-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 7.33pm Subject: Report on PNSD Kashmir Conference UK Parliamentarians Call for International Intervention in Kashmir ? No Solution to Kashmir Conflict Without Kashmiri Self-Determination ? The Kashmir Conference hosted by 'Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination' (PNSD) held at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster on 20 June 2007 urged the international community to urgently seek the involvement of the people of Kashmir in order to peacefully resolve what remains one of the world's most dangerous conflicts, in a democratic manner and in accordance with the right of self -determination enshrined in international law. ? Passing a series of Resolutions, the Conference has put down an important marker for both India and Pakistan whose leaders will need to reflect on the failings of their current bi-lateral dialogue which has aroused international concern by excluding the people of Kashmir - the very people whose plight lies at the heart of a crisis which threatens the stability of the entire region - and who demand to be included as equal partners in the process. ? UK Parliamentarians and Kashmiri leaders, including two high profile speakers who travelled from the disputed territory, were at one in calling for the immediate demilitarisation of Jammu and Kashmir, the cessation of human rights abuses and the creation of a process which enables to people of the territory to freely determine their destiny so as to remedy an historic injustice which has resulted in a tragedy costing tens of thousands of lives.? The Kashmiri cause was wholeheartedly backed by Sikh and Naga speakers who called for a political alliance which will strengthen the adoption of self-determination as a practical and equitable means of conflict resolution in Kashmir as well as their respective homelands. ? Lord Ahmed, who chaired the Conference, appealed to the UK Government to formulate effective policies towards the region and warned that the rights of the Kashmiri people can only be truly respected if they were given the choice of how they wish to be governed. It is, he said, for them to decide this and the role of the international community must be to facilitate that democratic outcome. He announced the formation of a PNSD Kashmir Advisory Panel which will assist PNSD in taking forward the cause of self-determination in Kashmir. ? Fabian Hamilton MP, a member of the influential House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that a resolution of the Kashmir conflict would be top of the agenda when his Committee meets the new UN Secretary General in October this year. Kashmiris must have the right to decide their future and injustice in the region must end. The international community should ascertain their intentions and, whatever they may be, respect them. He cited the UN sponsored plebecite in East Timor as an example which offered a precedent. ? Sardar Ejaz Afzal Khan, President of Jamaat-e-Islami in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, applauded the efforts of PNSD to highlight the Kashmiri cause and fully endorsed the Resolutions passed at the event. He said that because? neither the British exit plan in 1947 nor the UN Resolutions on Kashmir had been implemented there was a total lack of legitimacy in the current status quo which has only survived due to state terrorism deployed against a defenceless people. He dismissed the ongoing Indo-Pakistan charm offensive as completely lacking the ingredients for a solution in Kashmir and suggested that instead the international community, including the UN, step in to provide a sensible alternative based on the self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The division of the territory is not, he said, acceptable to Kashmiris and the sooner this was recognised the batter. ? Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, highlighted the abuses of human rights which continue in the territory, including extra judicial killings, disappearances, illegal detention and the use of torture which he said was routine. The court system was not partial but instead took political directions from the Indian Government. He condemned rights abuses whoever was committing them and emphasised that HRW does not adopt any political position regarding the conflict. Instead HRW was focussed on ending the ongoing crimes against humanity and? war crimes in respect of which he said there must be a legal sanction with the guilty being held to account. ? Marsha Singh MP spoke of the need to bring the Kashmir issue to the forefront of the international agenda, saying that a political solution based on the principle of self-determination was the only option available. The use of force by states to resolve conflicts was a proven failure and Kashmir is no exception. He called on the Indian Government to urgently make a statement of its intent as to the core issue and to enter in to a meaningful, unconditional dialogue with all Kashmiris. In addition he spoke of the need for the UK Government to use its influence to ensure that progress is made towards a solution as the world cannot afford the risk of another war between two nuclear powers. ? Ghulam Mohammad Safi from Indian occupied Kashmir deplored the India's claim to Kashmir (included in its constitution) when the UN and the world as a whole sees it as "disputed territory". He said Kashmiris want a peaceful settlement but this has been made impossible to date due to such intransigent stand and due to the systematic abuse of human rights to try to crush a legitimate freedom movement. Kashmir is neither an "internal affair " of India, nor a bi-lateral matter between India and Pakistan. It is instead about the self-determination of the Kashmiri people and that was supported by international law. He said Kashmiris had the right to defend themselves against aggression and he urged the world powers to intervene in the interests of global security as it was no secret that the conflict has the potential to destabilise the entire region. ? Paul Rowen, MP called for the immediate inclusion of Kashmiris in a meaningful manner in the ongoing dialogue between India and Pakistan. Britain had a moral responsibility, as the ex-colonial power which had played a role in creating the current tragedy, to use its influence to make that happen He congratulated PNSD for its work which he said could make an impact on solving this and other such conflicts and urged people to work for peace and prosperity even if states were not discharging their duties to do so. Having an Irish back ground he noted that the Northern Ireland conflict was resolved by talking to all parties involved and he lamented that the Kashmiris were currently so disenfranchised as a settlement could not happen without their being involved. Stuart Jackson, MP said it was necessary for the UN to look very closely at India's human rights record and ensure the exercise of self-determination in Kashmir which is a cause he supports fully. ? Mohammad Ghalib of Tehreek-e-Kashmir urged UK Parliamentarians to take up the Kashmir issue as a priority as Kashmiris in the UK were deeply concerned about the tragedy in their homeland. Khan Farooq Khan of the JKLF spoke of the urgent need to demilitarise Kashmir where the threat of a war involving weapons of mass destruction was real. He suggested that this be followed by a ten year period of self-rule by Kashmiris which should be followed by a plebecite so that the people could freely determine the destiny of the territory without outside interference. Nazir Ahmad of the Justice Foundation Kashmir Centre condemned the wanton human rights abuses being carried out by Indian security forces including the massacre of 35 Sikhs at Chithi Singhpora on 20 March 2000 who attempted to blame Kashmiris for the atrocity so as to malign their cause during the visit of President Bill Clinton. Nazir Qurashi of the World Kashmir Freedom Movement thanked the organisers of the event and said that self-determination was the birth right of the Kashmiri people and the Indian Government must halt its oppression and talk to the people it has been tormenting if a solution is to be found; that would inevitably have to be a solution based on the consent of the governed. ? The Conference also heard from Amrik Singh Sahota, OBE, President of the Council of Khalistan who said the Sikh Nation stood shoulder to shoulder with the Kashmiri people in their struggle for freedom which has much in common with the Sikh struggle for Khalistan. A similar address was delivered by Alung Rungsung (on behalf of Isak Swu, Chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim) who said that the Naga Nation fully respected the Kashmir right to self-determination which they should resolutely pursue even if that means confronting any power that seeks to subjugate them. A message was also received from Dr Mukul Hazarika of Assam Watch UK which conveyed best wishes to the Kashmiri people for whom self-determination was the only credible means of bringing peace and prosperity to Kashmir using internationally accepted and democratic means of conflict resolution. ? These contributions were warmly appreciated by the many Kashmiris present who had travelled from all parts of the UK to attend the Conference. Lord Ahmed thanked all those in attendance and pledged that PNSD would continue to advance the cause of peace and justice in Kashmir, with the assistance of the PNSD Kashmir Advisory Panel. The Resolutions adopted at the Conference are as follows: ? ? A. This Conference calls on the UK Government, India and Pakistan as well as the wider international community to formulate? policies so as to ensure that the people of Kashmir be involved in any dialogue concerning a settlement of the Kashmir conflict, as an equal partner to with India and Pakistan and for the conduct of? a plebecite? so that the people can? approve any outcome, in accordance with their right of self-determination in accordance with international law. That? plebecite should be? overseen by the UN in order to guarantee a free and fair process which reflects the wishes of the Kashmiri people. The EU's welcome recognition of self-determination as the basis of any settlement in Kashmir is welcomed and the international community's responsibility is to now give effect to that principle. B. This Conference strongly condemns the widespread abuses of human rights in Kashmir and? demands that? those guilty of state terrorism be brought to account so that the rule of law can be upheld and so that the atmosphere be made conducive for a free and fair political process. The international community has a moral and legal responsibility to hold those responsible of state terror to account and an appropriate court should be established to deliver justice. C. This Conference calls for the immediate cessation of military activity in Kashmir and for comprehensive demilitarisation in order to allow democracy and human rights to be restored as a matter of urgency. D. This Conference calls for an international and impartial? investigation in to the Chithi Singhpora massacre in which 35 Sikhs were killed by Indian security forces who blamed Kashmiri militants (a fact recognised by no less than Bill Clinton whose visit was marred by the atrocity) and which was followed by several innocent Muslims being killed in fake encounters with the Indian forces that claimed? that those were responsible for the original atrocity. Neither the Sikhs nor the Kashmiris will accept these heinous attempts to divide them and both nations demand that the guilty are punished. E. This Conference expresses support for all those nations who are being oppressed by India, such as the Kashmiris, Sikhs, Nagas, Assamese and others. India's refusal to recognise the right of self-determination of these nations and its resort to the use of force to prevent them exercising that right has involved genocide and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. These nations must be allowed to pursue their legitimate aspirations of freedom and security in their respective homelands. India should not be allowed a permanent seat at the UN Security Council until it complies with its international obligations relating to human rights, of which self-determination has been recognised by the UN itself to be the most basic human right. F. This Conference calls for a meeting between the PNSD Kashmir Advisory Panel, announced today, and the UK Foreign Office to discuss UK policy in relation to Kashmir and the settlement of the conflict and the punishment of those responsible for systematic and massive human rights abuses. ? ? Ranjit Srai, Administrative Secretary, Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination Get a FREE AOL Email account with 2GB of storage. Plus, share and store photos and experience exclusively recorded live music Sessions from your favourite artists. 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