[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 140 (Thursday, October 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 POLICE OFFICIAL STRIPS AND TORTURES WIDOW, SON IN FRONT OF EACH OTHER

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 9, 1997

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, another disturbing violation of human rights 
has occurred in Punjab, Khalistan. On August 21, according to several 
reports, a police subinspector in Bathinda forced a local widow and her 
adult son to strip naked, then tortured them in front of each other. 
Apparently, the widow's other son eloped a few months before that and 
for some reason, the police were seeking information about his 
elopement. In their unwarranted pursuit of this private information, 
they took the extreme measure of torturing two people. Unfortunately, 
this is not unusual in India. Torture, rape, and even murder are 
common, everyday occurrences in Punjab, Kalistan, in Kashmir, in 
Nagaland, in so many parts of India's brutal and corrupt empire.
  An elected mayor was tortured in front of the people merely for being 
an Amritdhari Sikh. In Bombay, 33 Dalits--``Black untouchables''--the 
aboriginal people of South Asia were killed during a peaceful protest. 
In Kashmir, at least 20 reporters were beaten during a protest at the 
Chief Minister's office. They were protesting the police beating of a 
fellow reporter from Agence France Presse who had instructed his 
photographer to take a picture of a woman being beaten by the police. 
These are recent incidents, not old information. Sadly, these are just 
a few of many recent incidents of torture, brutality, and murder by the 
Government of India. This is completely unacceptable.
  We must stop taxing our own people to support these brutal rulers. 
The time has come to impose stringent economic sanctions on this regime 
until basic human liberties are observed. Finally, this Congress must 
put itself on record in support of freedom for all the nations of South 
Asia. This is what our principles demand of us. We must do our duty to 
the people of the world.

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