IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 724 

Condemning the human rights violations taking place in Jammu and Kashmir 

and supporting Kashmiri self-determination. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 21, 2019 

Ms. TLAIB submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the human rights violations taking place in 

Jammu and Kashmir and supporting Kashmiri self-determination. 

Whereas the United States Government seeks friendly relations and has long shared an important relationship with 

the Republic of India; 

Whereas the United States Government seeks to preserve 

peace and security in Jammu and Kashmir; 

Whereas the United States Government seeks to promote the 

human rights and liberties of all people, including the 

freedom to practice, worship, or observe one’s own religion; 


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•HRES 724 IH 

Whereas the Government of India has unilaterally changed 

the status of Jammu and Kashmir without a direct consultation or the consent of the Kashmiri people; 

Whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported gross human 

rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir; 

Whereas the Government of India has enforced a strict curfew in Jammu and Kashmir that has restricted freedom 

of expression, assembly, and movement; 

Whereas, on August 5, 2019, the Government of India enacted a communications blockade in Jammu and Kashmir that includes the suspension of landlines and shutdown of mobile phone networks and internet access, and 

service has only been partially restored as of October 14, 

2019; 

Whereas Kashmiri Americans and Kashmiris around the 

world have had difficulty or been unable to contact their 

family members since the imposition of the communications blockade on August 5, 2019; 

Whereas press accounts and human rights observers have 

documented that the actions of the Government of India 

in imposing a communications blockade have inhibited access to life-saving medical care; 

Whereas international human rights observers have documented the security services of the Government of India’s 

excessive use of force against civilians in Jammu and 

Kashmir, including the use of pellet shotguns, tear gas, 

and rubber bullets against protestors, as reported by the 

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; 

Whereas the Government of India has used the arrest and indefinite detention of thousands of people to control civilVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:30 Nov 22, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR724.IH HR724

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•HRES 724 IH 

ians of all ages, including minors as young as nine, in 

Jammu and Kashmir using the Public Safety Act, which 

violates article 9(2) of the International Covenant on 

Civil and Political Rights; 

Whereas the Government of India has detained Kashmiri civil 

society leaders of all political perspectives without charge 

or trial and, as of September 25, 2019, prominent political and business leaders remain in detention; 

Whereas detentions and harassment of journalists in Jammu 

and Kashmir has been reported by independent observers 

and journalistic organizations; 

Whereas the right to religious expression has been severely 

curtailed, including the closures of mosques and religious 

buildings; 

Whereas the Government of India has barred senior United 

States Government officials and foreign journalists from 

traveling to Jammu and Kashmir since August 5; 

Whereas the actions of the Government of India are not reflective of the shared democratic norms and values between the United States and India; 

Whereas the actions of the Government of India constitute 

violations of the United Nations Universal Declaration of 

Human Rights; 

Whereas the Government of India has failed to hold its military accountable and perpetuated a state of impunity for 

members of the Indian Armed Forces and related security services, in part through the Armed Forces Special 

Powers Act; 

Whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued reports in 2018 and 

2019 calling for the Governments of India and Pakistan 


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•HRES 724 IH 

to implement policy recommendations to safeguard 

human rights; and 

Whereas, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ‘‘Update on the Situation of 

Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir and 

Pakistan-Administered Kashmir from May 2018 to April 

2019’’, the militant groups Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-eMohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, and Harakat UlMujahidin have contributed to the harsh conditions and 

dire human rights situation faced by civilians in Jammu 

and Kashmir: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) opposes any use of force against civilian 

3 populations by governmental and nongovernmental 

4 actors alike; 

5 (2) opposes and condemns the use of pellet 

6 shotguns and rubber bullets as a crowd-control 

7 method in any case; 

8 (3) affirms that any changes to the status of 

9 Jammu and Kashmir must be made with the direct 

10 consultation of the Kashmiri people, who must play 

11 a central role in the determination of their future; 

12 (4) urges the Government of India to imme13 diately lift all remaining elements of the communica14 tions blockade imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, in15 cluding restoring phone and internet access and re16 fraining from any interference with the provision of 

17 medical treatment; 


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•HRES 724 IH 

1 (5) urges the Department of State to facilitate 

2 contact between Kashmiri Americans and their fam3 ily members in Jammu and Kashmir; 

4 (6) reaffirms its strongly held belief that free5 dom of religion is a central and inalienable right of 

6 all people as promulgated in the United Nations 

7 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and urges 

8 the Government of India to ensure compliance with 

9 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 

10 Jammu and Kashmir; 

11 (7) urges the Government of India to exercise 

12 restraint when performing security and policing op13 erations and denounces the widespread use of 

14 threats and excessive force against civilians, 

15 protestors, and detainees; 

16 (8) urges the Government of India to imme17 diately release unjustly and indefinitely detained 

18 people in Jammu and Kashmir and to cease arbi19 trary and politically motivated detentions; 

20 (9) urges the Governments of India and Paki21 stan to engage in dialogue to deescalate tensions and 

22 protect human rights; 

23 (10) urges the Governments of India and Paki24 stan to renounce the use of force to settle the status 

25 of all disputed territories between them; 


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1 (11) urges the Governments of India and Paki2 stan to grant representatives of the Office of the 

3 United Nations High Commissioner for Human 

4 Rights full and unfettered access to their respective 

5 sides of the Line of Control; and 

6 (12) urges the Governments of India and Paki7 stan to implement the policy recommendations of the 

8 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for 

9 Human Rights contained in its 2018 and 2019 re10 ports. 

Æ 


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