WASHINGTON: India faces a big diplomatic snub from United States overOccupied Kashmir lockdown.
A bipartisan resolution moved in the US Congress urges India to end therestrictions on communications and mass detentions in occupied Kashmir asswiftly as possible and preserve religious freedom for all residents.
Resolution 745 was jointly moved on Friday by Congresswoman PramilaJayapal, a Democrat, and Congressman Steve Watkins, a Republican.
Born in Madras (Chennai), Ms Jayapal is the first Indian-American woman toserve in the US House of Representatives. She is also a prominent humanrights activist. Mr Watkins is a veteran of the Afghan war and conductedcombat along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The movers resolve that the Houses recognises the dire security challengesIndia faces in Jammu and Kashmir, including “cross-border terrorism,” butrejects arbitrary detention, use of excessive force against civilians, andsuppression of peaceful expression of dissent as proportional responses tosecurity challenges.
The resolution urges India to ensure that any actions taken in pursuit oflegitimate security priorities respect the human rights of all people andadhere to international human rights law.
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It also urges India to lift the remaining restrictions on communication andto restore internet access across the occupied valley as swiftly aspossible. The Indian government has been urged to refrain from the use ofthreats and excessive force against detained people and peaceful protestersand release detained people.
It urges the Indian government to refrain from conditioning the release ofdetained people on their willingness to sign bonds prohibiting anypolitical activities and speeches.
New Delhi has been urged to allow international human rights observers andjournalists to access the occupied valley and operate freely throughoutIndia, without threats; and condemn, at the highest levels, all religiouslymotivated violence, including violence targeting religious minorities.
