I was mentioning about our cold response to this report... Did we take it as a serious matter? I worry, we didn't
On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 1:19 PM, salimtk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > afthab, > u mean the report of mass grave at uri area in kashmir is wrong? or the > civil society responses and actions to it? > what is wrong if the reporting and the actions done in the name of indian > democracy? > > > > On 5/1/08, Afthab Ellath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > This is quite odd... Why Kashmir is excluded from our consciousness? I > > would like to believe that this report is not true... But if it is, this is > > done in the name of Indian democracy, that we are responsible for... > > On Wed, Apr 30, 2008 at 10:46 AM, Anivar Aravind < > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > From: *Khurram Parvez* <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> > > > > > > ASSOCIATION OF PARENTS OF DISAPPEARED PERSONS > > > > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _Press Release_ > > > > > > > > > > > > / /*/28^th April 2008/* > > > > > > > > > > > > This is exactly one month after we released a report of a fact finding > > > mission on nameless graves and mass graves in Uri area titled 'Facts > > > Under Ground' which evoked response from the media, human rights > > > groups, > > > politicians and political formations of various hues, civil society > > > and > > > people at large. > > > > > > We want to utilize this occasion to appreciate, thank and > > > criticize the concerned on their response; and to make requests and > > > demands for fresh, comprehensive and sustained responses from the > > > stake > > > holders i.e. the local and international civil society and HR Groups, > > > Political formations and resistance Groups, local and international > > > media, lawyers' groups, international humanitarian agencies and > > > people. > > > > > > First of all we appreciate the local print media for the coverage > > > given > > > to the report. We urge for a sustained campaign of follow up reporting > > > to build a more compelling case for urgent international expert and > > > humanitarian intervention in order to initiate credible measures to > > > establish the identity of those buried in these graves and seek > > > linkages > > > with the thousands subjected to Enforced Disappearance by the state > > > security agencies in Kashmir from 1989 till date. The families of the > > > disappeared have neither the resources nor the expertise to carry out > > > either the job of comprehensive reporting or the task of scientific > > > exhumation and identification of those buried in these nameless graves > > > and mass graves. > > > > > > We have received more reports of the existence of mass graves and > > > nameless graves, some of which has already been reported by a section > > > of > > > the local press. We expect people and the media to be more proactive > > > in > > > reporting about the existence of such graves with all the available > > > detail and local narratives about them. This will bring their > > > existence > > > into public knowledge and thereby help in safeguarding the grave sites > > > from tampering. We request the people to take all steps necessary to > > > safeguard these sites from any kind of interference till such time as > > > we > > > are able to garner the support and intervention of internationally > > > credible expert and humanitarian bodies to undertake a thorough > > > exercise > > > of identifying these bodies. We believe some of those subjected to > > > enforced disappearance are buried in these graves and the process of > > > identification, that we are demanding, will provide some relief to the > > > families whose kin have disappeared, will enable a decent burial of > > > the > > > victims and contribute to producing the necessary evidence against the > > > perpetrators thus help in breaking the culture of impunity enjoyed by > > > the state security agencies. It is the moral and humanitarian duty of > > > the local people to do whatever is possible to safeguard these sites > > > and > > > the bounden duty of the local media persons to take extra pains to > > > unearth these skeletons and ferret out the truth in all its ugly > > > detail. > > > > > > We expect the local lawyer community to take up the issue in the > > > relevant forums, file PIL and undertake a legal campaign to force the > > > Government and its security agencies to come out with verifiable truth > > > and fix responsibility for these crimes as it is the government and > > > its > > > security agencies who are the ultimate repositories of information > > > about > > > these graves and also about those disappeared involuntarily while in > > > their custody. > > > > > > We impress upon the local political formations of all hues > > > to encourage people to provide more information about these and other > > > grave sites and to take necessary measures to safeguard these sites > > > from > > > tampering or interference considering them as an extremely sensitive > > > and > > > a sacred trust with them. > > > > > > We express our satisfaction at the issue of comprehensive > > > statements by various humanitarian groups particularly the Amnesty > > > International and the Asian Federation Against Involuntary > > > Disappearances (AFAD) demanding that India should investigate all > > > allegations of enforced disappearances in Jammu & Kashmir following > > > reports of mass graves. > > > > > > We expect the international humanitarian bodies > > > particularly > > > the Amnesty International and AFAD to initiate steps toward > > > implementation of their demands by lobbying with the relevant credible > > > international bodies. > > > > > > We also urge the ICRC, which is operating in Kashmir to > > > volunteer their expertise on this issue. > > > > > > We understand the callous attitude of the state security > > > agencies in dismissing our findings as a result of their direct > > > involvement in these crimes as is borne out by the various fake > > > encounters and custodial killings documented and reported extensively. > > > We believe that this callous and inhuman attitude of the security > > > agencies springs from the culture of impunity produced as a result of > > > the draconian laws operating in Jammu and Kashmir, which do not allow > > > the families of the victims to pursue their cases productively. > > > > > > We believe that this report should be a cause of alarm for > > > those with a human heart and a concrete basis for the international > > > expert groups and humanitarian and human rights bodies for initiating > > > an > > > urgent action to probe the matter. > > > > > > > > > > > > Spokesperson > > > > > > Ghulam Nabi Mir > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- Regards Afthab Ellath --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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