Srinagar, Dec 12/Nationalturk – The international human rights watchdog Amnesty International Wednesday asked Indian government to order impartial probe on report of human rights violations in Indian administered Kashmir submitted by two local human rights groups.
“Indian authorities must take responsibility and initiate independent, impartial prompt and efficient investigations into serious allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir,” read an Amnesty statement.
Two human rights groups — the International Peoples’ Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-Administered Kashmir (IPTK), and the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) — released a comprehensive report, “Alleged Perpetrators – Stories of Impunity in Jammu and Kashmir” on December 7 detailing human rights violations taking place in Indian Kashmir.
The report largely based on official documents lists 214 key pending cases of human rights violations and seeks to identify the roles of 500 alleged perpetrators, 235 members of India’s armed forces, 123 paramilitary personnel, 111 Jammu and Kashmir police officers and 31 members of armed militias allegedly sponsored by the state agencies, in these violations. The cases examined by the report include 125 extrajudicial executions, 65 enforced disappearances and instances of torture, including rape and other sexual assault.
“The Indian government and Kashmir government state must bring to justice, in fair proceedings, anyone, irrespective of rank, pointed by such independent investigations as suspected of offences related to these violations. The authorities must also provide reparations to victims of human rights violations in the region and their families,” said Raheela Narchoor, Amnesty International India’s Jammu & Kashmir Researcher.
It said Amnesty is not in a position to comment on specific allegations within reports by other organizations. “However, the Amnesty International does share the general human rights concerns documented and discussed in the report,” she said.
Indian govt must address overwhelming evidence compiled in report
She said Amnesty urges Indian government and Kashmir government to address what appears to be overwhelming evidence compiled in the report that judicial inefficiencies and draconian laws have facilitated an atmosphere in which individual officials cannot be held accountable for offences involving human rights violations.
“Impunity in Kashmir, which has witnessed a two decade-long armed insurgency, has been well documented. Members of both the state forces and non-state armed groups fighting the state are yet to be held accountable for hundreds of alleged human rights violations,” Narchoor said.
It is pertinent to mention here that UN Special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions has noted that the Kashmir government was as reluctant as Indian government to address allegations of serious human rights violations despite the presentation of comprehensive and credible evidence.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News
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We kashmiris want complete freedom from India