Re: Question about Indian Muslims..
I didnt want to resort to this but here you go… Read um and weap…
And if your an Indian Muslims, bury your head in the sand until you choke on your own SHAME!
http://www.dalitstan.org/journal/rights/102/081092.html
Mr. President, in its report, the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations has issued strong language deploring the Indian Government’s massive human rights violations in Kashmir. This is an important step forward in the fight to protect human rights in Kashmir. I stand today to commend my colleagues for making this important statement.
The statement calls on India to cease its abuse of human rights and dignity in Kashmir. This is an important message of our resolve that these state-sponsored abuses end–a message which must be heard loud and clear in New Delhi.
The committee report states concern for `The persistent reports of widespread human rights abuses’ in Kashmir. Indeed, credible reports of human rights atrocities in Kashmir are increasing and the evidence of this abuse by Indian forces is undeniable.
During the past 2 years, many of the most respected human rights organizations in the world–including Amnesty International, Asia Watch, and Freedom House–have all issued incredible reports detailing the abuse of Kashmiri civilians by Indian military forces. Indigenous Indian human rights groups have issued reports which have reached the same conclusions.
Mr. President, the details of their reports are both gruesome and saddening. For example, Amnesty International reported that gang-rapes by Indian soldiers of Kashmiri women are widespread. These rapes are perpetrated against both young girls and older women–often in front of their children. They are acts of pure hatred and violence which cannot be justified by the Indian Government as having a military purpose. There is no military purpose for rape.
Amnesty and others have documented how Indian forces have committed summary executions of Kashmiri civilians with total impunity. They shoot into unarmed crowds of demonstrators and fire on funeral processions. They use scorched Earth tactics to terrorize entire villages into submission–Indian soliders actually lock Kashmiri civilians in their homes, and then set the buildings on fire, cremating the inhabitants alive.
The atrocities are intolerable, and the committee rightly calls on India to `Investigate reports of human rights violations and to prosecute individuals responsible. . .’ This statement is particularly appropriate in light of the fact that in the 3 years that India has waged its campaign of genocide–despite the widespread evidence described by the committee of state-sponsored atrocities in Kashmir–Indian soldiers are not brought to the bar for justice.
The reason for this is that Indian soldiers are exempted from prosecution by special laws designed to facilitate and encourage their abuses. Laws such as the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Forces Special Powers Act', and the ironically titled Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act’ give Indian soldiers: shoot-to-kill powers; the right to detain civilians without warrant or charge; the right to extract confessions through brutal torture. And the laws guarantee Indian soldiers complete immunity from prosecution for these crimes. The committee rightly calls for an end to this practice, and for India to begin investigating and punishing the perpetrators of these atrocities. The call for an independent investigation is especially significant, and I know many in this body hope it is adopted by the Indian authorities.
The committee also justly states that `The government of India should ensure that the rights of detainees are fully protected … ’ This is indeed a top priority, because India’s record of protecting prisoner rights has been atrociously inadequate.
I draw your attention, Mr. President, to the Amnesty International report of March 1992. In that report, Amnesty International states:
Torture is routine (in Kashmir). Every day in police cells and military barracks throughout the land, pain and indignity are deliberately inflicted by paid agents of the state. On men, women and even children. They are beaten senseless, given electric shocks or have their limbs crushed by heavy rollers. Sexual torture, including rape, is common.
Mr. President, in Kashmir the rights of detainees are not protected. Each day, India violates the dignity and human rights of Kashmiri civilians through brutal acts of torture and abuse. India has institutionalized the use of torture in its campaign to suppress the people of Kashmir.
The committee’s report is a strong call for an end to this abuse. And to ensure that this abuse ceases, and that the victims of India’s atrocities get proper care and treatment, the committee rightly calls on India to grant `the International Red Cross … prompt access to all detainees.’
Unfortunately, Mr. President, India has consistently blocked access of human rights and humanitarian organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross to Kashmir. India has consistently denied humanitarian aid and medical attention to the victims of its atrocities. Incidents have been documented in which Indian soldiers have attacked ambulances carrying victims of government abuses in which Indian patrols have burst into hospitals and clinics, molesting and killing patients, doctors and medical staff Indian soldiers have also harassed doctors and their families for providing medical care to the victims of their abuse.
India has tried its best to hide these facts from the outside world. Perhaps that is why they deny access to the Red Cross, and human rights observers–they fear that by allowing the Red Cross and other groups access to Kashmir those groups will bring to light the extent of their abuses.
Mr. President, the committee report makes a strong statement that these abuses must end. It calls on India to take immediate steps to curtail the abuses; it calls on India to investigate, prosecute, and punish its officials and agents who encourage and commit these crimes; it calls on India to cease the rampant use of torture of political detainees; calls on India to cease its efforts to interfere with the provision of humanitarian aid to the victims of its atrocities.
In sum, it is a strong statement–a statement that sends New Delhi an indisputable message: that the U.S. Senate takes India’s abuses in Kashmir very seriously; that the U.S. Government will not stand by in silence while India massacres the Kashmiri people; that we expect immediate action to bring these abuses to an end. In view of this, I believe that it is appropriate for the Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs to hold hearings on these issues in the upcoming year.
Mr. President, I commend the committee for its important statement, and register my support for it.