The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) while expressing “extreme concern” over human rights abuses in India-occupied Kashmir (IoK) has urged the Indian authorities to “fully restore” human rights in the occupied territory.
In a statement released on Tuesday, UNHCHR Spokesperson Rupert Colville said that the international human rights body is “extremely concerned that the population of India-occupied Kashmir continues to be deprived of a wide range of human rights and we urge the Indian authorities to unlock the situation and fully restore the rights that are currently being denied”.
“On August 5, the government of India revoked constitutional provisions granting partial autonomy to the state of Jammu and Kashmir and announced the creation of two separate federally-administered Union Territories, which will come into effect this Thursday (October 31),” the statement said, adding that at the same time, very restrictive measures were imposed.
“Although some of these measures have been relaxed, their impact on human rights continues to be widely felt,” the spokesperson said.
“There have been several allegations of excessive use of force including the use of pellet-firing shotguns, tear gas and rubber bullets by security forces during sporadic protests, with unconfirmed reports of at least six civilian killings and scores of serious injuries in separate incidents since August 5,” it added.
The UN body also said that it has received reports of armed groups threatening residents who are trying to carry out their normal business or attend school, as well as several allegations of violence against people who have not complied with the armed groups’ demands.
“We have also received a number of allegations of torture and ill-treatment of people held in detention. These must be independently and impartially investigated,” the UN human rights body added.
“The Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission, the State Information Commission [which implements the right-to-information laws] and the State Commission for Protection of Women and Child Rights are among key institutions being wound up, with the new bodies to replace them yet to be established,” observed the body in its statement.