National
Human rights body slams security forces, militants
Shujaat Bukhari
Wednesday, Sep 13, 2006
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/13/stories/2006091302051400.htm
| Abuses in the backdrop of political systems failure HRW to release a similar report on human rights situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on September 21 |
SRINAGAR: The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has expressed concern over the plight of civilian population in Jammu and Kashmir and said the Government of India had failed to end widespread impunity for rights abuses by both security forces and militants, which in turn has led to fuelling the cycle of violence.
The HRW, which is the first international human rights body to release a report in Srinagar in the last 16 years, said in its 156-page report, Everyone Lives in Fear, that security forces had committed torture, "disappearances" and arbitrary detentions and they continue to execute Kashmiris in faked "encounter killings."
"Militants have carried out bombings and grenade attacks against civilians, targeted killings, torture and attacks upon religious and ethnic minorities," said the report released by HRW director (Asia region) Brad Adams on Tuesday.
This is the first report in which both security forces and militants have come under criticism.
Mr. Adams said the HRW would release a similar report on human rights situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on September 21 to maintain credibility and ward off any criticism that we "are not balanced."
"We take situation in totality in both parts of Kashmir."
The abuses, the report said, were taking place in the backdrop of almost two decades of the failure of political and legal systems in India and Pakistan to end abuses or punish the perpetrators. "Human Rights abuses have been a cause, as well as a consequence of the insurgency in Kashmir," said Mr. Adams. "Kashmiris continue to live in constant fear because perpetrators of abuses are not punished. Unless Indian authorities address human rights crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, a political settlement of the conflict will remain illusory."
`Withdraw laws'
Very critical of giving absolute powers to security forces, Mr. Adams, referring to recommendations in the report, said laws such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Disturbed Area Act and Public Safety Act need to be repealed.
He revealed that some officials had told the HRW that torture was a pattern to extract information from those being arrested.
He discounted Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's claim that only two custodial deaths took place in the last nine months. "It is not accurate. In fact, they do not have control over the Army and other security forces."
Mr. Adams said any attack (by militants) on civilians was not acceptable. People were fed up with the situation in which they were being killed in bomb and grenade blasts. "Their [militants] behaviour is alienating civilians. People should be free to walk and human rights means human rights for everybody."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power.
It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality."
- Dr BR Ambedkar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by
Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA)
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
