Brussels
Speakers of an international online seminar called upon the international community, particularly Europe, to immediately prevent violations of human rights including basic human rights and democratic rights of people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The webinar tiled, “Democracy and Human Rights: Curfew in Europe, Curfew in Kashmir: Let’s understand the difference” was organized on occasion of the Black Day observed by the Kashmiris across the world on Indian Republic Day, today.The webinar organized by Kashmir Council Europe (KCEU) was attended by a number of European and Kashmiri political figures, intellectuals, experts of international and regional affairs and journalists.
Addressing the seminar, former Member of European Parliament (MEP) Dr Sajjad Haider Karim said, Modi undertook illegal act to bring the Jammu and Kashmir within the direct control of New Delhi. He said, it is essential that the European Commission has to stand by loud and clear to the decision which was set up by the European Parliament in 2008 concerning the EU-India trade relations.
Holland based Political Psychologist Marjan Lucas said, we need international solidarity for the Kashmiri people despite this time of COVID-19. We, here in Europe, now also facing curfew due to this viral disease but it is different from the curfew which the Kashmiris are facing for a long time, he said. In Europe, you can have a debate on what freedom do we want while in Indian occupied Kashmir, it’s a dramatic curfew which has been going on for many years, Indian forces and tanks move in the street of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
Former MEP Saffaq Mohammed said, today, we all including UK and EU are facing a difficult time and no one is happy with lockdown but this lockdown is different from Kashmir witnessed of severe violation of human rights.
It is not only since 5th of August 2019 but Indian forces had already authority to shoot the people and violate the human rights in occupied Kashmir. It is still continuing with political figures arrested or detained at their houses. Although we have also a curfew in UK and EU but it is because of COVID-19, no one from political figures are arrested or illegally detained.—KMS
