[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 31, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1477]]



 INDIAN DUPLICITY EXPOSED; INDIA MUST LIVE UP TO DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 30, 2001

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the duplicity of India is clearer 
after the collapse of its talks with Pakistan. Pakistani President 
Musharraf went home abruptly because India was not dealing in good 
faith. Although much discussion focused on the Kashmir issue, India's 
spokeswoman never even acknowledged that Kashmir was on the agenda. 
India refused to go along with three drafts of a joint statement 
approved by both leaders. Instead, India insisted on including its 
unfounded accusations that Pakistan is fomenting terrorism in Kashmir 
and other places that India controls.
  India has a long record of supporting terrorism against the people 
within its borders. The most recent incident took place last month when 
Indian military troops tried to burn down a Gurdwara and some Sikh 
homes in Kashmir, but were stopped by Sikh and Muslim residents of the 
town. There are many other incidents. The massacre in Chithisinghpora 
is very well known by now. It's also well known that India paid out 
over 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for killing Sikhs. It's 
well known that India holds tens of thousands of political prisoners, 
Sikhs and other minorities, in illegal detention with no charges and no 
trial. Some of them have been held since 1984. Is this how a democratic 
state conducts its affairs?
  It is India that introduced the specter of nuclear terrorism into 
South Asia with its nuclear tests. Can we blame Pakistan for 
responding? Although it claims that the nuclear weapons are to protect 
them from China, the majority of them are pointed at Pakistan. 
Unfortunately, if there is a war between India and Pakistan, it is the 
minority peoples in Punjab and Kashmir who will suffer the most and 
bear most of the cost.
  The United States must become more engaged in the subcontinent. We 
should continue to encourage both India and Pakistan to reduce their 
nuclear stockpiles. However, we should not remove the sanctions against 
India for its introduction of nuclear weapons into this region. In 
addition, we should end all aid to India until the most basic human 
rights are respected and not violated. Finally, we should publicly 
declare support for a free and fair vote in Kashmir, as promised in 
1948 and as President Musharraf was pushing for, and in Punjab, 
Khalistan, in Nagalim, and in all the 17 nations under Indian 
occupation where freedom movements are ongoing. Only by these means can 
we strengthen America's hand in South Asia, ensure that a violent 
breakup like that of Yugoslavia does not occur in the subcontinent, and 
let the glow of freedom shine for all the people of that troubled 
region.

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