When it comes to distorting the truth, twisting facts, creating a smokescreen, and of course, poor human rights record, no other country except Israel can surpass India — the country currently governed by fascist and tyrannical Modi regime.
New Delhi’s latest decision to organize a G-20 Working Group meeting on Tourism in the disputed territory of Srinagar is yet another, as also stated by our foreign office in its reaction, irresponsible and self-serving move to perpetuate the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in sheer disregard of the UN Security Council resolutions and in violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law.
The question is whether the international community, especially the G-20 countries at this point in time will also become part of this Indian ploy out of political and economic expediency or stand with international laws which prohibit the holding of any such international event at the disputed territories. Holding this event in Srinagar has a malicious agenda to pretend hoax normalcy in the disputed territory but the ground situation is quite the contrary as occupying forces are involved in grave human rights abuses. Since illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, Indian occupation forces have killed hundreds of innocent Kashmiris in extra-judicial murders. Some estimates place the number of Indian occupying troops deployed as high as 900,000. With a ratio of one soldier to every ten civilians, the army treats the civilian population as an enemy.
The entire Kashmiri leadership is behind the bars whilst abuses of all sorts, especially rape of Kashmiri girls and women is almost a daily occurrence. The world may turn back to it but the fact is that they are fully cognizant of how humanity is being disregarded by the Indian troops. Numerous reports of the UN, including the two commissioned by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2018 and 2019, have reconfirmed ongoing Indian atrocities against the Kashmiri people. Will the G-20 leadership discuss the promotion of tourism in such kind of hostile environment?
A senior APHC leader very rightly pointed out that it would be a great travesty of justice on the part of G-20 nations to offer India, the usurper of Kashmir, an opportunity to pose as a responsible stakeholder by participating in the meeting in the territory that it had occupied illegally in brazen violations of international laws and norms of justice.
Whilst it is expected that China will boycott the meeting, other members should also follow the suit provided they really believe in the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people promised to them about seven decades ago. It is also for our government and the foreign office to contact the G-20 countries and apprise them about their reservations as well as those of Kashmiri people regarding this meeting.
