*ISLAMABAD – Indian security forces have used excessive force in Kashmirand killed and wounded numerous civilians since 2016, the United Nationssaid on Thursday, calling for an international inquiry into allegedviolations in the disputed territory.*
The UN report focuses mainly on serious violations committed in Jammu andKashmir from July 2016 to April 2018. Activists estimate that up to 145civilians were killed by security forces and up to 20 civilians killed byarmed groups in the same period, it said.
“In responding to demonstrations that started in 2016, Indian securityforces used excessive force that led to unlawful killings and a very highnumber of injuries,” the report said.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein called formaximum restraint and denounced the lack of prosecutions of Indian forcesin Jammu and Kashmir due to a 1990 law giving them what he called “virtualimmunity”.
In a statement, Zeid called for the Human Rights Council – which opens athree-week session in Geneva on Monday – to launch a commission of inquiryinto all violations. Alleged sites of mass graves in the Kashmir Valley andJammu region should be investigated, he said.
Tensions escalated after an attack on an Indian army camp in February thatIndia blamed on Pakistan. After the two armies agreed on May 30 to stopexchanging artillery fire following the repeated deadly clashes, thousandsof people from Jammu and Kashmir headed back to their homes near the defacto border with Pakistan.
Armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir have committed a range of crimesincluding kidnappings, killings of civilians and sexual violence, the UNreport said.