Rawalpindi-The Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights (JKCHR) while taking serious cognisance of the deteriorating situation in Occupied Kashmir at the hands of Indian soldiers has urged the National Human Rights Commission of India and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Council to take urgent notice of the situation.
The JKCHR also urged the organisations to see whether Indian delegations have been truthful in assuring the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, that National Human Rights Commission of India acts as a watchdog and any violation of human rights could be brought to its notice.
The letter says that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been placed under curfew for the last 18 days and the Indian soldiers kill the Kashmiri people for their sport, adding that “As flies to wanton boys are we to the’ Indian soldier, they kill us for their sport.”
The letter further states that the arrest of 82-year-old Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the arrest of Mirwaiz Dr Umar Farooq just for stepping out of their homes, to travel and express solidarity with the people in Anantnag district, which has seen the highest number of deaths during the popular protest against the killing of Burhan Wani a young State Subject, is a shame and needs to be condemned by every decent human person in India and in all capitals of the world, informed JKCHR spokesman Sajjad Shah yesterday.
About the imposition of 18 days continued Curfew in the Kashmir valley, the JKCHR has said that killing 52 unarmed people (all Muslims), disabling hundreds of youth for life by the use of banned pellet guns direct into their eyes, fatally injuring hundreds more, attempting to starve people, leaving the elderly without medicine and infants without milk and using a Hindu Army against a Muslim population, merits the attention of every decent Indian and in particular National Human Rights Commission of India. Credibility of NHRC has remained a self-serving defence in the hands of Government of India, while replying at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva about the use of AFSPA and during the UN debate on Periodic Review of the Human Rights Situation in Kashmir .
JKCHR said that Government of India continues to use its military as a private army in mercenary-related activities to humble and vanquish Kashmiri Muslim. It is in violation of para 12 of UN Resolution of 21 April 1948, which has asked India: “The Government of India should themselves and through the Government of the State declare and make known that all subjects of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, regardless of creed, caste or party, will be safe and free in expressing their views and in voting on the question of accession of the State and that there will be freedom of the press, speech and assembly and freedom of travel in the State, including freedom of lawful entry and exit”. It added.
The JKCHR letter has also expressed its serious concern over the government decision to have issued 51,000 arms licenses to equip a private military named Village Defence Committees, comprising of Hindu criminals in the last two years. It is to target Jammu, Udhampur, and Muslim dominated Pirpanchal and Chenab valley region. Indian forces have been discussed in detail in Resolution E/CN.4/Sub.2/1997/L.21 moved by the British Expert at the 49th session of UN Sub Commission on Human Rights in August 1997. The situation does not seem to have improved since then.
Government of India has officially endorsed the role of a private military in Kashmir as a means to impede the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination. In July 2016 the government has asked Special Police Officers (SPOs), a quasi-police force in which people are hired for a paltry monthly salary and put at the forefront of anti-militancy operations that their chances of full-time employment in the police force will depend on their performance. Most of the SPO force was initially drawn from the government sponsored barbaric militia called Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon whose head, the notorious singer-turned-militiaman Kukka Parray became a lawmaker in the assembly during the National Conference rule in 1996.
Dr Gilani also highlighted that the temporary admission (part of a provisional arrangement) granted to Indian security forces has been referred to UN SC by Indian Government on 01 January 1948 for ratification or annulment by the free vote of the of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Indian Army is at war with the unarmed civilians and committing war crime against humanity. It is forcing an unwilling Kashmiri population to live under its control. Indian army has violated the bilateral and UN restraints. It makes the Indian army an occupation force.
Dr Nazir Gilani has said that the targeted killing of young Burhan Wani, a State Subject is a war crime. Designating Kashmiri youth (State Subjects) as A++, A+, A, B and C category militants and increasing the reward money for killing those who seek the implementation of UN Resolutions on Kashmir, demographic and psychographic profiling of Kashmiris are war crimes adding We see that a Hindu and non-State army granted a temporary admission into the State is engaged in a killing sport of Kashmiri Muslims.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir currently placed under curfew from 08 July 2016, where streets are littered with the dead bodies of innocent people and hospitals are full of young people disabled for life by the use of pellet guns. People of Jammu and Kashmir are known to the United Nations for the last 68 years. These people are waiting that the United Nations keeps to its schedule and arranges a free vote under its supervision in the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination. Indian Government has been outsourced a duty in this regard. People have a right to a quality of life; unfortunately they have been denied even the process of life. It is our considered opinion that killing a State Subject living on the Indian side of Kashmir by an Indian soldier constitutes a war crime.
