From: rathoret@seattleu.edu (Tariq Rathore)
Subject: Reports find widespread abuses by Indian army in Kashmir
Organization: Seattle University
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 13:19:16 GMT


From     : Tariq Rathore
Source   : New York Times, Nov 8,1992.
Country  : India

                           * * * * *

* 2 REPORTS FIND WIDE ABUSES BY INDIA IN KASHMIR

WASHINGTON,Nov.7- A new Indian Government drive on seperatists
in the Kashmir valley has resulted in dozens of killings of
suspected militants by military forces and the wide spread
terrorizing of civilians, according to two American human-rights 
organizations that sent representatives to the area in October.

A military campaign called operation Tiger, which began in August, 
has also resulted in the sexual abuse and murder of noncombatants a 
preliminary report from Asia Watch and Physicians for Human rights 
concludes. It says that patients are dragged from ho-spital beds and 
medical staff detained and assaulted in raids.

 "Detainees are routinely subjected to severe and prolonged
beating, electric shock and other forms of torture" the report
says. "The Asia watch P.H.R. team documented a number of cases
of renal failure caused by the extensive use of the roller torture
treatment which crushes the muscle tissue and releases toxins,
which cause serious and sometimes fatal, damage to the kidneys."

A final version of the report will be published before the end of the 
year, according to Asia Watch.

An armed rebellion has been growing in the Kashmir Valley since
1989,prompting harsh retaliatory measures from New Delhi,which
accuses Pakistan of fomenting terrorism in the disputed territory.
Kashmir has been under martial law since 1990,with all civil rights 
suspended and troops empowered to shoot on sight during curfews. 

Indian officials argue that much of the violence in the region is 
caused by the militants and that all allegations of military
abuses are investigated. They say that human rights groups do not 
dequatelely condemn violence by militants.

Kashmiris are predominantly Muslims, and most Indians are Hindu
but the dispute is not a religious one. It has its roots in poli-
tical and economic alienation, residents of the valley say.

The separatists have wide middle class support as well as the ba-
cking of virtually all political factions in neighboring Pakistan
Which has controlled another part of the former princely state
of Kashmir.

The State department's 1991 human rights reports said that while 
militants also were responsible for abuses there was evidence that
troops were killing suspects and detainees.

 "Little is done to punish those responsible for extra judicial
killings," the State Department said.

It also found official abuses in Punjab State, where Sikhs are
fighting New Dehli.

Although the Indian Government bars official visits to Kashmir by
international rights organizations, representatives from Asia
Watch and physicians for Human rights were able to travel in the
valley as tourists for a week, interviewing victims or relatives
of security operations in Srinagar the Kashmiri summer capital,
and other towns.

 "In one case four students who were arrested during a search op-
eration on Oct. 14 in the Dal gate area of Srinagar were shot
dead that night and their bodies handed over to the families
the next day." according to the preliminary report made available
to the New York Times."The security forces also broke up peaceful
protests against these killings by beating, tear-gassing and sho-
oting demonstrators."

Among other incidents investigated by the two organization's re-
presentatives were these:

  On Oct. 1, after an attack by militants on a patrol near the
village of Bathekut, in which one soldier died, troops "rampaged
through the village, killing 10 villagers, raping 4 women and
burning houses and grain stores."

  On Oct. 15, a man and women were burned alive in the town of
Badsagam after Border Security Forces troops locked them in their shop 
and set fire to it.

  In a search operation by an army unit near Shopian, also on Oct
15, eight women and 11 year old girl were raped the human right
groups were told.

  "Throughout the conflict, the Indian Army and other Security
forces in Kashmir continued to exhibit blatant disregard for
international norms of medical neutrality," the report says.

                               * E N D * 
Newsgroups: misc.news.southasia