WASHINGTON: The Kashmir Diaspora Coalition (KDC) and its international affiliate organizations—-World Kashmir Awareness Forum, Washington DC; Kashmir House Istanbul; Kashmir Civitas, Canada; World Kashmir Freedom Movement, London; Tehreek-Kashmir, UK and EU and Kashmir Campaign Global, London have issued the press statement in complete solidarity with the 23 million people of Jammu and Kashmir who are observing January 5, 2023, today (Thursday) as Right to Self-Determination Day across the world.
The statement said that on January 5, 1949, the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) passed its resolution giving the people right to self-determination. Under this right the people of the state of Jammu & Kashmir were authorized to hold a free and unfettered plebiscite under the UN supervision. Unfortunately, the Indian state has failed to cooperate with the UNCIP in implementing Commission’s explicit mission and its underlying UNSC resolution 47 of April 21, 1948, mandating such plebiscite in Kashmir.
The statement said that non-compliance of India with the implementation of UN mandated right to self-determination in Jammu and Kashmir and UN’s failure to implement its decision over 76 years has led to enormous ongoing suffering on the people of Jammu & Kashmir. It includes three major wars between India and Pakistan, numerous massacres of Muslims and an ongoing genocide by Indian military, paramilitary and civilian militias. Indian regimes have incrementally hollowed out any internal autonomy granted to Kashmiris. Since August 5, 2019, with the abrogation of Article -370 and 35-A by the extremist supremacist regime of Narendra Modi has converted Kashmir from an illegal occupation to a fragmented lawless ‘Union Territory’ with no due process and no system of justice for the indigenous Muslim population.
The statement said that Jammu and Kashmir is now undergoing a rapid transition from illegal occupation into an Indian settler-colonialist and apartheid project. It is following the Israeli model with forced demographic change — millions of illegal Hindu importees granted Kashmiri domicile, right to vote, settlement in expropriated and stolen Kashmiri land and jobs. Local Muslims dwellings are demolished to make space for Hindu Indians. Plans are being made to hold farcical elections to disenfranchise Muslims and win elections. Most Muslim political leaders, intellectuals, human rights defenders, and religious figures are imprisoned, tortured, or killed in custody or fake encounters.
The statement said that the Kashmiris will never give in or give up their right to self-determination despite the suffering and neglect on the part of the UN and the human rights bodies.
“We appeal to the UN Secretary General, the UNSC, the UNHCHR, OIC and international NGO’s to support the oppressed people of Jammu & Kashmir to achieve their UNSC-guaranteed right to self- determination” the statement said.
It is worth mentioning here that the Kashmir Diaspora Coalition (KDC) is an international umbrella of Kashmiri diaspora organizations based on the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as guaranteed by United Nations Security Council-resolution 47 of April 21, 1948.