[Reader-list] A petition for Kashmir - please sign and forward

Sat Aug 30 02:57:38 IST 2008

Okay, time to go back to our colonial masters? Once we lost our rights, now 
we want to get rid of them?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्" <mail at shivamvij.com>
To: "S. Jabbar" <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>
Cc: "Sarai" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 9:25 AM
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] A petition for Kashmir - please sign and forward

> Apologies - the subject line did say, "please sign and forward". That
> was in the mail I got. So please feel free to not sign and delete.
> best
> shivam
>
> On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 6:40 PM, Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्
> <mail at shivamvij.com> wrote:
>> Let me clarify Sonia that I haven't taken out the petition. I don't
>> know who has. You have the right not to sign it. I forwarded it FYI
>> and, as you may have noticed, did not add a note urging others to sign
>> it. On my part I have signed it and I don't feel the need to explain
>> anyone why I have signed it.
>> best
>> shivam
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 6:36 PM, S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> 
>> wrote:
>>> Interesting, Shivam. But why on earth is this addressed to the British
>>> government, the ones who've bloodied their hands in Afghanistan & Iraq? 
>>> Not
>>> enough that they were once our colonial masters, surely?
>>>
>>> And after the history of the UN, and the role of the UK and the US, you 
>>> want
>>> them to enter Kashmir?  Not bad enough that they have their bases in
>>> Afghanistan and are swarming Pakistan?
>>>
>>> Sorry. Can't sign this.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 8/29/08 6:22 PM, "Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्" <mail at shivamvij.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>
>>>
>>> Dear All,
>>>
>>> Please sign this petition
>>>> for the sake of the suffering Kashmiri
>>>> people:
>>>
>>> http://www.petitiononline.com/jk2008/petition.html
>>>
>>> Please also send
>>>> this email to as many people (Kashmiris and
>>> non-Kashmiris alike) as you can,
>>>> together with a request to sign the
>>> petition.
>>>
>>> Regards
>>>
>>>> ______________________________________________
>>> To:
>>>
>>> Gordon Brown
>>> Prime
>>>> Minister
>>> United Kingdom
>>>
>>> David Miliband
>>> Foreign Secretary
>>> United Kingdom
>>>
>>> Ban
>>>> Ki-moon
>>> Secretary-General
>>> United Nations
>>>
>>> José Manuel
>>>> Barroso
>>> President
>>> European Commission
>>>
>>>
>>> We are writing to bring to your
>>>> attention the increasingly
>>> deteriorating situation in the Indian-controlled
>>>> part of the disputed
>>> region of Jammu and Kashmir. Over the last two months,
>>>> the people of
>>> Kashmir have held mass public processions protesting against
>>>> an
>>> economic blockade imposed against the valley of Kashmir by
>>>> extremist
>>> elements in the southern region of Jammu.
>>>
>>> These peaceful protests
>>>> have now escalated into a demand for the right
>>> to self-determination
>>>> guaranteed to the people of Kashmir by various
>>> United Nations Resolutions
>>>> (including nos. 57/1948, 51/1948, 80/1950,
>>> and 122/1957). These rallies have
>>>> drawn widespread support from
>>> hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris across the
>>>> length and breadth of
>>> the Kashmir valley.
>>>
>>> The Indian authorities have
>>>> responded to these non-violent protests by
>>> using excessive lethal force
>>>> including firing live rounds on unarmed
>>> protestors. So far, more than 25
>>>> unarmed civilians have been killed in
>>> firing by Indian soldiers. There are now
>>>> more than 600,000 Indian
>>> soldiers and paramilitaries on active duty in Kashmir
>>>> (which
>>> translates to approximately one soldier for every eight
>>>> Kashmiris).
>>>
>>> Initially the Indian government allowed the protests to
>>>> proceed
>>> without much opposition. However, it has recently changed its
>>>> approach
>>> and begun to adopt repressive measures. The Indian government
>>>> has
>>> banned local television channels and placed restrictions on media
>>> freedom.
>>>> Pro-freedom politicians have been arrested without charge and
>>> prevented from
>>>> attending processions and giving speeches. Indefinite
>>> curfew has been imposed
>>>> across the ten districts of the Kashmir valley
>>> and soldiers have been given
>>>> shoot-at-sight orders in some places.
>>>
>>> We are deeply disturbed by the absence
>>>> of any comment by the British
>>> government, the European Union or the United
>>>> Nations on the recent
>>> spate of violence in Kashmir. When protests broke out in
>>>> Tibet in
>>> March earlier this year, only a few thousand people took to
>>>> the
>>> streets in Lhasa and other towns. Yet, there was a flurry of
>>> condemnation
>>>> of the Chinese authorities by Western governments and
>>> international
>>>> organisations. China was urged to refrain from using
>>> excessive force and to
>>>> initiate meaningful talks with the Tibetans. In
>>> stark contrast to this vocal
>>>> stance on Tibet, the international
>>> community has maintained complete silence
>>>> on Kashmir.
>>>
>>> We call upon the British government, as the former colonial power
>>>> in
>>> South Asia, to discharge the moral responsibility it has to speak
>>>> out
>>> against human rights violations in Kashmir and to urge all parties
>>>> to
>>> exercise restraint and initiate peaceful negotiations for solving
>>> disputes.
>>>> India is a member of the Commonwealth just like Zimbabwe and
>>> the Indian
>>>> government deserves to be reminded of its obligations just
>>> as much as Mr
>>>> Mugabe. In today's world, the British government simply
>>> cannot afford to be
>>>> seen as being selective in its criticism of other
>>> countries and exposure of
>>>> state excesses when it comes to maintaining
>>> ethical and humanitarian
>>>> high-grounds.
>>>
>>> We, therefore, call upon you to urge the Indian government
>>>> to:
>>>
>>> • exercise restraint in dealing with protests in Kashmir,
>>>
>>> • ensure human
>>>> rights are not violated and bring perpetrators of human
>>> rights to justice,
>>>> and
>>>
>>> • initiate peaceful and meaningful negotiations to address the
>>> underlying
>>>> causes of unrest in Kashmir, including the fundamental
>>> question of Kashmir's
>>>> future status.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>> The
>>>> Undersigned
>>> _________________________________________
>>> reader-list: an open
>>>> discussion list on media and the city.
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> National Highway - http://shivamvij.com/
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
>
> National Highway - http://shivamvij.com/
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