NEW DELHI (PTI): India on Nov.26 strongly objected to the OIC secretary-general expressing concern for human rights in Kashmir and said the only persons held in detention there were those directly associated with militancy, terrorism and violation of the rule of law.
“Such allegations by the OIC secretary-general are outrageous and have no relevance to the facts,” an Indian external affairs ministry spokesman said in New Delhi.
Regarding India’s relations with the OIC states, the spokesman reminded the OIC secretary-general that many, if not most of them, were “uncomfortable and embarrassed by Pakistan’s vilification of India for political purposes and its efforts to introduce a totally prejudiced and one-sided draft resolution on human rights in Kashmir.”
He expressed surprise that the OIC secretary-general had made no mention of the peaceful eviction from the Hazratbal shrine of armed men and militants.
“Nor has he made any appeal to the militants operating in Kashmir with support from outside the country to desist from activities and lay down their arms which would be more consistent with the OIC Secretary-general’s declared concern for human rights and the success Of bilateral Indo Pakistan discussions,” the spokesman said.
According to Amnesty Intemational sources, the Indian Goyt. Was piqued by the full-page newspaper advertisements highlighting the plight of militants in Punjab and Kashmir was part of the Amnesty’s Campaign to focus human rights abuses in different parts of the world. Similar advertisements projecting victims of the human rights violations in Guatemala and other countries had also been published in different parts of the world, the sources said.
This is not the first time India has protested against Amnesty’s “methodology and suspected bias.” In March 1992, Amnesty was accused by India of breach of faith in releasing a report on custodial deaths without waiting for the comments of the government of India, which had been specifically invited by them.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 3, 1993
