From: Hilary Naylor <hnaylor@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 13 Dec 92 19:23 PST
Subject: INDIA: Rape by army/Jammu & Kashmi
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700874:000:4354
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hnaylor    Dec 13 19:23:00 1992


From: Hilary Naylor <hnaylor>
Subject: INDIA: Rape by army/Jammu & Kashmi

/* Written  7:22 pm  Dec 13, 1992 by hnaylor@igc.apc.org in igc:ai.general */
/* ---------- "INDIA: Rape by army/Jammu & Kashmi" ---------- */
Amnesty International
International Secretariat
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 8DJ
United Kingdom 

DATE: 10 DECEMBER 1992

INDIA: NEW ALLEGATIONS OF RAPE BY ARMY PERSONNEL IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Amnesty International is urging the Indian Government to hold a full judicial
inquiry into allegations of the rape of up to nine women - including an 11-
year-old girl - by army soldiers on 10/11 October.

      The women were reportedly raped during a search operation conducted by
an army unit of the 22nd grenadiers in the village of Chak Saidapora - 4
kilometres from Shopian, district Pulwana, Jammu and Kashmir. There is
substantive evidence from various sources, including medical examinations
carried out within hours of the search, which indicate that at least six and
possibly nine women were raped by several among the party of soldiers, said to
number between two and three dozen.

      An official statement from the army given to Amnesty International
during its recent visit to New Delhi confirms that the army conducted the
search to locate a suspected militant. It states that male family members were
present during the search; it lasted no more than one hour and 35 minutes; the
same three persons carried out the search of the various houses; and "it is
therefore inconceivable that four persons could have been involved in rape
cases of nine women in different houses". The army claims that two of the
women concerned are wives of hardcore militants and that their statements are
part of a "well orchestrated disinformation campaign with a view to malign the
security forces". However, senior government officials admitted that the raid
was in violation of regulations prohibiting the army from entering villages
during hours of darkness. 

      Amnesty International has received the testimony of several women
stating they were raped or witnessed the act. One woman said, "They came at
night and took my husband away. Two stood outside, they did not search, but
raped me. He took my clothes off. They were army soldiers."  Another woman,
who said two of her daughters-in-law were raped in her presence, told a
journalist, "Four army  men came. We have orders to search [they said]. They
made my brother and father go out. We have orders [to rape you] they said. [I
said]: Shoot me but don't rape me."

      Early in the afternoon of the same day, 11 October, a local policeman of
the Shopian police station reportedly brought eight of the village women to
the Sub District hospital, Shopian, seven of whom were immediately examined by
a female doctor. Two more women, initially reluctant to be examined, were
medically examined on 14 October. According to members of a civil liberties
group, visiting the area on 28 October, the doctor carrying out the medical
examination found positive evidence of forced intercourse in the case of six
of the women, including a 60 year-old woman and the 11 year-old girl, Ziatoon
- whose body reportedly also showed abrasions and bruises. Microscopic tests
in the remaining three cases were negative, although there were bruises and
abrasions on the women's body suggesting that they, also, had been raped. 

      All nine reportedly testified under oath to the visiting civil liberties
team that they had been raped by soldiers. They also stated that in the
morning of 13 October army officers came to the village to inquire, noting
their statements, but that a group of more junior officers arrived later that
day, threatening the women to withdraw their statements. 

      In view of the seriousness of the allegations and the contradictions
between the army version of events and the testimony provided by the alleged
victims, Amnesty International believes that a judicial inquiry into the
allegations should be held promptly; that its findings should be published in
full; and that all necessary measures should be taken to protect witnesses
pending the investigation. If the allegations are found to be substantiated,
those responsible should be brought to justice, preferably in the ordinary
courts of law, and the victims should be granted full and prompt compensation.