Geneva: During the 134th session of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) held in Geneva, urgent appeals were made for the United Nations to address the human rights violations in Kashmir, including enforced disappearances and the lack of accountability for such acts. The session, chaired by Professor Aua Baldé of Guinea-Bissau, highlighted ongoing concerns over the treatment of Kashmiri human rights defenders and the alleged involvement of government forces in human rights abuses.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the United Nations Working Group has expressed serious concerns regarding the opacity and brevity of detentions in Kashmir, which complicates the collection of evidence and contributes to a culture of impunity. The group also underscored the challenges faced by families of the disappeared in ascertaining the fate of their loved ones, emphasizing the humanitarian role of the Working Group in facilitating communications between affected families and governments.
The session coincided with the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Committee, which also scrutinized India’s long-standing use of counter-terrorism legislation in regions like Jammu and Kashmir. The committee’s report criticized the excessive use of force and the widespread human rights violations resulting from these policies, including unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, and torture.
Further compounding the issue, the UN special rapporteurs have previously raised alarms about the intimidation and harassment of those seeking accountability for these disappearances, including journalists and human rights advocates. These officials have reported a lack of effort in identifying and protecting unmarked burial sites, which are believed to contain the remains of the disappeared individuals.
This series of events underscores the ongoing international concern regarding the situation in Kashmir and the call for more decisive action from global bodies like the United Nations to address these human rights issues comprehensively.