“Factually inaccurate”: India criticizes UN Human Rights comments on Jammu and Kashmir

Last updated on March 9th, 2023 at 07:07 am

UNITED NATION: On Tuesday, India apologized for comments made by the UN’s human rights commissioner about Kashmir, calling them “unwarranted and inaccurate”.

As part of the General Debate on the Oral Update by the High Commissioner at the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, the Indian Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, also stated that New Delhi does not see the human rights commissioner office as having any role in matters pertaining to its internal affairs.

In response to the oral update, we thank the High Commissioner and take note. Since the constitutional changes in August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir has seen unprecedented progress in bringing democracy to the grassroots, improving people’s participation in political processes, providing good governance and security, and accelerating all-round socioeconomic development,” Mr Pandey said.

In this context, we regret the High Commissioner’s unwarranted and factually inaccurate portrayal of the human rights situation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir are an internal matter for India, and the OHCHR does not play a part in them,” he reiterated.

In recent months, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said he has had the opportunity to discuss the “worrying human rights” situation in Kashmir with both India and Pakistan.

Achieving security and development will also require progress on human rights, as well as justice for the past.

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Turk said in his global update to the UN Human Rights Council: “I will continue to explore ways in which my Office can assist, including through meaningful access to the region.”

Turk pointed out that the UN Human Rights office has documented grave concerns in China – noting arbitrary detentions and ongoing family separations – and has made important recommendations that need to be followed through.

To follow up on a variety of human rights issues, including the protection of minorities, such as Tibetans, Uyghurs, and others, his office has established channels of communication with a number of actors.

Further, we are concerned about the severe restrictions on civic space in Hong Kong, including the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and lawyers, and the impact of the National Security Law.

According to the global update, the repression of women in Afghanistan is “unparalleled and contradicts all established beliefs”.

According to him, people of African descent are almost three times more likely to be killed by police than “white” people in the United States.

He referred to the “brutal death” of 29-year-old Black man Tyre Nichols two months ago in Memphis, saying this tragic incident stood out not just because of the severity of the violence caught on tape, but because the officers involved were immediately prosecuted, despite the fact that only a fraction of such cases result in those responsible being brought to justice.

The economic crisis and debilitating debt in Sri Lanka have severely limited people’s access to fundamental economic and social rights. Recovery policies must address inequalities and invest in social protections.

Furthermore, Turk expressed regret over the “increasing incidence of political violence” in Bangladesh, arbitrary arrests of political activists, and ongoing harassment of human rights defenders and media personnel.

According to Human Rights Watch, Bangladesh authorities are using the “abusive Digital Security Act” to harass and indefinitely detain activists, journalists, and others critical of the government.

Conflicts, discrimination, poverty, restrictions on civic space, and attacks against climate activists have “compounding effects” on the world, Turk said.

As a result of these crises, human rights are under increasing pressure, particularly in the digital sphere and involving artificial intelligence and surveillance. “To meet these challenges, we urgently need fresh thinking, strong political leadership, renewed commitments, and dramatic scale-up financing – with human rights at their core.”

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