021 should
speak for the Kashmiri women’s demand for self-determination. Senator Lee
Rhiannon in her video message on the occasion urged the world to mark
International Women’s Day 2021 by standing with Kashmiri women.“The need is to
expose the crimes against Kashmiri women on International Women’s Day 2021,”
she added. Since 1990, around 10,000 Kashmiri women have been raped and 27,000
have been made half-widows. She added that Indian military personnel have
committed these shocking crimes, but no one was charged.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/03/07/former-aussie-senator-speaks-for-kashmiri-women/
2.
Youth martyred: Mar., 10., 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in
Sopore town of Baramulla district, today.The troops martyred the youth
identified as Ghani Khawaja during a cordon and search operation in Tujjer area
of the town. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/03/09/indian-troops-launch-caso-in-baramulla-5/
3. Children in Kashmir: Mar., 11, 2021: The Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested as many as 39
youths on charges of being involved in the stone-pelting incident at Srinagar
city’s Jama Masjid last Friday, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay
Kumar said here on Wednesday. According to the senior police official, of them
15 youth have been slapped with the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA). “We
will not allow stone pelting at any cost. We have arrested 39 stone-pelters in
Srinagar recently. Fifteen of them will be booked under PSA,” IGP Kumar said
during a press conference in Srinagar. The youths have been accused of
stone-pelting during last Friday’s clashes between locals and government forces
at Nowhatta locality on the day senior Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was
expected to address the weekly congregation at the central Jama Mosque. He was,
however, detained at his Nigeen residence, leading to protests. IGP Kumar also
claimed that the police had arrested a group of persons who were part of a
module of the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). According to the police the
group was planning a Pulwama-like IED attack in the region. “We arrested a
first year bachelor’s student who was motivated through social media
applications. After interrogating him four more youth were arrested,” Kumar
said https://www.newsclick.in/kashmir-fifteen-39-youths-arrested-stone-pelting-charged-PSA
4.
Two youth martyred: Mar., 12, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in
Islamabad district, today. The youth were martyred, today, during a cordon and
search operation launched by the troops in Kandipora area of the district,
yesterday. A house was also damaged in the operation. The authorities suspended
internet service in Islamabad district immediately after the killing. The
martyred youth were identified as Adil Ahmad Butt, a resident of Bijbehara and
Zahid Ahmad Rather, a resident of Sirhama, Islamabad district.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/03/11/indian-troops-martyr-one-youth-in-iiojk-5/
5.
Youth martyred: Mar., 15, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred one Kashmiri youth in
Shopian district, today( Sunday). The troops martyred the youth during a
violent cordon and search operation in Rawalpora area of the district. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/03/14/indian-troops-martyr-one-youth-in-iiojk-6/
Weekly update -78:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Feb ,23, 2021 to Mar., 1 , 2021
1. UN report on Kashmir: A UN report on held Kashmir has greatly damaged India’s narrative on Kashmir which it was trying to build for two years. In the report, the UN experts voiced their concern over India's decision to revoke the occupied Kashmir's autonomy and enact laws that could curtail the political participation of Muslims and other minorities. They also said Muslims and other minority groups stood to lose on issues such as employment and land ownership. The statement by Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues, and Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, was released as diplomats from nearly two dozen countries concluded a two-day visit to the occupied valley arranged by the Modi Sarkar. Thus, it had more impact and greatly hurt the narrative that India was building for the foreign diplomats. The UN experts noted that on August 5, 2019, India "unilaterally and without consultation" revoked the constitutional special status of the region and passed the so-called domicile rules in May 2020 which removed protections given to those from the occupied territory. Subsequent changes to land laws are further eroding these protections in the only state in India with a Muslim majority. “The loss of autonomy and the imposition of direct rule by the government in New Delhi suggests the people of Jammu and Kashmir no longer have their own government and have lost power to legislate or amend laws in the region to ensure the protection of their rights as minorities,” the UN experts said.“The number of successful applicants for domicile certificates that appear to be from outside Jammu and Kashmir raises concerns that demographic change on a linguistic, religious and ethnic basis is already under way,” the statement added.“These legislative changes may have the potential to pave the way for people from outside the former state of Jammu and Kashmir to settle in the region, alter the demographics of the region and undermine the minorities’ ability to exercise effectively their human rights,” the experts said. The festering problem has led to the barbaric killings of thousands of people in the valley, including women and children. They said India, to counter the impact of the Kashmir Solidarity Day in Pakistan, arranged the visit, which was immediately sabotaged by the UN rights report. Soon after the diplomats’ visit, three policemen were killed in attacks in the disputed region, two of them in held Srinagar, showing the conflict was not frozen in time and no matter how many guided tours were arranged, ground realities in the disputed region remained the same. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/793711-un-report-on-held-kashmir-setback-for-india
2.
Turkey on Kashmir: Feb., 24 2021: The Legal Forum for Oppressed Voices of Kashmir (LFOVK)
Tuesday extended its gratitude to foreign minister of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu for expressing the aspirations of
Kashmiris at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to seek an end of illegal Indian occupation from Jammu and Kashmir. "We reiterate our call to the Indian government to ease the current restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir. We wish the resolution of the issue through peaceful means on the basis of
relevant United Nations resolutions and legitimate
expectations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," said a news release while quoting Turkey foreign
minister address to 46th session of the UNHRC on February
22. The Turkey statement comes on the heels of observations made by
Genocide Watch (an independent US-based watch dog) that; "The Indian government's actions in Kashmir have been an extreme
case of persecution and could very well lead to genocide. At present the [Kashmir]
valley is suffering from a 'pre-genocidal' situation." Turkey's stand on Kashmir should awaken the
UNHRC, and world community, on
Kashmir which must call a special session to discuss the humanitarian crisis in
the region and seek implementation of right to self-determination in the
disputed region, it added. The LFOVK sought establishment of war crimes
tribunal under UNHRC and international support to prosecute the Indian occupational forces to take them to task
for the heinous crimes committed in the occupied territory. These vicious
crimes must shake conscious of UNHRC members and they must do what is
necessary: hold India accountable.
According to LFOVK research, more than 470 people, including armed rebels and
occupational Indian troops, were killed in gunfights and
"staged" clashes in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020. Indian forces also killed some 65
civilians "extra-judicially", meaning in staged gunfights. https://www.urdupoint.com/en/kashmir/lfovk-hails-turkeys-call-for-justice-on-kash-1175514.html
3.
Youth martyred: Feb., 25, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian
troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in
Islamabad district, today. The troops martyred the youth during a violent
cordon and search operation in Srigufwara area of the district. Occupation
authorities suspended internet service in the district to prevent dissemination
of information about the brutalities of Indian forces in the area. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/02/24/indian-troops-martyr-two-youth-in-iiojk/
4.
Cease fire: Feb., 26, 2021: Pakistan and India have agreed to the strict observance of all
agreements, understandings and ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and
all other sectors, with effect from Wednesday midnight. “In the interest of
achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two
Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) agreed to address each other’s
core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to
violence,” a joint statement said, referring to the military operations heads
of the two countries. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR),
the DGMOs of the two countries held discussions over the established mechanism
of hotline contact. "Ninety two per cent of the figures shared occurred
between 2014 and 2021," he said, adding that 49 women and 26 children have
been martyred in the last four years. He said that the year 2019 witnessed the
most ceasefire violations while 2018 had the most casualties. "After the
understanding between the two countries, it has been agreed to implement the
2003 ceasefire in letter and spirit," he said. 33 civilians martyred, 260
injured by Indian shelling in AJK in 2020.Indian troops committed more than
2,900 ceasefire violations across the LoC in 2020, leaving as many as 33
innocent civilians martyred and another 260 wounded in different parts of Azad
Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). “Not only the civilians, they also targeted the UN
military observers in this year while they were on a routine monitoring mission
along the LoC,'' the minister had said, referring to the Dec 18 shooting at a
UN vehicle in Poonch district.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1609331/pakistan-india-agree-on-strict-observance-of-all-agreements-ceasefire-along-loc-ispr
5.
OIC on Kashmir : Feb., 26, 2021: The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation,
Dr Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen has reaffirmed the OIC’s commitment to the
promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including in
Jammu and Kashmir. The OIC Secretary General made the statement in his address
to the High-Level Segment of the ongoing 46th Session of the United Nations
Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The UNHRC’s session, which commenced on February
22, will continue till March 23 in a virtual mode. He said, this session takes
place at a time when the world is facing numerous challenges affecting peace,
security, human rights and development. “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a
profound impact on all aspects of life and especially on human rights. It has
exacerbated social inequality and vulnerability,” he said.Dr Al-Othaimeen
highlighted the massive Israeli human rights violations against the Palestinian
people, the human rights situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and
Kashmir, the post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction in
Nagorno-Karabakh of Azerbaijan, the situation of the Rohingya Muslim community
in Myanmar and other Muslim communities in non-OIC member states. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/02/25/in-address-to-unhrc-oic-chief-mentions-hr-situation-in-iiojk/
6. UNHRC on Kashmir: Feb., 28, 2021: Bachelet also spoke on the situation in Kashmir, noting that restrictions on communications and clampdowns on civil society activists “remain of concern”. She observed that despite the restoration of 4G access for the first time since August 2019 in Kashmir, the “communications blockade has seriously hampered civic participation, as well as business, livelihoods, education, and access to health-care and medical information”.”Raids against human rights defenders in October and November exemplify the continued restrictions on civil society, and resulting impact on the rights of the people of Kashmir to impart and receive information, and to engage in free, open debate on Government policies affecting them,” she noted. https://thewire.in/rights/un-human-rights-chief-michele-bachelet-farmers-protests-sedition-charges-social-media-curbs-kashmir
7. Journalist: Feb., 28, 2021: The Clooney Foundation for Justice will monitor the trial
of award winning Kashmiri
journalist Aasif Sultan who has been detained in Kashmir for over two and a
half years and faces the death penalty if convicted. Sultan is a journalist who
reported on human rights and political issues for the Kashmir Narrator. He has
been imprisoned since his arrest in August 2018 and was only indicted five
months later. He is now charged with supporting the terrorist group, Hizbul
Mujahideen, and conspiring to kill a police officer. If convicted after trial,
he faces the death penalty. Press and human rights organisations believe the
charges actually stem from Sultan’s reports on the killing of a Kashmiri
militant by Indian security forces. The killing set off anti-government
demonstrations in Kashmir in July 2016. The indictment cites Sultan’s social
media posts and letter pads of the Hizbul Mujahideen at his home as evidence of
his involvement with the banned group. According to the Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ), after the group called for Sultan’s release in The
Washington Post, the Jammu and Kashmir police responded on
Twittersaying that Sultan was not being held for his work but for “hatching a
criminal conspiracy, harbouring and supporting terrorists who martyred a police
constable.” He is one of a number of journalists in Kashmir who appear to have
been detained, investigated, or prosecuted in connection with their
journalistic activities under counterterrorism and related laws.
https://thewire.in/media/clooney-foundation-to-monitor-trial-of-kashmiri-journalist-detained-for-over-2-years
8. Children in Kashmir : Feb., 28, 2021: Speakers at a webinar hosted by Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) and World Muslim Congress (WMC) made a passionate appeal to the international community urging it to stand up for the rights of Kashmiri children who have been the worst victims of the lingering dispute and Indian state terrorism. Hosted in Islamabad as a sideline event of the ongoing 46th Session of United Nations Human Rights Council, the webinar titled “Forgotten children of Kashmir conflict” was participated and addressed by noted human rights activists, scholars, academicians and international experts including His Excellency Ambassador Dr Shahid Ameen Khan, World Chairman and Ambassador at Large, International Human Rights Commission; Ms Danielle Khan Special Assistant to Dean Eliot A Cohen at Johns Hopkins Paul H Nitze School of Advanced International Studies; Rana Shama Nazir, Chairperson British Kashmiri Women Council, UK; Barrister Nida Salam, British-Kashmiri Barrister; Ms Marrina Zucca, Human Rights Activist Italy; Dr Shaheen Shora, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Lead for Mental Health Services, Hertfordshire, UK; Mr Ahmed Bin Qasim, son of political prisoners Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo and Aasiya Andrabi; and Prof Shugafta Ashraf, Amb. Ibhrim Dadu Said of Lebanon, whereas the event was moderated by the KIIR Chairman, Altaf Hussain Wani. The speakers while highlighting the plight of Kashmiri children said that decade-old conflict has left the life of Kashmiri children completely devastated. “Besides affecting the mental and physical health of children the unending violence has rendered their future bleak”, they said adding that the life of Kashmiris especially the children who have always been at the receiving end has sadly been crippled by the long-running dispute.“The fact remains that no facet of life in Kashmir has been left unaffected from the brutal war. However, being a vulnerable segment of the society children in Kashmir have been the worst victims of direct and indirect forms of violence and brutality, which has left indelible imprints of war on their memory. The atmosphere of violence has virtually robbed them of their childhood activities and cherished memories. Grown up witnessing nothing but the sounds of gunshots, killings and cries of the injured, the children have literally lost the meaning of childhood,” they said. The speakers maintained that like other parts of the world, children of Kashmir deserve the right to live a peaceful life in a violence-free environment. They said, these silent sufferers of the conflict deserve the right to health and education. “Hundreds of innocent children have fallen to the bullets of Indian army while thousands of others have become orphans after losing their parents, and many have been left to rot in detention and interrogation centers without any fault. Young generation of Kashmir has been searing in the flames of withering injustice, discrimination,” the deplored. The speakers said apart from dire economic impact, the violence has cast a dark shadow on the physical and mental health of Kashmiri children. “Having seen their loved ones killed by firing of the Indian army the Kashmiri children have been under tremendous mental depression. Anxiety, fear and trauma occupy their early emotional state has led to other psycho-social problems. The conflict has snatched from them the most cherished childhood days,” they added. Referring to impact of violence on education of children, the speakers said that due to many psycho-social problems many orphan children could not continue their education and some of them are studying in orphanages run by socio-religious organizations. Ahmed bin Qasim, son of political prisoners Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo and Aasiya Andrabi, highlighted the suffering of his parents and family. He said his mother has spent over 12 years of her life in prison and his father was jailed just two months after Ahmed was born. “The people of Kashmir call my father the Nelson Mandela of Kashmir – I just hope he too is a free man one day in a free Kashmir. Now my father is serving a life sentence and was recently shifted to a jail outside Indian illegally occupied Jammu and I am not alone Kashmiri – every Kashmiri child has such harrowing stories of the atrocities inflicted on us by the occupying Indian forces,” Qasim added.The speakers said that like other parts of the world, children of Kashmir deserve the right to live a peaceful life in a violence-free environment. They said that it was incumbent upon the global community to play its due role to help secure the future of Kashmiri children and make India accountable for its crimes against humanity in IIOJK. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/02/27/webinar-seeks-end-to-violence-against-children-in-iiojk/
Weekly update -77:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Feb ,16, 2021 to Feb., 22 , 2021
1.
Youth martyred: Feb., 20, 2021: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and
Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three
Kashmiri youth in Shopian district, today.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/02/19/indian-troops-martyr-three-kashmiris-in-iiojk/
2. Arms denied to India: Feb., 21, 2021: In a big snub to India, over its “poor human rights record” in the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the German government declined license to two firms planning small arms export. Though Germany is India’s sixth-largest trading partner and its largest trading partner from the European Union, it feared that their small arms could be used against the civilian population in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). According to a report published in Telegraph India, the concerns over the security forces’ human rights record in Jammu and Kashmir had raised a barrier before Germany’s small arms exports to India.Two Indian security officials familiar with the bar on German small arms producers said these companies had failed to obtain export licences from their government on account of the “poor human rights record” in Kashmir. The report also revealed that a Belgian arms manufacturer too had recently walked out of a deal to supply arms to India’s army amid concerns in the Belgian government that the weapons would be used in Jammu and Kashmir. Belgium’s FN Herstal had signed the Rs 70-crore deal in 2020 to supply small arms and assault rifles to the army’s Special Frontier Force (SFF). Reports have said that German arms manufacturer Heckler and Koch, whose MP5 submachine guns have been part of the armoury of the National Security Guards (NSG) and Marine Commando (Marcos) units, has withdrawn from the Indian market saying it lacked approval from the German government. In November 2019, three months after the Centre had revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and restricted movement and communication, Germany had expressed reservations about the clampdown and concern for the people of the region. Germany had earlier too restricted arms export to India citing poor human rights records in states such as Gujarat, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. According to the Telegraph India, a defence ministry official recalled that Germany had, during the Kargil conflict of 1999, halted technology transfer for India’s indigenously made Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv and withheld replacement parts and supplies for German equipment. https://dunyanews.tv/en/World/589069-Germany-declines-arms-export-to-India-for-poor-human-rights-record
Weekly update -76:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Feb ,9, 2021 to Feb., 15 , 2021
1.
Human
rights violations: Feb., 14, 2021: Indian
brutalities at peak in IIOJK https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/02/13/indian-brutalities-at-peak-in-iiojk/
2.
37th. anniversary of Mqbool Bhat
commemorated: Feb., 15. 2021: Kashmiri diaspora commemorated
the 37th anniversary of the martyrdom of Kashmiri icon Maqbool
Butt with a renewed commitment to achieve the hero's dream: self-determination
as prescribed by the United Nations, international law, and moral justice.
Since his execution, February 11 has been observed by all Kashmiris as a black
day of mourning for the martyr of a brave Kashmiri statesman. This year’s
webinar was attended by speakers from the United States and abroad. Dr. Ghulam
Nabi Fai, Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness Forum said, “11 February
is a somber day but at the same time a day of remembrance and a day to
revitalize our resolve to be true to the mission of Martyr Maqbool Bhat. Maqbool
Bhat's life has inspired countless Kashmiris to persist in the struggle for
self-determination against India's intransigence. His vision of a free and fair
Kashmiri self-determination on its sovereign destiny did not die with his
death. He gave his life for the cause because he believed in it with all
sincerity and honesty.” Maqbool Bhat gave a lesson to the generations to come
that it is very hard but only choice to accept martyrdom instead of slavery.
His courage demonstrated such savagery would backfire, and intensify the
Kashmir resistance. Dr. Fai added, while
we must pay rich tributes to the memory of this great martyr, our true tribute
will be emancipation of the Kashmiri people from under the Indian brutal
occupation and senseless subjugation. Javed Rathore continued: “Indian
authorities could jail Maqbool Bhat and silence him by execution but they could
not silence his ultimate desire - the struggle for the people of Kashmir. The
spirit of Maqbool Bhat is alive. Today, he is an inspiration to millions of
Kashmiris and those striving for human rights and human dignity. Claire
Bidwel, Chairperson, “Let Kashmiris Decide” Scotland,discussed in detilas her
initiative to shake the conscience of the world leaders to come to rescue the
leader of Kashmiri political resistance movement – Mohammad Yasin Malik. Her
signature campaign has already received thousands of responses all over the
world. Ariful Haq Arif, senior most journalist who knew Maqbool Bhat
personally when he met him in Karachi, quoted him saying, “We faced every form
of torture with the belief that this (new) challenge we are facing will
ultimately bring revolution to our thinking.” Arif said that Maqbool Butt was
certainly a charismatic leader who gave his today for the betterment of
tomorrow. His dastardly death will inspire living Kashmiris for ages. Dr.
Zulfiqar Kazmi, a well-known scholar said that Maqbool Butt was undoubtedly, a
selfless leader and we, the people of Kashmir miss him dearly. His dastardly
death will inspire living Kashmiris for the ages, just as Reverend Martin
Luther King, Jr.'s assassination did in the United States. Sardar Shoaib
Irshad, the organizer of the webinar, quoted Maqbool Bhat Shaheed, “The
children of oppressors are provided with all the luxuries and comfort of the
world, but the children of resistance leaders are not attracted to these kinds
of luxuries and comfort. They get satisfaction from struggling against the
system of oppression.” Dr. Akhlaq Barlas, prominent Kashmir scholar and leader
said, Maqbool Butt was hanged by India's authorities for protesting their
illegal and iron-fisted occupation of Kashmir since 1947. Kashmiri diaspora
must get united and seek representation from all zones of the State of Jammu
& Kashmir. Mohammad Arshad Shah, (Canada) said, Maqbool Bhat had previously
been tortured and inhumanely imprisoned as part of India's state sponsored
terrorism in the disputed territory of Kashmir. We must intensify our
activities so that his mission remains alive. Sardar Naseem Iqbal (England), a
well-known community leader, urged everybody to take a leaf from the long
history of Kashmir which is full of trials and tribulations. Those who
contemplate on the past will ultimately come closer to achieve their objective
– the freedom for the people of the State of Jammu & Kashmir. Sardar
Zulfiqar Roshan Khan spoke from Islamabad that the sacrifice of Shaheed Maqbool
Bhat will never be wasted. The blood of Kashmiri martyrs brings the goal for
freedom and justice nearer. Sardar Zubair Khan said that the lesson of the
martyrdom of Bhat Sahib is that we should be consciously ready to give
sacrifices for the cause as was demonstrated by our leader. Sardar Aftab Roshan
Khan said that Maqbool Bhat has given us an important message that we may have
to give more sacrifices till the whole nation is liberated. Tariq Khan, Canada
said that the decision of Raja Farooq Haider, the prime minister of Azad
Kashmir to announce February 11th a holiday is the right step in the
right direction. But on this day, we must highlight the contribution of Maqbool
Bhat to our younger generation through organizing seminar, debates and
conferences. Raja Liaqat Kiyani, President, Kashmir House, Washington said that
people of Azad Kashmir are united in pursuing the mission of Maqbool Bhat
irrespective of their party affiliations and political beliefs. Sardar Zarif
Khan, President, Washington Chapter of Kashmir Solidarity Council and the emcee
of the event, said Maqbool Butt was undoubtedly, a selfless leader and we, the
people of Kashmir miss him dearly. While paying tribute to Shaheed Maqbool
Bhat, Zarif said that worldly luxuries meant nothing to Bhat. He always
preferred a day of freedom to a life of luxuries without any freedom. At the
conclusion of the event, it was demanded that the Government of India return
the mortal remains of Shaheed Maqbool Bhat and Shaheed Afzal Guru to their
relatives in Kashmir. It has been a sacrilege to have kept them in India for
thirty-seven callous years respectively. Other speakers included:Hamid
Malik; Shakeel Ahmed Janjua ; Sajjad Baloch; Zahid Khan; Aftab Khan; Azmat
Khan; Mujeeb Kazi; Raheel Shaikh
Weekly update -75: Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir
from Feb 2, 2021 to Feb., 8 , 2021
1.
HR violations: Feb., 2, 2021:In Indian illegally
occupied Jammu and Kashmir, unrelenting military siege imposed by Narendra Modi-led
fascist Indian government on August 05, 2019, continues to take a heavy toll on
daily life of the Kashmiri people in the territory. A report released by the
Research Section of Kashmir Media Service , today, revealed that the Indian
troops martyred 308 Kashmiris including 7 women during the period. Most of the
victims were killed by the troops in fake encounters or in custody. Youth are
picked up from their homes during so-called cordon and search operations and
are eliminated after being labeled as mujahideen or over-ground workers. The
killing by the troops during the period rendered 16 women widowed and 38
children orphaned. The report maintained that at least 1,701 people were
critically injured due to the use of brute force, bullets, pellets and teargas
shelling by the Indian troops on peaceful demonstrators in the territory. The
troops damaged over 993 houses and structures and molested or disgraced 103
women and arrested 14,489 people during the period. https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/02/01/indian-troops-martyr-308-kashmiris-during-18-months-siege/
Weekly update -74: Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir
from Jan 26, 2020 to Feb., 1 , 2021
1.
Youth martyred: Jan., 30, 2021: In
Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act
of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Tral area of Pulwama
district, today.The troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search
operation in Mandoora area of Tral.
Indian police arrested a youth from a check-post in Patushahi area of
Bandipora. .
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/01/29/indian-troops-martyr-three-kashmiri-youth-in-iiojk/
2. Farooq: Jan.,31, 2021: Wamiq Farooq On January 31, 2010, after offering noon-time
prayers at a mosque and eating lunch with his family, Wamiq tucked a cricket
ball into his pocket, waved to his mother through the window and left. He never
returned. Later that evening, Wamiq was hit on the head by a tear-smoke shell that was allegedly fired at close range by
constable Mohamad Akram of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on the orders of ASI
Abdul Khaliq. The police later justified their action in the FIR (12/2010),
claiming that “in order to disperse the unruly mob, the mild force was used
such as tear-smoke shells, as a result, thereof one shell hit a boy who was
taken by the locals to the hospital…” However, key eyewitnesses have contested
the narrative, “There was no mob or any incident of stone-pelting, even the
nearby shops were open, everything was normal.”
On August 22, 2013, the chief judicial magistrate of Srinagar issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Abdul
Khaliq Sofi and Mohammad Akram
after the prima-facie guilt of the accused was established based on a judicial
inquiry and police probe. However, no
arrests were made. The case also went to
the Supreme Court, and on April 7, 2015, it asked the trial court Srinagar to
proceed with a trial in the case “uninfluenced” by findings of the SIT and
observations of the J&K high court.
As a result, on his 11th death anniversary, justice still evades Wamiq
Farooq and his family.
https://thewire.in/rights/wamiq-farooq-killing-kashmir-2010-justice
3. illings in fake encounters, extra-judicial operations and custody
Weekly update -73: Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir
from Jan 19, 2020 to Jan., 25 , 2021
1.
UK and Kashmir:
Jan., 21, 2021: MP Debbie Abrahams of the All Party
Parliamentary Kashmir Group has raised concerns about human rights violations,
revocation of special status and illegal detentions in Indian held Kashmir in
an official letter to UK PM Boris Johnson. MP Debbie Abrahams in her letter
said that the Group consists of parliamentarians from all faiths and Kashmiri
Indian and Pakistani heritage. Our focus has been on promoting human rights
across all parts of Kashmir. She said. “While I fully support your endeavours
to strengthen international relations which support jobs and investment across
the UK I need to make you aware of the strongly held views parliamentarians of
all political parties have regarding the primacy of human rights and that these
cannot be compromised in any trade deal. The Group is particularly concerned
about escalating violence across Indian administered Kashmir (particularly
Jammu and Kashmir) and most recently at the Line of Control.“I am sure you will
agree with me that for the world s largest democracy to be reported to be
behaving in these ways is very alarming. “Given our key role in the
international community we believe it is essential that you and the government
more widely raise these very serious concerns directly in your on-going
discussions with Prime Minister Modi and his government. I also repeat the
concerns raised by Group members that the protection of fundamental human
rights must not be traded for economic gain and would like your reassurance
that any trade deal will make this explicit. As the UK government embarks on a
year for Global Britain on the world stage, it is essential that we set out our
stall with the rule of law and human rights at its heart. “I draw your
attention to the warning that your own High Commission in Pakistan made to the
Group delegation in February 2020 and which I reported to Lord Ahmad the
escalating tensions between India and Pakistan both nuclear powers makes
Kashmir the number one security concern in the world. The recent conflict
between India and China adds to this. I urge you to raise these matters with
Prime Minister Modi in your ongoing discussions and when you visit India.”
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/776474-boris-urged-to-talk-held-kashmir-abuses-with-modi
2.
Gaw Kadal massacre: Jan., 22, 2021:In occupied Kashmir, complete shutdown is being observed
in Gaw Kadal and its adjoining areas in Srinagar, today, on the completion of
31 years to the horrible Gaw Kadal massacre. Call for the shutdown has been
given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and supported by other Hurriyat
organizations. Indian troops had killed more than 50 innocent people in Gaw
Kadal area of Srinagar on this day in 1990 by opening indiscriminate fire on
peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against the molestation of several women
by the troops on the previous night.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/01/21/shutdown-in-srinagar-on-gaw-kadal-massacre-anniversary/
3.
UK MP: Jan., 23, 2021: KEIGHLEY MP Robbie Moore has called on the
Government to press for a UN-led investigation into allegations of genocide by
the Indian authorities in Kashmir. Speaking in
Parliament, Mr Moore said the situation in the region was “harrowing”.It is
claimed that several hundred Kashmiris have been killed and many more injured, plus
hundreds of homes destroyed, since special status for Kashmir was revoked. It’s
also alleged that thousands of people have been arrested “without due cause”.“A
number of local organisations and individuals have contacted me over the past
12 months in relation to this issue. I know it is close to the hearts of many
of my constituents who originated from Kashmir. “I would like to see UN human
rights officials get access to both sides of the line of control, to find out
the facts. https://www.keighleynews.co.uk/news/19030627.keighley-mp-seeks-probe-kashmir-genocide-claims/
4. Human rights in India : an., 23, 2021: The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy organization dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, has launched a report titled, “Crushing Dissent: 2021 Status Report on Human Rights in India,” detailing human rights abuses in India. At the launch of this report, UN Special Rapporteur Ms. Mary Lawlor called upon the Indian government to immediately release 16 human rights defenders who have been imprisoned on charges of terrorism in the ‘Bhima-Koregaon Case’. “These people should not be in jail. They are our modern-day heroes and we should all be looking to them and supporting them and demanding their release,” Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, said on Thursday. Along with Father Stan Swamy, the octogenarian Jesuit priest against whose “arbitrary detention” in this case she has already written to the Indian Government, Ms. Lawlor said 15 others jailed in the same case must also be released. Ms. Lawlor while read out the names of the imprisoned rights activists who have worked to uphold the rights of the others should be acknowledged and they are Surendra Gadling, Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Fereria; Supreme Court lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj; authors Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde; poet Varvara Rao; academicians Hany Babu and Shoma Sen; and theater artistes Ramesh Gaichor, Sagar Gorkhe and Jyoti Jagtap. The so-called Bhima-Koregaon case refers to violence at a public meeting called three years ago by low-caste Hindus at a village known as Bhima-Koregaon in Maharashtra state. Several civil rights investigations have established that upper caste Hindus allied with India’s ruling party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP, carried out the violence. Police have; however, targeted human rights defenders, who deny their involvement. Ms. Lawlor, whose three-year term as UN Special Rapporteur began last May, also called out the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), under which the Bhima-Koregaon accused have been charged, as among the “several prominent pieces of legislation that would appear on paper and in practice to undermine rights contained in the covenant and the work of human rights defenders.”Amendments to the UAPA made in 2019, which granted “greater powers” to designate individuals as terrorists “despite the definition of a terrorist act not being precise or concrete,” failed to “comply with the principles of legal certainty,” Ms. Lawlor said. “This has opened up the Act, which was already being used to target human rights defenders, to greater abuse. In 2020, it continued to be applied against human rights defenders with the extremely damaging effect of conflating the defense of human rights with terrorist activities,” Ms. Lawlor said, adding, there was “a very concerning deterioration of the environment for defending human rights” in India. Saying that India’s human rights “situation is very serious,” Ms. Lawlor said she sent “six communications” to the Indian Government since May to “convey our concerns on human rights issues”. India had responded to just one. In June she wrote to the Indian Government raising concerns over the arrest of 11 human rights defenders for protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. “However, this communication has gone unanswered.” Noted human rights defender Teesta Setalvad said “among human rights defenders who are today incarcerated, besides those mentioned by Mr. Lawlor, we have a list of almost 23 very young and dynamic human rights defenders incarcerated in post February 2020 anti-Muslim pogrom in Delhi. Among the 23, almost 19 happened to be young Muslims activists, who actually came into the forefront of leadership to resist the draconian citizenship Amendment Act. These young activists were deliberately targeted by the state because of their clarity, courage and determination. “The lower caste (the untouchables) have been singularly targeted for thousands of years and subjected to othering and discrimination by the dominant caste. Then, it is the Muslim community who is facing discrimination and marginalization for the last 40 years. And since the 1990s, Indian Christian community has also been subject to this kind of othering. added Teesta. The Indian Government had arrested Father Stan Swamy only because he had worked for four decades for the uplift of the poor tribal people in Jharkhand state, Father Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit priest and a human rights defender, said. Fr. Swamy became an obstacle for successive governments who, “in collusion with vested interest, especially those who deplete the forests of the precious resources, like the mining mafia, the timber merchants,” wanted to wrest control of the forests from the tribal people. “Fr. Swamy was fighting for the release of more than 3000 tribal youth, struggling for their rights, accompanying them in their legal battles, and so on.” Former Australian Senator Lee Rhiannon said “the notion that India is a great secular democracy has become a cloak to conceal the extent of the injustice.” The foundation on which is India’s judiciary, parliamentary and education systems have been “extensively eroded” as Mr. Modi’s government’s “passing discriminatory laws, neutralizing judges and cultivating a BJP controlled police force is at an advanced stage.” IAMC National General Secretary Mohammad Jawad said “This exhaustive report’s coverage of all the aspects — from the sedition laws and hate speech, to national security legislation and the criminalization of dissent, from the questions on the independence of the judiciary to the dilution of labor laws and the universal health policies — demonstrates how the Modi government is set to undo decades of positive and progressive work in India.” IAMC will share the 2021 Human Rights report, “Crushing Dissent”, with members of US Congress, the White House, the Department of State, the National Security Council, think-tanks, the US academia and research community and the civil rights activists and NGOs, he added. https://twocircles.net/2021jan22/440701.html
Weekly update -72:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Jan 12, 2020 to Jan., 18 , 2021
1.
HRW Report: Jan., 16, 2021: A prominent international human rights watchdog has denounced
Narendra Modi-led Indian government for intensifying repression in Indian
illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, targeting Muslims in India and for
harassing, arresting and prosecuting activists, journalists, and others
critics. In its World Report 2021, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW)
said the Indian government continued to impose harsh and discriminatory
restrictions in IIOJK since revoking special status of the territory in August
2019. The report said scores of people remained detained in IIOJK without charge
under the draconian law Public Safety Act, which permits detention without
trial for up to two years. It said, the Indian government announced a new media
policy in Kashmir in June 2020 that empowers the authorities to decide what is
“fake news, plagiarism and unethical or anti-national activities” and to take
punitive action against media outlets, journalists, and editors. “The policy
contains vague provisions that are open to abuse and could unnecessarily
restrict and penalize legally protected speech. The government also clamped
down on critics, journalists, and human rights activists,” it said. “The
restrictions, including on access to communications networks, since August 2019
adversely affected livelihoods, particularly in the tourism-dependent Kashmir
Valley. The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries estimated that the first
three months of the lockdown to prevent protests since August 2019 cost the
economy over US$2.4 billion, for which no redress was provided. Losses nearly
doubled since the government imposed further restrictions to contain the spread
of Covid-19 in March 2020,” it added. The report said the pandemic made access
to the internet crucial for information, communication, education, and
business. However, even after the Supreme Court said in January that access to
the internet was a fundamental right, the Indian authorities permitted only
slow-speed 2G mobile internet services, leading doctors to complain that the
lack of internet was hurting the Covid-19 response, it said. The report
maintained that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act continued to provide
effective immunity from prosecution to Indian forces, even for serious human
rights abuses. In July, the forces’ personnel killed three people in Shopian
district, claiming they were militants, it said. “However, in August, their
families, who identified them from photographs of the killings circulated on
social media, said they were laborers. In September, the army said that its
inquiry had found prima facie evidence that its troops exceeded powers under
the AFSPA and it would take disciplinary proceedings against those
“answerable”,” it added. The HRW said that the Indian forces also continued to
use shotguns firing metal pellets to disperse crowds, despite evidence that
they are inherently inaccurate and cause injuries indiscriminately, including
to bystanders, violating India’s international obligations. In the 761-page
World Report 2021, its 31st edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights
practices in more than 100 countries.In his introductory essay, Executive
Director Kenneth Roth argues that the incoming United States administration
should embed respect for human rights in its domestic and foreign policy in a
way that is more likely to survive future US administrations that might be less
committed to human rights. Roth emphasizes that even as the Trump
administration mostly abandoned the protection of human rights, other
governments stepped forward to champion rights. The Biden administration should
seek to join, not supplant, this new collective effort. The HRW pointed out
that the attacks continued against minorities, especially Muslims, in India
even as authorities failed to take action against BJP leaders who vilified
Muslims and BJP supporters who engaged in violence. The Covid-19 lockdown
disproportionately hurt marginalized communities due to loss of livelihoods and
lack of food, shelter, healthcare, and other basic needs, it said. “The Indian
government seems determined to punish peaceful criticism using draconian laws,
while sending a broader message that chills dissent,” Meenakshi Ganguly, South
Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “Instead of
addressing growing attacks on Muslims, minorities, and women, Indian
authorities increased their crackdown on critical voices in 2020,” she added.
The report said that last February communal violence in Delhi killed at least
53 people, with over 200 injured, properties destroyed, and communities
displaced in targeted attacks by Hindu mobs. While a policeman and several
Hindus were also killed, the vast majority of victims were Muslim. The attacks
came after weeks of peaceful protests against the Indian government’s
discriminatory citizenship policies. “Violence broke out after BJP leaders
openly advocated violence against the protesters, while witness accounts and
video evidence showed police complicity. The Delhi Minorities Commission
reported that the violence was “planned and targeted” and found that the police
were filing cases against Muslim victims, but not taking action against the BJP
leaders who incited it,” the report said. The HRW said that crimes against
Dalits increased, in part as backlash by members of dominant castes against
what they might perceive as a challenge to caste hierarchy. “Crimes against
women increased too. In September, a 19-year old Dalit woman died after being
gang-raped and tortured, allegedly by four men of dominant caste in Uttar
Pradesh. The authorities’ response highlighted how women from marginalized
communities faced even greater institutional barriers to justice,” it added.
The report maintained that the intensifying repression in India resulted in
international criticism, including by the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, who raised concerns over human rights
violations in Jammu and Kashmir, arrests of activists, and restrictions on
civil society.
https://kmsnews.org/news/2021/01/15/hrw-slams-india-for-hr-abuses-in-iiojk-attacks-against-muslims-and-crackdown-on-critics/
Weekly update -71:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Jan 5, 2020 to Jan., 11, 2021
1.
Non judicial murder: Jan., 11,
2021:
Preliminary investigations conducted by the army’s Court of Inquiry, as well as
the J&K police, have found that Captain Bhoopendra Singh of 62 RR regiment,
aided by two civilian informers, had “staged” the July 8 encounter in Kashmir’s
Amshipora and “killed” three daily wage laborers working in apple orchards,
allegedly to claim a cash bounty of Rs 20 lakh granted by the army as reward
for killing terrorists.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/army-captain-stage-managed-jk-encounter-for-rs-20-lakh/articleshow/80203557.cms
2.
https://javedrashid.blogspot.com/2019/09/weekly-update-human-rights-violations.html
Weekly update 49:
Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Aug., 4, 2020 to Aug.,
10, 2020
1. One year: Aug., 4, 2020: In occupied Kashmir, unrelenting military siege and crippling lockdown imposed by the fascist Modi government of India on August 5, last year, have almost completed a whole year. A report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, today, revealed that Indian troops had martyred 214 Kashmiris including 4 women and 10 young boys during the period. It said that at least 1390 people were critically injured due to the use of brute force by Indian troops on peaceful demonstrators and mourners in the territory. The killings since August 5, 2019 have been higher than those in 2011, 2012, 2013,2014, 2015 and 2019. The report said, most of the victims were killed in fake encounters during cordon and search operations in the length and breadth of the territory. It said, youth are picked up from houses and then eliminated after falsely labeled as mujahideen or overground workers. The report said that these killings rendered 9 women widowed and 22 children orphaned. “The troops damaged over 946 houses and structures and molested or disgraced 84 women and arrested 13,680 including aged woman and half a dozen girls during cordon and search operations across the occupied territory in the period. After the custodial killing of prominent young Kashmiri resistance leader, Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016, the troops injured 10,240 by pellets and blinded over five dozen while eyesight of 385 was damaged. Indian troops killed 95,647 kashmiris from 1990 to till date. The life of Kashmiris has been particularly made miserable since New Delhi illegally abrogated Article 370 of its constitution on August 5, 2019. The move, the report added, was aimed at snatching away the identity of the Kashmiris through changing the Muslim-majority status of the occupied territory into a minority. As the entire occupied Kashmir has been turned into an open-air prison, thousands of Hurriyat leaders, political and human rights activists, religious heads, journalists, businessmen, lawyers and civil society members, youth and activists were arrested after or before 5 August 2019, and still continue to remain in Tihar and other jails of India and Kashmir. Prominent among them are: Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Ashraf Sehria,Masarrat Aalam Butt, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, Nahida Nasreen, Fahmida Sofi, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Mohammad Aiyaz Akbar, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Peer Saifullah, Mehrajudin Kalwal, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Dr Abdul Hameed Fayaz, Maulana Mushtaq Veeri, Farooq Ahmad Tawheedi, Muhammad Yasin Attai, Ameer-e-Hamza, Abdul Samad Inqilabi, Abdul Ahad Parra, Muhammad Yosuf Mir, Muhammad Rafiq Gania, Feroz Ahmad Khan, Dr Qasim Fakhtoo, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Zahoor Watali, Syed Shahid Yousuf Shah, Syed Shakeel Yousuf Shah, Maulana Sarjan Barkati, Bashir Ahmad Querishi, Hayat Ahmad , Asif Sultan and Qazi Shibli. Senior Hurriyet leaders Syed Ali Gilani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continue to remain under house detention in Srinagar. The continued ban on high-speed internet has deprived Kashmiris of useful local and world information regarding education, business, and coronavirus, the report said. India had suspended the internet 4G services in occupied Kashmir on August 05, 2019. “Modi regime is engaged in changing the Muslim majority status of occupied Kashmir. For this purpose, it has granted domicile certificates to thousands of Indians,” it added.The report deplored that press freedom is under a constant threat in occupied Kashmir where journalists are detained and harassed. “Cruel military lockdown has pushed occupied Kashmir into the stone age. Communications blockade has made the Kashmiris’ lives miserable,” it added. https://kmsnews.org/news/2020/08/03/httpskmsnews-orgnews20200803india-massacring-iiojk-youth-in-fake-encounters-report/
Weekly update 42: Human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir from Jun.,16, 2020 to Jun., 22, 2020
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