[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 51 (Friday, April 19, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         MORE INDIAN OPPRESSION

                                 ______


                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 1996

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, April 18, the Indian 
police detained six Kashmiri leaders when they tried to peacefully walk 
to India's military headquarters in the Kashmiri capital of Srinigar to 
protest India's human rights violations.
  The six, who are well known on Capitol Hill for their tireless 
efforts to win the right of self-determination for Kashmiris and are 
all executive members of the All Parties Hurriyat--Freedom--Conference, 
were stopped by police as they approached the United Nations Military 
Observer Group's office. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Gani Lone, Shabir 
Shah, Abdul Gani Bhat, Moulana Abass Ansari, and Yasin Malik were only 
allowed to walk 2 kilometers--1 mile--through the deserted streets on 
Srinigar before being detained by police.
  Mr. Speaker, as you may know, the Government of India has banned 
public gatherings in Kashmir to prevent protests against India for its 
terrible human rights violations against the people of Kashmir. In 
response to this continual brutality, the Hurriyat had called a strike 
in the Kashmir Valley and asked Kashmiris to remain indoors. Why did 
these leaders risk their lives to challenge India? According to Abdul 
Gani Bhat--one of the detainees, we walked to offer our lives to the 
Indian army for peace and stability in the whole sub-continent.
  Most of these leaders have already narrowly escaped attempts on their 
lives by renegade militant groups which have been armed and supported 
by India's intelligence agencies. So perhaps for them--risking their 
lives one more time is business as usual. Nevertheless, their bravery 
to secure peace and happiness for the people of Kashmir should not be 
ignored here in the U.S. Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, while I wish I could say that this most recent incident 
is isolated--it is not. For the last decade, the Government of Indian 
has used every measure at its disposal to suppress the peace-loving 
people of Kashmir who desire nothing more than the internationally-
recognized right of self-determination. As Thursday's events 
demonstrate, the leadership of India only respects the right of free 
speech when the words are spoken by the majority Hindu population. The 
time has come for the U.S. Government to forcefully condemn this 
tyrannic behavior and demand the immediate release of these six 
Kashmiri leaders.
  If India ever hopes to be treated as the world class power it 
believes it is--it must respect human rights.

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