WASHINGTON, DC: The Kashmiri American council recently called on President Bush and President elect Clinton to condemn the massacre of Kashmiri civilians by Indian paramilitary forces in the town of Sopore. The attack marks the worst killings by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir since May 1990, when the Indian Anny fired into a funeral procession, killing 67 mourners and maiming hundreds more. The New York Times reported that “Indian paramilitary forces rampaged through the town…killing at least 40 people and setting houses and markets ablaze.” According to Reuters News Service, “witnesses in Sopore said paramilitary troops fired indiscriminately.” At least 100 people were reported wounded.

Reports indicate that several of the civilians victims, including women and children, were killed when Indian forces purposely locked them in their homes and set the buildings on fire, cremaling the inhabitants alive, “These killings mass executions — of Kashmiri civilians by the Indian army demons mate for the world the extent of India’s brutality in Kashmir,” said Dr.Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director of the Kashmiri American Council.

“As reported in the New York Times in December, two months ago India initiated anew campaign of violence — called ‘Operation Tiger’ designed to force the Kashmiri people to give up their hopes of self-determination through terror and massive human rights abuses.

“This brutal attack was a part of that coordinated campaign. It comes at an ime when the United States is preoccupied with the cases in Somalia and the Balkans, and when a transfer of executive power is taking place. India knows this, and is using this situation in an effort to solve its Kashmir problem by force.

“The United States must make clear to India that it cannot solve the crisis in Kashmir by force and widespread human rights abuses that if must resolve them at the negotiating table,” Fai said.

Over the past few years, India has received widespread criticism from the human nights community for its atrocities in Kashmir, Amnesty International, Freedom House, Asia Watch and other prominent groups have investigated and condemned India’s human rights record in Kashmir.

Further still, newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post have written widely on India’s human rights abuses there. And yet, even in the face of this near universal condemnation, India continues to commit atrocities such as this most recent massacre.

“As the Clinton Administration takes office, we urge them to adopt a new policy in Kashmir,” said Dr.Fai. “The United States must make clear to India that it cannot continue to commit grievous human rights abuses against civilians in Kashmir, and remain in the community of free nations.

“We look to the new Administration and particularly to Vice President elect Gore, who was an early champion of Kashmiri human nights with great hope. We urge them to take a more activist approach to solving the Kashmir crisis, and to use the United States’ diplomatic prestige to bring all the Parties to the dispute Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri to the peace table.”

 

“The only solution to the crisis in Kashmir is one that acknowledges the desires of the people of Kashmir. Until a peaceful solution is found, and a plebiscite held so that the Kashmiri people can decide their future status by democratic means, the cycle of violence will continue to grow.”

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 15, 1993