Honorable Vernon Walters

U.S. Mission to the U.N.

799 United Nations Plaza

New York, New York 10017

Dear Ambassador Walters:

As you are no doubt aware, religious and ethnic violence in India has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent persons since the invasion of the Golden Temple and the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

We recognize that the Indian Government faces acute difficulties in dealing with the atrocities and attacks which have been attributed to Sikh extremists by the media. At the same time, the Indian Government and the authorities in Punjab state must remain accountable for their actions and have an obligation to adhere to Indian law and internationally accepted human rights norms in carrying out government policies. From a practical point of view, abuses of rights of innocent Sikhs are more likely to promote further dissidence than to control it.

We are concerned about the reported failure of the Indian Government to provide adequate protection to the Sikhs in Punjab from the abuses perpetrated by the local authorities, the police and paramilitary forces. A report prepared by a joint inquiry into the riots which followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi provides some evidence of this failure on the part of the Indian Government.

We are specifically concerned about persistent reports alleging the continuing disregard and systematic abuse of the most fundamental rights by the Government of India, including:

1) Detention of thousands of persons in connection with political activities in Punjab;

2) Arbitrary arrest and prolonged imprisonment without trial or trial in camera of individuals suspected of aiding secessionist forces;

3) Routine interrogation by torture and possible instances of summary execution;

4) Unwarranted force used in encounters with suspected militants;

5) The staged killings of alleged terrorists and “infiltrators” in districts adjacent to the India-Pakistan border; and

6) The imprisonment of Sikh leaders solely on the basis of their anti-government statements or other political acts.

This serious situation is compounded by the paucity of independent information coming from Punjab and the new situation arising out of the suspension of the elected Punjab government, the reimposition of central rule and the introduction of large numbers of Police and paramilitary units and the arrests of hundreds of persons in new security sweeps.

For these reasons, we respectfully request that you raise the issue of human rights violations in India before the appropriate forums in the United Nations, and in particular at the next session of the U.N. Human Rights Commission. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you with regard to this request.

Sincerely,

Dan Burton

Norman D. Shumway

David Dreier

“Jack Fields

Tony Coelho

William O. Lipinski

Bob Dornan

James H. Quilien

Helen Delich Bentley”

David Price

Vic Fazio

Don Younog

Robert Torricelli

Constance Morella

Vally Hurger