New
York, July 12, 2019 (PPI-OT): The New York-based rights watchdog, Human Rights
Watch has said that India’s rejection of United Nations report on human rights
abuses in occupied Kashmir shows that New Delhi is unwilling to confront its
own human rights failures.
The
HRW’s South Asia Director, Meenakshi Ganguly, in a statement posted on the
website of the organization said, “Both India and Pakistan should accept the
findings of the report and invite an independent investigation to help end
serious abuses in Kashmir.”
The HRW
urged India to act on the recommendations of the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to protect basic rights in Kashmir. The
report by the OHCHR, released on July 08, 2019, raised serious concerns about
rights abuses by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir.
Authorities
should use the opportunity created by the UN report to change course and hold
accountable those who have committed serious abuses, Meenakshi Ganguly said.
The OHCHR report decried the lack of justice for past abuses such as killing
enforced disappearances and sexual violence by Indian troops and police
personnel. It expressed concern over the excessive use of force by Indian
forces’ personnel during cordon and search operations, resulting in civilian
deaths as well as torture and deaths in custody.
For more
information, contact:
Kashmir
Media Service
Phone:
+92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax:
+92-51-4861736
Email:
info@kmsnews.org
Website:
www.kmsnews.org