Protests mark rights day in India-controlled Kashmir
Protests mark rights day in India-controlled Kashmir
By Peerzada Arshad Hamid
SRINAGAR, India-controlled Kashmir, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) — Separatists and rights activists in India-controlled Kashmir staged protests and rallies Thursday to mark the World Human Rights Day.
Authorities had placed the top separatist leaders under house arrest to prevent the mass rallies.
However, small groups managed to reach Srinagar city center, the summer capital of India-controlled Kashmir, shouting slogans, carrying banners and placards to protest the alleged human rights violations in the region. The activists were arrested by police soon after they tried to assemble.
“We had to place some separatist leaders under house arrest to prevent law and order problems in the city,” said a police official, not authorized to speak to media.
Separatists had planned to stage a rally in Srinagar city to highlight the rights violations in the region.
“Separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabir Shah,Nayeem Khan and others have been placed under house arrest. The ones who managed to reach here were arrested. Now we are not even allowed to protest peacefully,” said an activist.
Meanwhile, a pro-Indian politician and an independent legislator in the region, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Thursday filed 24 complaints of rights abuses with the region’s Human Rights Commission.
Rashid’s complaints include probe into the killings, forced labor, torture, enforced disappearance that took place in his constituency.
Pressing for the justice to the victims, Rashid also sought compensation and punishment to the guilty in lieu of the excesses meted out to the people of his constituency.
“We demand compensation for the forced labor, punishment to the accused and seek an apology from the government of India,” Rashid told media after filing the complaints.
In the evening the pro-independence separatist and chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Mohammed Yasin Malik held a torch rally in the city.
Malik questioned the heavy presence of Indian troopers in the region and alleged that New Delhi was using the special powers act to control the people in the region.
“What is the fun of keeping such a huge number of troopers here when local police officials and army higher-ups maintain that number of militants is less than 500 militants in the region,” Malik said.
The Shopian Township, 50 km south of Srinagar, observed a complete shutdown Thursday to coincide their protest with the world rights day. The residents are seeking identification of culprits in the May 30 alleged rape and murder of two women of the town.
The entire region particularly Muslim dominated areas witnessed massive protests over the issue.
The International Human Rights Day marks the anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and pledge of its signatories, including India, to protect human rights.
The Indian army and paramilitary troopers stationed in the region are engaged in a guerrilla war with the militants since 1989.
Officials say more than 47,000 people have been killed in the region during the past two decades. However, the rights groups and non-governmental organizations put the death toll at more than twice the official figure.
Editor: Han Jingjing
News Related Posts
Short URL: http://www.siamdailynews.com/?p=20035
Posted by Siam Daily News
on Dec 12 2009. Filed under Asia.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
