JEDDAH – The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of theOrganization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday strongly condemnedongoing security blockade and communication blackout in Indian-administeredKashmir that continues for 31st day and called on the Indian government toimmediately restore all civil liberties.
On August 5, India revoked the constitutional autonomy of the part of theHimalayan region of Kashmir that it administers and moved to quellobjections by shutting down communications and clamping down on localleaders.
Pakistan has reacted with fury to India’s decision, cutting trade andtransport ties and expelling India’s ambassador. Both countries claimKashmir in full but rule it in part.
“Despite this iron curtain blockade, there are credible media reportsconfirming that over 5000, mostly young Kashmiris, have been illegallydetained by the security forces, entire political leadership isincarcerated without any legal recourse, and journalists and human rightsactivists are being prosecuted on false charges,” the OIC’s human rightscommission said in a statement.
“These are deplorable and blatant violations of Kashmiris’ fundamentalhuman rights including the right to life, right to freedom of expression,right to peaceful protest and assembly, which are contrary to internationalhuman rights law and also violative of India’s commitments/internationalhuman rights obligations.”
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IPHRC welcomed the Press Statement issued by the SpecialProcedures/Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council, which has termed theongoing “blackout as a form of collective punishment of the people of Jammuand Kashmir” and expressed concern over the illegal detentions and enforceddisappearances of young protesters and use of excessive force, includinglive ammunition, to disperse the protests.
“There are similar pronouncements from human rights defenders all over theworld, including from within India denouncing the undemocratic and illegalIndian actions, which are arbitrary and inconsistent with internationalhuman rights law,” IPHRC said, saying that it “shares these grave concernsand supports the recommendation of the UN High Commissioner for HumanRights to establish a Commission of Inquiry under the UN auspices tocomprehensively investigate all the allegations of human rights violations.”
