Srinagar: Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik on Monday wrote a letter to UN Secretary General on the occasion of World Human Rights Day and urged world body’s commission of inquiry to conduct “comprehensive and independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir.”
Following is the text of the letter
Mr. Antonio Guterres
Secretary-General
United Nations
New York, NY 10017
Excellency Secretary-General,
On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, we hope you and the institution of United Nations will stand up for the protection of human rights everywhere including in conflict torn Kashmir. This year is the 70th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and today we are again addressing you on behalf of people of Jammu and Kashmir, who for last 70 years have been striving for peace, justice, freedom and dignity.
We greatly acknowledge The UN report on the human rights situation in Kashmir – detailing the human rights violations and abuses and highlights a situation of chronic impunity for violations committed by Indian forces. We also acknowledge UN’s concern and call for “urgent need to address the past and ongoing human rights violations and abuses and deliver justice for all people in Kashmir, who for seven decades have suffered a conflict that has claimed or ruined numerous lives”
To focus international attention on the continued and worsening Human Rights situation people of Kashmir decided to peacefully observe December 3 to 9 as Human Rights Week. But the repressive and authoritarian state even disallowed that by use of force and even arrested and lodged in jails those participating in candlelight protests! Massive crackdown was launched on the leadership as well as traders, transporter and even businessmen who decided to take out peaceful rallies against the gross human rights situation in Kashmir.
Sir, abuse and injustice continues on the people of Jammu & Kashmir. 70 years have passed and we continue to suffer immensely at the hands of forces, who are implementing the policy of subjugation and control over our lives, rights resources, culture and dignity.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir have seen and continues to see worst ever human rights violations as state repression goes from bad to worse with increase in killings, especially of youth. South Of Kashmir has particularly been ravaged by the forces as almost daily Cordon and search operations conducted by them lead to deaths and destruction.
As your report mentions “One of the most dangerous weapons used against protesters in 2016 – and which is still being employed by security forces – was the pellet-firing shotgun.” These fire pellets since then have affected 16000 people in Kashmir and blinded hundreds permanently, the youngest being 18 month old baby Hiba who has lost her vision in one eye. Hundreds have suffered serious damage in liver and intestinal region due to pellets. 14% of pellet gun victims in Kashmir are below 15.
The conflict has consumed hundreds of thousand lives in J&K. This year alone 150 Civilians, 241 armed youth and 120 state forces have lost their lives due to the Kashmir conflict. As we write to you yesterday itself on December 09, 2018, two teenagers Mudasir Ahmad Parrey and Saqib Bilal Sheikh—aged 14 and 17 respectively from Hajin area of northern Bandipora district, were killed, 07 houses blown up by using mortar shells or improvised explosive device (IED).
As your report also mentions the Indian troops operating in the Jammu & Kashmir have been provided legal impunity in the form of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from prosecution for the crimes against humanity committed by them.” In the nearly 28 years that the law has been in force in Jammu and Kashmir there has not been a single prosecution of armed forces personnel granted by the central government,” the report says. This has emboldened them to indulge in all sorts of brutality including Killing, maiming, custodial disappearance, extrajudicial executions, outraging the modesty of women, destruction of property and many other crimes. As a result of which hundreds of thousands of people have suffered here in the past 70 years and especially in the last 30 years.
Sir, the conflict on Kashmir is not a frozen one but continues to consume human lives unabatedly since its beginning in 1947 and has become the cause of horrendous human rights violations against the population of the area. We urge you to urgently establish as proposed by the OHCHR a “UN commission of inquiry to conduct comprehensive and independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir,…. to end the cycles of violence and ensure accountability for past and current violations and abuses, and provide redress for victims” and to press upon New Delhi to stop the gross human rights violation forthwith.
We also urge you to initiate measures for the resolution of the dispute on Jammu & Kashmir which is on UN Agenda since 1948 and is the main cause of all Human Rights violations in Jammu & Kashmir.
