Stand with Kashmir
Since August 5, 2019: 8 million people under complete & indefinite lock down.
The situation is urgent in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Restricted movement, access to food & medicines; in violation of the Geneva Convention. Internet & mobile services blocked. 13,000 (conservative number) children abducted by the Indian military, whereabouts not known.
What you need to know
- The state of Jammu and Kashmir is recognized as disputed territory by the United Nations and under International Law;
- No state has the legal right to unilaterally change that status;
- Modi’s August 5 declaration revoking articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution is illegal.
- Revoking Article 35A opens the floodgate for settler-colonial project of moving in the occupier’s own population into Jammu and Kashmir. Settler-colonization needs to be condemned and not imposed on people in the twenty-first century.
While the situation is now URGENT, the human rights and international law violations are not new. Over the last 20 years, Indian occupation troops have murdered more than 95,000 Kashmiris. Thousands of Kashmiri youth have simply disappeared. The use of pellet guns has resulted in thousands of children being blinded.
Organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International as well as the UN High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR) have documented the Indian state crimes against innocent Kashmiris. The UNHCHR’s latest report was released on July 8, 2019.
Canada played a leading role in formulating the UN Security Council resolution in 1948 calling for an internationally supervised referendum in Jammu and Kashmir.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir wait 71 years later for that referendum to determine their future promised them through UN Security Council resolutions.
Time for Canadians and all people around the world to call for end of the lock down and war crimes. Let’s be ready to ask the newly elected Canadian government, and your local Member of Parliament where they stand on self-determination for people of Kashmir.
Just Peace Advocates joins with Friends of Kashmir Canada, Kashmir Global Council, and Canadian Council for Justice and Peace.
Over 2000 letters sent, but no response from Trudeau government, and only response was early on a few letters from NDP. The silence was deafening but still no response to further letters before the writ was dropped.
Contact: info@justpeaceadvocates.ca
Action that people can take in solidarity with Kashmir
- https://www.change.org/p/join-in-a-clear-call-to-the-united-nations-for-intervention-for-kashmir-including-to-the-unhrc-president-to-name-a-special-rapporteur-for-kashmir
- https://www.change.org/p/office-of-the-high-commissioner-for-human-rights-urgent-petition-on-the-un-kashmir-report
Just Peace Advocates has been pleased to speak about Kashmir on a few occasions since August 5th:
September 15th at Dundas Square in Toronto
September 6 at Pakistan Consulate in Toronto/Day of Solidarity with the people of Kashmir
August 18 at Toronto City Hall
If you are in Toronto plan to attend:
2:30 PM, Saturday, October 19 at Queen’s Park. More details
Follow Facebook for more info on Kashmir including actions you can take following the Canadian Federal election.
