Re: Human Rights Watch asks India to improve Human Rights
This para is the most telling in that report.
Accountability for those responsible for the mass killings in Gujarat, Punjab, and Bombay: We urge you to do everything in your power to end impunity for past campaigns of violence against minorities, prosecute and punish those responsible for criminal offenses during the anti-Sikh violence in 1984, the post Ayodhya violence in December 1992 and January 1993, and the attacks in Gujarat in 2002. In Punjab in the 1980s, hundreds of people were illegally detained and executed by security agencies trying to end the secessionist conflict. Those responsible have still not been punished despite recommendations from the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission to investigate serious and credible allegations of extrajudicial executions. The recommendations of the Srikrishna Commission on the post-Ayodhya violence in Bombay also should be implemented without delay. Your party as the opposition took positive action to support the rights of those killed or injured in the 2002 riots in Gujarat. However, there continue to be inordinate delays in the investigation of cases to bring those responsible to trial and those pursuing justice need continued protection. In all these cases, we urge you to appoint independent investigators who will examine all the cases and bring those responsible to trial. Police officers and officials responsible for the excessive use of force should be prosecuted; those with the power and duty to stop the violence but who stood by and allowed the violence to take place should be punished. Your government should also vigorously pursue those officials responsible for the planning and implementation of the violence in each of these cases. We also encourage you to protect witnesses to prevent them from being threatened for providing evidence to the police or courts. In a September 2004 report, Discouraging Dissent: Intimidation and Harassment of Witnesses, Human Rights Activists, and Lawyers Pursuing Accountability for the 2002 Communal Violence in Gujarat, we documented how those campaigning for Gujarat riot victims have come under attack. Their safety should continue to be an important concern for your government.