[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 196 (Monday, December 9, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H9383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   SUPPORT DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM FOR THE PEOPLE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR

  (Mr. WATKINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WATKINS. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of democracy and 
freedom for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the importance of 
protecting religious minorities in the region.
  In August, the Indian Government rescinded article 370 of their 
Constitution, repealing autonomy of the region; and, since then, it has 
been cut off through widespread communications blackouts. There have 
been curfews, and some 4,000 people have been detained, which includes 
children as young as 9 years old. There have been reported human rights 
abuses and deaths resulting from inaccessibility to healthcare.
  Madam Speaker, this situation cannot stand, and I ask my colleagues 
to join me in supporting H. Res. 745, which urges the Indian Government 
to uphold the democratic values upon which it was founded.

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