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New Delhi, May 3, 2013 – The Working Group on Human Rights in India and the UN (WGHR) welcomes the statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and
Consequences (SRVAW) Ms. Rashida Manjoo at the end of her official country mission to India. The SRVAW highlighted the multiple and intersecting inequalities and discrimination that render women more vulnerable to violence in India, while exacerbating the impact of violence on their lives.
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On 26th March 2012, during his official visit to India, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, Mr Christof Heyns, visited Kashmir. Human rights activists and organizations had for a long time requested for the Rapporteurs visit. After a great deal of lobbying and effort by human rights activists and organizations for the first time the Indian government allowed the Special Rapporteur to visit India and assess the ground situation on extra judicial, summary and arbitrary executions.
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The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) finds it unfortunate that the Army had been allowed by the Supreme Court of India to decide on the court martial of the perpetrator forces of the Pathribal Fake Encounter, instead of deciding the case in a civil court. The victims of the case have no access to army courts and, hence, it is simple denial of right and justice to them. The ruling of the Supreme Court of India is a major setback not only to the families of the victims of Pathribal Fake Encounter but also to all the victims unlawfully killed by the Indian Security Forces in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
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At the conclusion of the International Week of the Disappeared which ended on 29th May 2015, Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) would like to pay a humble tribute to the families of the disappeared. We salute and commemorate their struggles, patience and courage for all that they have gone through over a period of last 25 years in bringing justice to their disappeared kins, for bringing the perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity to justice as well as to sustain a decent life. It is also important to bear in mind that the suffering of the families is not unidirectional, but it violates multiple rights encompassing their everyday life, which includes right to life, right to family life, right not to be subjected to torture or any other form of ill-treatment.
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From last two decades the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons(APDP), has been struggling to seek justice for the victims of Enforced Disappearances in Kashmir. Like families of the victims of enforced disappearances in other parts of the world, we commemorate 30th, August as International Day on Enforced Disappearances. As we enter the twenty fifth year of our struggle, we remember several of our members who died during this period longing for the return of their loved ones. On this day we would like to pay homage to their courage and resilience. We also take a resolve that we would take their mission forward and would continue to fight for the return of their loved ones.
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Over the period of last two decades, the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) has been relentlessly struggling for the information on the whereabouts of their loved ones who have been subjected to enforced disappearances. However, till date, the governments have failed to take any action to address the demands of the Association, as the cooperation of the governments is indispensable to discover the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared persons.
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In September 2011, Mrs. Parveena Ahangar, founder and Chairperson of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) Kashmir travelled to Dublin, Ireland, to participate in the 2011 Dublin Platform. The Dublin Plaform is a biannual event organized by Frontline Defenders, an international foundation for the protection of human rights defenders. It brought together 130 human rights defenders from 85 countries for three days of discussion and fellowship and to build alliances for the future.
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The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), as a part of its regular monthly programme, is organising a sit out of the parents and relatives to remember their loved ones, who have been subjected to the enforced disappearances.
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The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) welcomes the Report of Mr Chrisof Heyns, Special Rapporteur on extra judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, who conducted an official visit to India from 19 to 30 March 2012, and held a consultation with victims of the human rights violations and their families, lawyers, Human Rights Activists, Journalists and people from other walks of life, in Srinagar on 23rd March 2012 that was facilitated by the APDP.
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The University of Westminster and the University of Warwick jointly organised a conference titled “Kashmiris: Contested Present, Possible Futures” on 2ndJune 2014. The conference was held at the University of Westminister, London, and was attended by the chairperson of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), Ms Parveena Ahangar. She spoke on the issue of the State Violence, Human Rights Abuses and Struggle for Justice in Kashmir.
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It has been around two and half decades now, Kashmir is witness to the entire range of human rights violations. These human rights violations are systematically perpetuated to terrorize and oppress the people. The flagitious crimes, which primarily include extra judicial killings, torture, rape and enforced disappearances, have been committed by the sate over this period of time. The Indian Armed Forces commit these atrocities with impunity, being provided legal cover through draconian laws like The Disturbed Area Act, The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Public Safety Act and many more passed by the Indian government and tacitly endorsed by its collaborators in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature.
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For many decades now, Kashmir is witness to the entire range of human rights violations. Here heinous crimes which include extra judicial killings, torture, rape, enforced disappearances are systematically perpetuated to terrorize and oppress the people. The Armed Forces commit these atrocities with impunity, being provided legal cover through laws like The Disturbed Area Act, The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Public Safety Act etc.
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Ms Parveena Ahanger, President of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) accompanied by Ms Vrinda Grover, Human Rights Lawyer visited Geneva on 26th and 27th November 2008. The main purpose of the visit was to make submissions on behalf of the APDP on the issue of Enforced Disappearance in Kashmir on the 27th of November 2008, before the 86th Session of the United Nations Working Group on Involuntary and Enforced Disappearances,(WGIED). The United Nations Commission on Human Rights established the Working Group in 1980 to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of disappeared relatives.
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On this International Human Rights Day December 10, 2011,the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) firmly resolves to continue their struggle for truth, justice and accountability. On this day which is being observed across the globe APDP reiterates that our children have been disappeared by the Indian security forces and their related agencies from our homes, streets and lanes. In most cases the perpetrators have been identified by the family members and cases against them are pending in the courts in Srinagar .We demand that an independent credible investigation should be initiated against these perpetrators and our cases heard. The relevant people should be made to account for the whereabouts of the disappeared.
Read more: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, 10th DECEMBER 2011.
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Dear Sir/ Madam,
A Briefing and Consultation with MR. CHRISTOF HEYNS UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions is being organized on
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Special powers that allow India’s armed forces suspected of involvement in extra-judicial killings to sidestep the civilian courts have been reinforced in a disappointing court ruling over the notorious killings of five Kashmiri civilians 12 years ago.
India’s Supreme Court has contradicted a reported statement by its Justices in February 2012 that army personnel suspected of murder should be placed in front of a civil judge.
Read more: India: Pathribal ruling a setback for justice in Jammu and Kashmir - 1 May 2012
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The recent news regarding the closure of Pathribal Fake Encounter Case did not come as a surprise for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Generations of Kashmiris have been witness to extra judicial killings, torture, rape, enforced disappearances, molestation, humiliations and other heinous violations at the hands of the Indian soldiers and their collaborators in Kashmir. Every time a fake encounter is reported here, mass graves are unearthed or a woman raped, it opens up old wounds. The fact that not a single Indian soldier has so far been convicted for these crimes reflects that the tall claims of justice and reparation made by the Indian state and its collaborators are nothing but a tactics to hood-wink the international community and an attempt to cover-up India’s crime against humanity in Kashmir.
Read more: APDP Press Release Pathribal Case Closure- 15th February 2014
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Srinagar, June 15: Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) organized a two-day workshop on legal literacy at their Hyderpora office on June 14, 15. The workshop is part of a continuing series of workshops organized by the APDP since August 2007. Vrinda Grover, noted human rights lawyer and advocate from New Delhi, was the resource person for the workshop. Grover made the victims aware about how to move forward their struggle and campaign for justice. During the two day interactive workshop several issues came up for discussion which included the possibility and the logistics of filing joint cases in the court against the Army and Security Forces who have committed the crime of Enforced Disappearance (ED) . Grover explained to the members the difference between compensation and ex gratia relief, “compensation is your right and if state has done something wrong, they have to compensate for it. If you take compensation, that won’t weaken your case for prosecution of the guilty,”
Read more: Workshop on Legal Literacy at APDP office in Hyderpora: 15 June 2008
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Another mother dies waiting for her son. Hussina Begam passed away on 5th October 2013 without fulfilling her last wish to see her beloved son, Syed Anwar Shah, who was picked up and subject to
enforced disappearance by the Indian Security forces on 21st July 2000 in Srinagar.
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From last two decades the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons has been fighting for the rights of the victims of the enforced disappearances in Kashmir. Besides legal support to the victims and documentation of the enforced disappearance cases in Kashmir the association has succeeded not only in highlighting the individual cases of enforced disappearances but also highlighted the collective treatment meted out to all the victims of enforced disappearances.