'Human rights for all': British moot questions UK’s trade with India, Israel

Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War Coalition jointly organised the conference

BIRMINGHAM:

Urging the international community to act fast on ending illegal occupation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and in Palestine by India and Israel, the British government was on Saturday urged to apply sanctions on states which violate human rights without any discrimination.

“The British government has been inconsistent in applying sanctions against those violating international law on human rights,” said a resolution passed at a conference held to mark the international Human Rights Day.

The conference titled “From Kashmir to Palestine – Occupation is a Crime” was jointly organised by Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War Coalition.

“The UK government has applied sanctions against some of the states and individuals in violation of international law, it has failed to apply the same sanctions against those violating the rights of the Kashmiri and Palestinian peoples,” said the resolution with participants demanding that the British government “ensures that it applies sanctions against all the bodies in violation of international law without prejudice.”

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“In particular all trade between Britain and any other state must be consistent with international law. British Trade both with Israel and India is inconsistent with international law particularly when it comes to the arms trade,” the resolution added.

The conference deliberated on Indian and Israeli Settler Colonialism projects in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and in Palestine besides Zionism and Hindutva Ideologies.

President World Kashmir Freedom Movement Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur, Chair, Palestine Solidarity Campaign Kamel Hawwash, Martin Sullivan of Amnesty International, Kashmiri Human Rights Activist Shaista Safi, Vice President of the association of Muslim lawyers Rayla Javaid, Stop the War National officer Shabbir Lakha, Nabila Hanson of Amnesty International ,Naeem Khan PSC, Ch Ikram ul Haq of TeK UK , and Mushtaq Hussain of TeK UK spoke on the occasion.

The speakers called out Indian and Israeli settler colonialism in the occupied territories.

"India and Israel are hand in glove in persecution of Kashmiris and Palestinians and the irony is that the international community has chosen to close its eyes," the speakers rued.

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"These two partners in crime must be held accountable, sooner the better to save innocents lives from their persecution," they added.

“If oppressors can have joint strategy to strengthen their occupation in Kashmir and in Palestine, so it is responsibility on resistance forces to come together and oppose them at all platforms,” they said.

TeK UK President Fahim Kayani presented the resolution which was unanimously adopted.

“The international community must take effective action against those violating human rights to ensure that every one’s human rights are respected. This should include applying sanctions against states, international bodies, corporates, and individuals complicit in violating human rights as specified in International Human Rights Law,” the resolution said.