Human Rights group demands international tribunal for Kashmir

In occupied Kashmir, the Srinagar based Human Rights group, Coalition of Civil Society has demanded formation of an International Tribunal for War Crimes to investigate into the gross human rights violations by the Indian armed forces.In a report issued in Srinagar today, the group has pointed out that the black laws in occupied Kashmir have allowed Indian troops to throw the 1949 Geneva Convention into winds.

 

The cases of war crimes like massacre of Kashmiris have been established many times but the draconian law; Armed Forces Special Powers Act has allowed the occupation authorities to render all other laws ineffective and has granted impunity to the armed forces for crimes against humanity. The report expresses concern over the increase of the number of people detained under the infamous Public Safety Act.

The Coalition of Civil Society has issued this report while giving its response to the latest European Parliament report on Kashmir. The Society report maintains that the description “International Terrorism” cannot be used as an approach to any understanding of the Kashmir conflict.

 

It says that most of those who are referred to as “Foreign Militants” are in fact from amongst the state subjects of the disputed territory. The foreign element, the report emphasizes, constitutes a miniscule proportion of the armed rebels in Kashmir. The indigenous Hizb-ul-Mujahideen has always been by far the single largest armed rebel group fighting in the region.

 

The Civil Society report points out that Kashmir conflict is basically the dispute over Kashmiris’ right to self-determination and the Society demands a complete withdrawal of armed forces from Jammu and Kashmir.

The Civil Society report maintains that the dialogue on Kashmir has yielded nothing on the ground. It says the biggest Kashmir specific CBM the Trans Border Bus Service, has been rendered meaningless by administrative difficulties. For example, most aspiring travelers still have to wait endlessly for a response about the travel permit for the bus, let alone actually getting permission to travel.

 

The Society report regrets overlooking by the International Community of the prolonged denial of a negotiated political settlement of the Kashmir dispute. 

The report of the Coalition of Civil Society points out that the Hindu religious symbols prominently displayed on average armed forces vehicles as well as their camps in Kashmir reveal only the tip of the communal attitude of Indian forces deployed in Kashmir. The Round Table Conference by the Indian Prime Minister, the report adds, is nothing more than a process to strengthen the status quo.

 

The report also deplores the failure of EU report to even mention the gross violations of the rights of the minorities in India like Dalits, Muslims and Christians, whereas this report expresses concern over the civil liberty issues in Pakistan. 

The Civil Society report has taken strong exception to EU’s completely overlooking the Indian state terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.