The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) have said that the international community’s response to the recent crisis between India and Pakistan has highlighted that the situation in Kashmir cannot be viewed solely as an internal matter, as India has repeatedly claimed.  In a joint statement posted on the website of FIDH, the two organizations expressed profound concern over the worsening human rights situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir particularly since the abrogation of Article 370.

“The human rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir has deteriorated sharply since the abrogation of Article 370 of India’s Constitution in 2019. Arbitrary detentions under the Public Safety Act; the misuse of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act; prolonged internet shutdowns; suppression of peaceful dissent; and the criminalization of human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society actors have all become systematic”. These actions, the groups argue, continue to restrict the ability of Kashmiris to engage in political life, expression, and assembly, eroding the conditions for meaningful participation in the region’s future. 

FORUM-ASIA and FIDH said, “Kashmir’s international legal status is firmly grounded in UN Security Council Resolutions 47, 91, and 122, which reaffirm the territory’s disputed nature and call for the exercise of the right to self-determination through an impartial plebiscite”. They added that this was further reinforced by the 2018 and 2019 reports by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which documented the denial of civil and political rights in Jammu and Kashmir and called for independent international investigations. 

The organizations also noted recent international efforts to mediate the conflict. “The United States has offered to mediate between Pakistan and India for a political “solution” for the Kashmir dispute, following their role in brokering a temporary ceasefire. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged maximum restraint and a diplomatic resolution. These reflect the international community’s continued obligation to address Kashmir as a protracted and unresolved conflict with serious human rights dimensions”. 

As Juliette Rousselot, Deputy Director for Asia at FIDH, pointed out, “The question of Kashmir’s status remains unresolved…..The UN Security Council has made clear through multiple resolutions that the people of Kashmir must be able to exercise their right to self-determination. Denying Kashmiris their right to self-determination is not merely a legal violation — it is a profound indictment of the global human rights system’s credibility”. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)