[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INDIAN REGIME KILLING FAMILIES OF SIKH ACTIVISTS

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                           HON. PETER T. KING

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 27, 1996

  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, recent reports show that the Indian regime has 
been killing and torturing the families of Sikh activists, whom the 
regime describes as militants. According to the video ``Disappearances 
in Punjab,'' the grandfather of Paramjit Singh Panjwat, a man in his 
80's, was tortured by the regime. His mother was killed and his brother 
and sister were murdered, as over 50,000 other Sikhs have, according to 
statements by Justice Aiit Singh Bains, the former judge of the Punjab 
and Haryana High Court who heads the Punjab Human Rights Organization.
  Gurbachan Singh Manochal was the head of the Panthic Committee until 
he was killed by the security forces. The Panthic Committee is the 
organization that declared the independence of Khalistan on October 7, 
1987. His mother, father, sisters, and brothers--10 people in all--were 
all killed by the regime.
  The Panthic Committee, which represents the full range of Sikh 
organizations in Punjab, Khalistan, authorized the Council of Khalistan 
to conduct Khalistan's struggle for freedom. The Council of Khalistan 
is committed to conducting that struggle by peaceful, democratic, 
nonviolent means. Even if these people are militants, this does not 
justify extrajudicial killings, torture, disappearance, and other acts 
of brutality against their families.
  The Sikhs are struggling for freedom against a regime which has 
stationed half a million troops in Punjab, Khalistan. This oppressive 
regime continues to hold over 70,000 Sikhs under the repressive 
``Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act,'' which expired last year. 
It has murdered over 150,000 Sikhs since 1984, including the families 
of political opponents. It kidnapped human rights activist Jaswant 
Singh Khalra after he exposed their policy of mass cremation of Sikhs. 
The regime refuses to allow American citizen Balbir Singh Dhillon to 
return to his family in California even though the charges against him 
have been proven false by the Human Rights Wing. Thousands of family 
members of Sikhs labeled ``terrorists'' or ``militants'' have been 
killed.

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