August 5, 2019: The people of Kashmir Valley are under complete lock down. They are forbidden to venture outside their homes thereby preventing them from access to food, medicines or freedom of movement in violation of the Geneva Convention.

This urgency increased when on Monday, August 5, Article 370 of the Indian constitution was scrapped by the Indian government.  The Indian leadership by unilaterally abrogating articles 35A and 370 of the Indian constitution that confer special status on the state of Jammu and Kashmir, have further inflamed an already tense situation in the region.

Given the current emergency situation, we urge the United Nations to immediately intervene in and prioritize the resolution of the disputed status of Kashmir. While the Prime Minister of Pakistan has recently publicly admitted that the resolution of Kashmir is to be determined by the will of the Kashmiri people, the Indian administration continues its intransigent approach by denying this fundamental right to the people of Kashmir and claiming the disputed territory of Kashmir as an integral part of the Indian union.

We urge  Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres to take the steps required to intervene and prioritize resolution of the disputed status of Kashmir, and we call on the  President of the United Nations Human Resource Committee Coly Seck to take steps to immediately establish a Special Rapporteur for Kashmir.

I join in urging the United Nations demands immediate cessation of aggression in the region, and for resolution of the Kashmir dispute urgently works towards:

1. Immediate cessation of violence on the line of control and against Kashmiri civilians

2. Ensuring the right to free expression, a free press, free association and free assembly

3. Immediate restoration of basic human rights of movement, food, education, work and health

4. Restoring basic social and cultural rights and restoring dignity of lives without persecution, insult, and fear of intimidation

5. End to arbitrary interference in private home and work lives of Kashmiris

6. Recognizing the right of Kashmiri people to decide their own political future and exercise the right to build a free, just, and a peaceful society that recognizes the dignity of all people and seeks to improve the welfare of all its citizens

7. Recognize Kashmiri people’s right to self-governance through a government of the people and by the people, one that is accountable to, the people

8. Repealing all laws permitting preventive detention, political persecution and impunity

9. An end to military occupation and removal of military and paramilitary from the border

10. An end to torture, sexual violence, disappearances, murder, maiming, intimidation and other crimes and require all perpetrators of such crimes be duly punished through a transparent and accountable system

I call on the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council Coly Seck to create a Special Rapporteur with the mandate to urgently work towards the goals outlined above.

#KashmirUnderThreat #RedForKashmir #