Online petition

http://www.petitiononline.com/jk2008/petition.html

To:
Gordon Brown
Prime Minister United Kingdom

David Miliband
Foreign Secretary United Kingdom

Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General United Nations

José Manuel Barroso
President European Commission

We are writing to bring to your attention the increasingly deteriorating situation in the Indian-controlled part of the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir. Over the last two months, the people of Kashmir have held mass public processions protesting against an economic blockade imposed against the valley of Kashmir by extremist elements in the southern region of Jammu.
These peaceful protests have now escalated into a demand for the right to self-determination guaranteed to the people of Kashmir by various United Nations Resolutions (including nos. 57/1948, 51/1948, 80/1950, and 122/1957). These rallies have drawn widespread support from hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris across the length and breadth of the Kashmir valley.
The Indian authorities have responded to these non-violent protests by using excessive lethal force including firing live rounds on unarmed protestors. So far, more than 25 unarmed civilians have been killed in firing by Indian soldiers. There are now more than 600,000 Indian soldiers and paramilitaries on active duty in Kashmir (which translates to approximately one soldier for every eight Kashmiris).
Initially the Indian government allowed the protests to proceed without much opposition. However, it has recently changed its approach and begun to adopt repressive measures. The Indian government has banned local television channels and placed restrictions on media freedom. Pro-freedom politicians have been arrested without charge and prevented from attending processions and giving speeches. Indefinite curfew has been imposed across the ten districts of the Kashmir valley and soldiers have been given shoot-at-sight orders in some places. We are deeply disturbed by the absence of any comment by the British government, the European Union or the United Nations on the recent spate of violence in Kashmir. When protests broke out in Tibet in March earlier this year, only a few thousand people took to the streets in Lhasa and other towns. Yet, there was a flurry of condemnation of the Chinese authorities by Western governments and international organisations. China was urged to refrain from using excessive force and to initiate meaningful talks with the Tibetans. In stark contrast to this vocal stance on Tibet, the international community has maintained complete silence on Kashmir.
We call upon the British government, as the former colonial power in South Asia, to discharge the moral responsibility it has to speak out against human rights violations in Kashmir and to urge all parties to exercise restraint and initiate peaceful negotiations for solving disputes. India is a member of the Commonwealth just like Zimbabwe and the Indian government deserves to be reminded of its obligations just as much as Mr Mugabe. In today’s world, the British government simply cannot afford to be seen as being selective in its criticism of other countries and exposure of state excesses when it comes to maintaining ethical and humanitarian high-grounds.
We, therefore, call upon you to urge the Indian government to:
• exercise restraint in dealing with protests in Kashmir,
• ensure human rights are not violated and bring perpetrators of human rights to justice, and
• initiate peaceful and meaningful negotiations to address the underlying causes of unrest in Kashmir, including the fundamental question of Kashmir’s future status.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned


http://www.petitiononline.com/jk2008/petition.html