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

[radhikarajen at vsnl.net]

Mindest of slavery does not get reformed so easily, now that he is eating his seekababs with his neo captors, may be stockholm syndrome. ?

----- Original Message -----
From: "S. Jabbar" <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>
Date: Friday, August 29, 2008 6:37 pm
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] A petition for Kashmir - please sign and forward
To: Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्  <mail at shivamvij.com>, Sarai <reader-list at sarai.net>

> 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
> _________________________________________
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