UN urges Kashmir investigations

[dabong1]

The United Nations has called for an independent investigation into the killing of civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The UN's Human Rights office says the Indian security forces should observe international principles when dealing with demonstrators.

Security forces have killed nearly 40 protesters since June, most of them in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley.

The protests were triggered by the allocation of land to a Hindu trust.

They have developed into the most serious protests in Indian-administered Kashmir in years.

'Proportionate'

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights "calls on the Indian authorities and in particular security forces to respect the right to freedom of assembly and expression, and comply with international human rights principles in controlling the demonstrators", it said in a statement issued in Switzerland late on Wednesday.

"The use of force should be proportionate to the threat posed and firearms must only be used in dispersing a violent assembly to protect individuals against an imminent threat of death or serious injury."


Indian-administered Kashmir has been hit by protests since June, after the government there granted land to a Hindu group that safeguards a sacred Hindu pilgrimage route.

The move unleashed anger among Kashmir Muslims and has seen a re-emergence of mass demonstrations calling for independence from India.

The land transfer was subsequently abandoned, and that resulted in Hindus concentrated in the Jammu region of the state taking to the streets.

The Indian security forces have been heavily criticised for their handling of the protests and local people say many innocent people have been shot dead.

The United Nations has now added its voice to that concern. "The Acting High Commissioner calls for thorough and independent investigations into all killings that have occurred so far," it said in its statement.


It also called on demonstrators "to protest using peaceful means only".

"Leaders of the different protesting groups have a responsibility to ensure that demonstrations are peaceful and that the demonstrators are not carrying sticks, guns or other weapons and refrain from intimidation," the UN said.

Many parts of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir are still under a curfew imposed last weekend. A number of separatist leaders were placed under arrest ahead of a major rally called by separatists in Srinagar last Monday.

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | UN urges Kashmir investigations

 

[TOPGUN]

The World should demand India for a answer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Well, this assumes even more significance in light ot the recent letter by MMS to the BJP stating that he will 'fight the separatists'.

Since the majority of the separatists on display recently have only lead and participated in peaceful protests, I am not sure who he plans on fighting - unless its killing, beating and jailing innocent, unarmed men, women and children.

 

[Neo]

Well, this assumes even more significance in light ot the recent letter by MMS to the BJP stating that he will 'fight the separatists'.

Since the majority of the separatists on display recently have only lead and participated in peaceful protests, I am not sure who he plans on fighting - unless its killing, beating and jailing innocent, unarmed men, women and children.

Is there anything new under the kashmiri sun? Thats all they've been doing for six decades, the killing of approx 85.000 civilians is acceptable for them as 'colateral damage'

I've posted this video before, its the best ever made my western media.

[video=google;-1166172407554220338]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1166172407554220338&q=kashmir[/video]

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

All of this is justifiable in the name of 'the psyche of Indians will be hurt' and 'nationalism.

The Nazi's were nationalists of a sort as well.

” The Indian government has indiscriminately banned all newspapers, short message services on mobile phones, and all news and current affairs programmes on local cable TV channels as part of an information blackout. “The flow of information has completely stopped for the first time in the history of Kashmir and no newspaper has been able to publish in last 3 days,” according to the civil society statement. “Such communications blockade is resulting in loss of news about the unfolding events, blackout of significant happenings in Kashmir’s countryside – where currently media has no access – and which is tightly controlled by the army.

Couple this with MMS's comments and its not hard to figure out whats in store for innocent people with the media blacked out by a country with pretensions to being a continuation of a 'great and tolerant civilization'.

 

[Neo]

I'm watching the video again for the 8th, 9th, maybe 10th time and every time I watch it I become more angrier. When will these people have their peace?

Its all so recogniseable, I spoke to many local people in every village I passed by...every family I met had atleast one person killed ot tortured by either the militants or IA, some were witness to fake encounters with 'evidance' planted in their houses by IA.

I certainly hope UN sends a HR team to investigate the killings and do something about it.

 

[dr.umer]

Kashmiris facing starvation due to continuous curfew: Pro-Delhi Kashmiri parties ​

NEW DELHI, Aug 28 (APP): While Indian government is bent upon to use curfew restrictions to suppress voice of Kashmiris, the pro-Delhi Kashmiri parties have demanded immediate lifting of curfew to rescue people from starvation.

All the Kashmiri leaders including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik have been kept behind the bars and two-week old curfew restrictions are continuing in the Kashmir valley without any break.

According to media reports from Srinagar, roads and streets are deserted and Kashmiris have been restricted to their homes where they have started facing starvation as their stock of essential goods have exhausted, especially their children are crying for food.

The leaders of three Kashmiri parties on Thursday while condemning the use of brute force by authorities against unarmed protestors demanded immediate lifting of curfew in the Kashmir Valley.

Secretary of CPI (M) in occupied Kashmir Y M Tarigami, Chairman of People’s Democratic Front Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen and President of Democratic Party Ghulam Hassan Mir in a joint statement in Srinagar said, “people are suffering due to stringent curfew. Acute shortage of essentials including medicines was felt in towns and villages. They are starving due to disruption of traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

“The administration should immediately lift curfew,” they said.

They expressed grief over killing of two innocent Kashmiris in firing by security forces in Kupwara and Budgam on Wednesday. “Unprovoked firing on unarmed protestors by law enforcing agencies is against the principles of democracy and law,” they said.

“The administration should not take any irresponsible step at this critical juncture, which will compound the problems,” they said and added economic activities of the Valley have come to a halt due to continuous curfew, which is also affecting education of lakh of children.

Meanwhile, two pro-Delhi People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference on Thursday criticised the Kashmir administration of misleading the people with regards to availability of essential items in the valley.

PDP General Secretary Nizamuddin Bhat and youth wing General Secretary Bashir Assad said in a statement in Srinagar “the administration is misleading the people. It is lying at a time when the people in the valley are crying for essentials”.

In a separate statement National Conference General Secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad said people of the valley and Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar and Mendhar were starving due to non-availability of essential commodities.

“The administration should lift curfew and ensure availability of essentials goods in the valley and elsewhere in the state as there is acute shortage of daily use items everywhere”, media reports quoting Sheikh Nazir said. Both the pro-Delhi parties said that hospitals in the valley are also facing shortage of medicines and medical equipment.

Meanwhile, for the fifth straight day on Thursday, the local newspagers in Kashmir valley failed to hit the stands due to restrictions on their distribution and dispatch. The local channels are already off the air.

Kashmir Press Association, an organisation of local newspapers has criticised the government of gagging media in the valley.

“It is for the first time in past two decades that local newspapers could not be published for such a long period,” spokesman of the Association Gulzar Ahmed said.

“It appears the administration was deliberately acting in an arbitrary way to muzzle the freedom of press and keep people of the valley in dark about the happenings,” he maintained.

“The only source of information at the moment is state-run Doordarshan and Radio, which obviously tows the government line,” media reports quoting him said in Srinagar.

Meanwhile, media reports citing official sources in the national capital said the Indian government is still indecisive as to how to resolve Amarnath land transfer issue. However, it has decided to use brute force to suppress voice of Kashmiris by enforcing curfew and kept putting Kashmiri leaders in jails. The government wants to break will of the people who are now crying for essential goods, the sources said.

 

[Flintlock]

^^^Well duh. You can either behave peacefully and do your shopping, or disrupt civil life and stay at home.

You can't paralyze the state and expect to get food delivered to your home at the same time.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

^^^Well duh. You can either behave peacefully and do your shopping, or disrupt civil life and stay at home.

You can't paralyze the state and expect to get food delivered to your home at the same time.

As long as they are peaceful they should be able to.

Just because the GoI does not like the expressions of protest against Indian occupation does not justify imposing a curfew and inflicting collective punishment.

 

[Flintlock]

As long as they are peaceful they should be able to.

Just because the GoI does not like the expressions of protest against Indian occupation does not justify imposing a curfew and inflicting collective punishment.

Well, as it turns out, they were not peaceful. The protesters were being incited to attack police stations, paramilitary bunkers, army camps and ransack government property.

In some cases, troops had to open fire because they were not equipped or expected to handle frenzied mobs running over their posts and camps.

This is not peaceful behavior, and would warrant a curfew in any part of India.

FYI - Shoot-at-sight orders were issued in Orissa also.

 

[dr.umer]

FYI - Shoot-at-sight orders were issued in Orissa also.

I wonder why shoot-at-sight orders always get followed in Kashmir and never in Orissa.

 

[Flintlock]

I wonder why shoot-at-sight orders always get followed in Kashmir and never in Orissa.

Maybe because the people are obeying the curfew in Orissa as opposed to Kashmir?

 

[Flintlock]

It also called on demonstrators "to protest using peaceful means only".

"Leaders of the different protesting groups have a responsibility to ensure that demonstrations are peaceful and that the demonstrators are not carrying sticks, guns or other weapons and refrain from intimidation," the UN said.

There we are.

 

[dr.umer]

Maybe because the people are obeying the curfew in Orissa as opposed to Kashmir?

Rubbish - You want to us to believe that all international press is lying about hindu militants killing innocent christian men, women & children???

What a shameful comment. Christians are being murdered & nuns are being raped.

What kind of curfew is that?

Don't try to justify what is wrong.

 

[dr.umer]

There we are.

So what? It's a warning. A guideline. Not something that has actually happend. UN never said that protesters were armed.

So where are we now???