Press Release for 10th July, 2018.
Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) welcomes the recent human rights report of United Nations on Kashmir published on 14th June 2018 by the Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) . The OHCHR report highlighted the gross human rights violations done by the military apparatus of India in Kashmir, including enforced disappearances, unlawful killings of the civilians, rapes, torture, unlawful detentions and maiming of civilians by the forces besides other things. The OHCHR recommended to India to take a serious note of these violations and stop them.
Besides that, the chief of OHCHR in a media statement said that enforced disappearance in Kashmir enjoys impunity from the state and urged India to stop enforced disappearances and set up an independent commission to investigate the enforced disappearances. It also urged India—APDP too has been demanding that for a long time—to ratify the treaty on enforced disapprance which India is signatory to.
In its fight against the enforced disappearance, APDP demands whereabouts of all those people who were abducted by the state forces or state backed militia. The practice of enforced disappearance has not stopped.
Last year, on 31 August 2017, Manzoor Ahmed a resident of Devar, Kupwara was abducted by the Indian Army belonging to the 27 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) units, stationed at Trimukh top in Kupwara and the state has not yet been able return Manzoor to his dear one. APDP again reiterates its demand that all those who were disappeared should be returned to their families.
On July 10th the APDP organised a sit-in protest, remembering our disappeared, to find their whereabouts and seek justice for them and their families.
APDP on this day reiterates its demand for setting up an independent judicial commission for investigating into the cases of Enforced Disappearances and of ratifying the International Convention of Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances and the Convention against Torture.
APDP also commemorates the struggles of all those people who are its friends in its struggle for justice, especially Dilshada Shiekh and Rehti Begum, co-travellers in the journey of APDP and both of whom passed away in March and April this year respectively.
For a long time, the military apparatus of India is using suppressive and violent means against Kashmiris. Since the last month, the forces in Kashmir, especially in southern Kashmir have killed civilians, injured and maimed hundreds and destroyed property worth lakhs of Rupees. Recently on 6th July the Indian forces killed three Kashmiri youth including a teenage girl when the forces fired at the unarmed protestors in Kulgam. APDP strongly condemns this act of state terrorism and urges upon the world community to take note of this state terrorism and urge India to stop it.
Parveena Ahanger
APDP Chairperson