Rights violation: Over 2,000 found buried in Kashmir’s unmarked graves
More than 2,000 corpses have been found buried in several unmarked graves in Indian-administered Kashmir, believed to be victims of the disputed region’s separatist movement, a government human rights commission said in a report.
The graves were found in dozens of villages near the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between Pakistan and India in the Himalayan region.
“At 38 places visited in north Kashmir, there were 2,156 unidentified dead bodies buried in unmarked graves,” the inquiry report by the Indian government’s Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (J&KSHRC) said. The commission was established by the government in 1997 to investigate human rights violations.
The report – prepared by an 11-member team headed by a senior police superintendent – said that DNA profiling should be used to match unidentified bodies with relatives to resolve the controversy. “The scope for DNA extraction from remains of these unidentified bodies buried in unmarked graves of north Kashmir is still very bright. As the time will go on... chances will be more and more reduced,” the report said.
An independent group based in Srinagar, the International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice (IPT), had in 2009 documented unidentified bodies buried in the region’s northern villages.
Indian and international rights groups called for a probe into whether the unmarked graves held bodies of civilians who have ‘disappeared’ as Indian security forces struggled to contain insurgency in the region.
The IPT says 8,000 people have gone missing there during 20 years of insurgency against rule from New Delhi, most of those after they were arrested by Indian security personnel.
The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), which estimates around 10,000 people went missing during nearly two decades of separatist revolt, says many missing people may have ended up in these unmarked graves.
“We appeal to international human rights groups and Indian authorities to identify the people buried,” said Parveena Ahanger, founder and chairperson of the APDP.
International human rights groups have also repeatedly asked the Indian authorities to investigate the unmarked graves.
Indian officials have repeatedly claimed that those buried in unmarked graves were militants – most of those Pakistanis – who were killed in clashes with security forces. They also argue that many of the missing locals had meanwhile crossed to Pakistan to join militant groups. Nearly 50,000 people have been killed in mainly Muslim Kashmir since an insurgency against New Delhi’s rule began in 1989.
On Saturday, Indian soldier shot dead 12 “militants trying to cross from Pakistan into the disputed region.”
Indian security forces in Kashmir have been accused of murdering innocent civilians in staged gun battles and passing them off as militants to earn rewards and promotions.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2011.
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We kill alien combatants, like any other country does. We are sorry, when, nobody claims their bodies we bury them, in unmarked graves. But all Islamic rights are adhered to at the burial.
I surprised, how indian are commenting here, and no indian condemn this cruelty, but support it and blaming those innocent kashmiris as they were terrorists. I ask you people why india is afraid of a neutral referendum in Kashmir, instead indian army in busy in killing innocent kashmiris. Why india not act on United Nations Security Council Resolution. Enough is enough, india is just working on its propaganda against Pakistan and nothing. how itz possible only angels born in india and evil born in Pakistan
@Tony Singh: Who says, India never sent agents in Pakistan specially in Karachi, but cruelty is cruelty, it is directly in Kashmir and indirectly in Karachi, but on both places indian involvement is fact. And there is no justification of indian army cruelty in Kashmir.
Atif Anjum
@Frank: "Jameel That we should never have sent terrorists from our side to attack and kill people on the other side of border including civilians. Wars have casualties. No different in Kashmir from Karachi or Fata. Your remarks are very disturbing. These people were killed by the Indian army and many of them apparently before Pakistan started interfering in the Kashmiri struggle. If most Pakistani liberals think like you then it is clear we have a fifth column in our midst." Running away from reality is your trademark Mr. Frank. Its time you had ahard look at the mirror. Singh
@Bangash: Since when did sending terrorists to grave become crime? In that sense Pakistan is doing crime against humanity in greater scale in Balochistan and in past did even bigger crime in Bangladesh.
One should not miss the point that the enquiry commission is constituted by the Govt. of the day, not by an outside agency. And more importantly the findings are published by themselves. Hope further investigation will reveal the truth about the identities and circumstances of such deaths.
India has been filling graves with the bodies of Kashmiris for decades. India is guilty of crimes against humanity.
Most killed in kashmir are either jihadis, security forces including local police and also innocent people. Among the innocents, there are those killed by jihadis (largest number), people caught in crossfire and some sadly killed by security forces. Among the jihadi there is significant number of foreigners and it is not possible to identify all of them and notify their families.
We must realize that like any part that has unnaturally large number of security forces sometimes atrocities do happen by indian forces (mainly, fake enconters for medals).
We must carry out swift justice in these cases, not for a show off, but because it is our culture. e.g Indians carry out Islamic burials of even Islamic terrorists respecting their beliefs, despite many demands that they should not be given Islamic burial so that some of those eager to go to heaven for houris may have second thoughts. (I've read Israelis allegedly bury terrorists with pigs so that they are denied entry to heaven) We should not sink to their levels (like centuries old Islamic practice of torturing enemies to death, cutting nose, tongue, ears, genitalia, gauging eyes, mutilating dead bodies, which is followed even today --- if anyone thinks I'm exaggerating, try Google)
p.s. PAKISTAN is responsible for all the violence in Kashmir; there was no such violence in Kashmir before Pakistan started sending jihadis in late eighties.
FYI burying is a Muslim custom. I suspect these are people targeted by various terrorist groups for not joining them or conducting suicide raids for them. Indians could easily just cremate them with no signs left if indeed the Indians did this. There will be an inquiry into these crimes and we will get at the truth regardless. After all it is Indian institutions that have uncovered this gruesome thing.
Frank, the Pakistan army has bee involved in KashmIr since day 1 - who are you kidding?
In the wake of violence in Kashgar, perpetrated by the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and China’s having found its links with militant outfits in Pakistan, the government of Pakistan has pledged its full support to Beijing. It denounced the ETIM as a terrorist organisation and the epitome of evil, which, it hoped, China would succeed in eradicating. This is not consistent with its views about similar guerrilla warriors active on the Indian side of Kashmir. For a long time, both Pakistani officials and the media kept calling them “freedom fighters”. Pakistan does not think that the Muslims in China are worthy of freedom too. It is a different rule for one and a different rule for another. Currently, the Pakistani government has withdrawn its vocal support to any Islamist militant movements in any part of the world, including Kashmir. However, both religious-political parties and the media, particularly the Urdu newspapers, in Pakistan have been maintaining their previous stance for all such organisations. Even today, Hafiz Saeed holds public meetings in Lahore, in which he proudly owns his outfit’s continued involvement in the Kashmir jihad. He lives and moves freely without the slightest hindrance. This underscores Pakistan’s a la carte approach to terrorism. The reason is pretty obvious. China is its bosom buddy, while India is its asli dushman or eternal enemy as the Urdu columnists remind us day in and day out. Quite ironically, neither the media nor the religious-political parties in Pakistan — with the possible exception of Hizb-ut-Tahrir — have ever shown any sympathy for the ETIM. The limits of their Islamic universalism go as far as from where the boundaries of China start. To them, it seems, all Muslims are brothers but some are stepbrothers.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011/08/23/story23-8-2011pg3_6
Jameel
Your remarks are very disturbing. These people were killed by the Indian army and many of them apparently before Pakistan started interfering in the Kashmiri struggle. If most Pakistani liberals think like you then it is clear we have a fifth column in our midst.
@grain2315:
LET THE BALOUCHI’S DECIDE? Why is Pakistan so scared of this?.
@Karachities: You show me article where Shiv Sena has killed people. I am for absolute fairness, if Shiv Sen has done what LeT does then law enforcement should punish them as well. And ofcourse killing is not answer. Shiv Sena does not have AK-47s and they do not confront police with bullets and suicide bombers. When the army faces terrorists with weapons and bombs what do you want them to do? Give them flowers ? It is easy to call foul but do you really know for fact whether all dead are innocent people ? I do not like Shiv Sena or any extreme rightist group in that matter. But at least they do not go around killing people. So get your facts straight before speaking nonsense.
@UnionJack: I am amazed, How justifying killings. So, shutdown courts and judiciary, why not indian army does the same inside india, or with shiv sehna terrorists.
@Frank:
That we should never have sent terrorists from our side to attack and kill people on the other side of border including civilians. Wars have casualties. No different in Kashmir from Karachi or Fata.
@saeed:
Kashmiris hate India ------------- and that is exactly why you can't stop worrying for them. Please stop this drama and come clean on your agenda. You are a Pakistani who still dream of annexing Kashmir from India. Wake up man. How long will you keep day dreaming. You know your army is lobbying for new assignments in Karachi.You should know this. And don't you lecture us on crime against humanity. We all know what your army did to the Bengalees during Operation Searchlight -------- the genocide that can only be compared to the Nazi Concentration Camps . By the way what is your take on the way the Chinese treat Tibetians. Or for example the Chinese treatment to Uighurs ( Your Ummah brother ). The Chinese you know,----------- your all weather friend. They don't even allow the Uighurs to pray freely and monitor them even in this month of ramzan.
So please stop this non-sense. If you hate us the best you can get from us is hatred in return.
As for the news lets see what comes out of it.Let the investigation report come out.In any case a free society is the best safeguard against injustice.
I am amazed that such lucid sane educated people cannot see a wrong when its committed but resort to such jingoist language. I suppose the best way to defend is to attack rather than see the actual reason the wrongs are being committed and those by a peace loving Indian nation ie the Indian forces. If India and its rulers truly believe in the rule of law than allow a neutral plebisctace, which was promised to the Kashmir's at partition to take place in the whole of of Kashmir. LET THE KASHMIRI'S DECIDE? Why is India so scared of this?.
LOL at Indians.................. so self righteous. I bet their is not even corruption in India.
@saeed: Why should we have any sorrow or grieve for terrorists killed ? Those figures are certainly reflection of number of terrorists trained by Pakistan and killed by Indian Forces. Has anybody thought about this ?
And this report is going to change anything ? No matter what may come , no matter what human rights report says, no matter even if all powerful nations are against India. Fact is India will never let go of Kashmir. So for any biased and malicious report on Indian brutality if the Pakistanis are increasing their hope, stop doing it. This will just add to your frustrations. Your forefathers perished with such slogan and so will you. Kashmir is not going to go away from India, and that is the truth. Rest you can keep dreaming. Only solution is making LOC an international border.
These graves are of pakistani jehadis intruders who were killed in encounters with securities forces.Pakis should happy that even these terrorists have been given decent burial
@Aadersh: But for your poor knowledge lemme tell you, you will never found atrocities or genocides against non-Muslims in Muslim majority countries… I think its the joke of the century....... I think you better start learning history from neutral sources (try google) to know what muslims did to non muslims (start from muslim occupation of iran that would be ideal).
@janejosephene@gmail.com: How you are saying muslims deserve this.. Suicide is HARAM in Islam, those all suicide bombers are not muslims , they are murderers bought by RAW and MOSAD Wow living in denial is something to be learnt from pakistanis........ after a powerful governor being brought down and the cabinet minister of minority affairs no more and leave them aside atleast 30k people are dead in pakistan in just 10years i think if internet savvy people like you think this way then pakistan is definitely doomed......
And u should be shameful about your comment … I stated fact. Shame is more needed to pakistanis at this point in time.... PS: 30k people in 10 years in pakistan VS just 2k people in 22 years in kashmir .... what else can i say well done indian army !!!!!
The commission should complete its work ASAP. The findings must be published and the guilty party(s) be brought to justice to the full extent of the law. No murder should be allowed by any party under any circumstances. The publication of this news is a good step toward providing justice and fairness.
@Anonymous...Really Nice way to condemn han... Muslims deserve that but still u condemning....Wow!! You must b a great human heart...But for your poor knowledge lemme tell you, you will never found atrocities or genocides against non-Muslims in Muslim majority countries...but certainly I found genocides in Palestine,Iraq,Kashmir, Chechnya,Afghanistan,Libya & the list goes on...Why?? Let us b clear & differentiate between the Terrorists are & the victims of terrorism..
@Anonymous: How you are saying muslims deserve this.. Suicide is HARAM in Islam, those all suicide bombers are not muslims , they are murderers bought by RAW and MOSAD And u should be shameful about your comment ... Truly you people don't deserve a heavenly place like Kashmir as your part of country
As an Indian i think no atrocities committed by anyone in a democratic country should be ignored. And i am sure there are enough rules and regulations in this country to convict the accused. Pakistanis who are crying for the 2k Kashmiris, please shed a tear for the people of Karachi also , afterall a loss is a loss
@Reality bites: pakistan has no locus standi or moral stand on kashmir and all its morality was sunk into bay of bengal when bangladesh got separated from it.
@Anonymous: untill muslims remain terrorists they will be treated like this only coz there is only one cure to terrorism ie kill them and a terrorists is not a human hence talking about the human rights of terrorist is a vague concept and big joke.
@Uzair Javaid: undeclared terrorits are those whom pakistan trains and sends all over the world and call them non state actors.but then pakistan is right coz the identity of pakistan is so mis-interpreted that there is no state called pakistan its just another badlands of the world.
from the actions of muslims world wide (in particular to the subcontinent) i think muslims deserve this..... when they are in majority what they do with non muslims shouldn't need to pen down here. But still i would condemn it since my religion preaches non violence....
Undeclared terrorists - the not so blue-eyed pail illegitimate child of the west being raised.
Hope any human right violation is properly investigated and guilty are brought to book.
People of Kashmir are the biggest victims of a proxy war in Kashmir between India and Pakistan. This war will lead no where, except further loss of life and livelihood. Being an Indian, I have only travelled to Indian part of Kashmir, so can't speak for Pakistani part.
But, the sense I had got from my interactions in Srinagar, and other places was that most folks just want to get on with their lives. For most folks independence is a desirable, but impractical dream. They are aware that if they are to become independent, they'll be another land locked state like Afghanistan or Nepal, and very vulnerable. No one I spoke to had any wish to join Pakistan. My driver had told me that in early 90s there were atleast a few folks who felt Pakistan may be a better option, but now except pakistan's paid agents no one else feels they should join Pakistan.
So, apparently a solution that gives the proud & Gentle Kashmiri's a reasonable degree of autonomy, but security under India or Pakistan is the only solution. Delaying this only delays their suffering. Perhaps, what will work is one-country, two system kind of governance that China has adopted in Hong Kong.
@CR: no, thanks, keep it up with yours
Kashmir hamara atoot-ang hai... My foot!
Terrorist India ?
Pakistani media will always tell half truth. If it is true that those graveyads are not regular graveyards, Pakistani court should direct pakistani govt. request indian govt to allow theme to carryout DNA test of those corpses so that identity of some more Missing Pakistanis can be established.
Indian govt did well to appoint the commission which produced the report. If the Indian govt does not take further steps as recommended by the commission, it should be taken to task.
Indian security forces in Kashmir have been accused of murdering innocent civilians in staged gun battles and passing them off as militants to earn rewards and promotions.
I m sure not to see any indian commenting here.
I would love to hear what the Pakistani liberals have to say about this.