NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Kashmiri Separatist Seeks UN Help to Trace Missing Persons

By Fayaz Wani

The moderate faction of separatist amalgam in Kashmir, Huriyat Conference, today held a peaceful silent rally in the summer capital Srinagar, to protest against the enforced disappearances of thousands of youth in restive Kashmir. The separatist leader sought the help from the United Nations in tracing the missing persons in restive Kashmir.

After the armed rebellion broke out in Indian Kashmir in 1989, thousands of people mostly youth, went missing in the custody of Indian security forces.

To seek world attention to the grave issue, the moderate faction of separatist conglomerate, Huriyat Conference, staged an hour long silent protest in a park in summer capital Srinagar. Wearing a black arm band, the chairman of the conglomerate, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq along with other top leaders were present during the protest. More than 150 family members of the missing persons also participated in the silent protest to seek the whereabouts of the persons, who have gone missing in Indian security forces' custody.

Mirwaiz, who is also the chief cleric, told media that at least 12,000 people have disappeared in the custody of Indian security forces during the past 19 years of turmoil in Kashmir. "This is a grave issue. He said that the Indian government is adding salt to injury by not doing anything to mitigate the sufferings of people, whose near and dear ones have gone missing in Indian security forces custody", he said, adding, "Despite records and filing of police cases in this regard, Indian government is doing nothing to help in tracing out the missing persons".

"It is a shame on Indian democracy", he said.

The family members of the missing persons have been demanding setting up of a commission to trace the whereabouts of the disappeared persons. They have regularly staged protest demonstrations and protest rallies in Srinagar, but the government has not set up any commission yet to look into the matter, which has been termed as grave, even by the pro-India political groups in Kashmir.

Mirwaiz said that he has sent a memorandum to United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon. In the memorandum to Moon, the Kashmiri moderate separatist leader wrote, "Tens and thousands of people have disappeared after their arrest by Indian men in uniform. Accountability in Kashmir means nothing. Today, we seek attention and intervention as well, against the involuntary and enforced disappearances of young and old men and women by the international community with a view to upholding the dignity of humanity and also respecting the international conventions on the subject".

The moderate leader further said that in the coming days, they would be presenting a memorandum signed by the family members of all the missing persons, to the United Nations. "We would seek the help of the UN body to help us trace out the missing persons", he added.

Stressing to the Indian government to take the issue seriously, he said, "If nothing is done in the coming days, they would come out on the roads and stage massive protest demonstrations against the enforced disappearance of people in restive Kashmir."

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.