WSN Special Report
WASHINGTON: The Indian Government seems to be having a knack for throwing dust into the eyes of foreign delegates, and it stood true in the case of U.S. Official John Matoitt’s recent visit to India,
The timing of the visit was fully tuned to the big haul/of the arms and explosives from Sikh militants in Bhatinda, It was done to malign the Sikhs and portray the Indian point of view to John Malott and through him to impress upon the U.S. Government the happenings in Punjab.
The Indian Government has always shown arms hauls with slain persons whom they term as “terrorists,’ who are usually those executed in an extra judicial manner, The various reports of Amnesty International and other human rights groups are a testimony to this.
John Malott visited India after having been to Pakistan, in order to determine whether Pakistan should be classified as a terrorist country. On the other hand, why shouldn’t a country like India who is responsible for thousands of killings of innocent people of their own country, particularly in the state of Punjab and Kashmir, be termed as a terrorist country? is the question being asked by Sikhs, Kashmiris and Muslims.
At the subcommittee hearing only two weeks before his trip to India, Malott had heard a series of witnesses including: Frederick C.Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, gave testimony about attacks on Human Rights Monitor; a summary of executions and reprisal killings, rapes and to rules, prosecutions of security personnel responsible for abuses, elections in Kashmir and Punjab, access to human rights groups and the ICRC, the Hu man Rights Commission and the U.S. Policy.
Burkhalter, Director of Washington Office of Human Rights Which testified on the situation in Punjab and stated “given the appalling level of state sanctioned abuse in Punjab, the achievement of “normalcy” in the state cannot be a model of any kind for the resolution of the Kashmir conflict.”
The US Administration policy was put forth that “human nights has become an important issue in our dialogue with the Indian government”
“We believe that the Indian government understands it’s a Situation they are going to have to deal with, “emphasized Malott.
Maloit did not favor linking aid to India with its human rights performance on the ground that most of the aid was humanitarian.
“I would be hard pressed to State why the poorest of the poor in India should be made to pay the price of human rights abuses that are being committed by the security forces,” he declared.
That comment was in response to a question, as to whether the Administration supported the Burton bill calling for a halt in aid if India did not revoke five acts giving extraordinary powers to the armed and paramilitary forces.
The Administration had considered the bill, but “we do not have a formulated position on it” Then he added;
“There should not be any doubt that we have serious concerns about India’s human rights practices.”
Although the results of hearings and Malotts visit to Pakistan and India are yet to be seen, it is apparent that the news of Indian atrocities are being given public scrutiny.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 4, 1993
