Thread: Demonstration In London - Wednesday, Jan 26th - India's Republic Day

Federation submits evidence to Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee and exposes India's appalling Human Rights Record

The Sikh Federation (UK) has recently submitted a written memorandum to the Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee concerning the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights 2004.

In the written submission the Federation states: "The most disappointing aspect of the Annual Report on Human Rights 2004 is there is no reference whatsoever to Sikh human rights abuses by India in the 300+ page report." However, the Federation noted several important observations in the report regarding India's position on human rights.

1) India is the only country that did not support the resolution at the UN General Assembly regarding the protection of human rights while countering terrorism

The Federation stated: "In our opinion India's unilateral opposition to the protection of human rights while countering terrorism highlights a fundamental weakness in India's respect for and approach to human rights. The Sikh community has suffered enormously in the last twenty five years due to India's complete disregard for human rights using the excuse of countering insurgency in Punjab."

2) India continues to fail to ratify the International Criminal Court (ICC)

The UK Foreign Office report also notes India's failure to accede to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC represents a major advance in international justice and the fight against impunity for perpetrators of international crimes. India's opposition to the ICC is unacceptable and has been maintained despite 37 lobbying exercises carried out by the EU from July 2003 to June 2004.

In its submission the Federation stated "the British Sikh community regards the failure of India to ratify the ICC as most disappointing and another example of India's refusal to accept international law, which they breached with the massacre of tens of thousands of Sikhs in June and then in November 1984 and the continued abuse of human rights for the last twenty years."

In a press statement Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said "these wrongdoings by India constitute the most serious international crimes since Indian independence. India fears its senior police officers, security personnel and Ministers could be hauled up before the ICC as justice is not being served in India. We believe a time will come when the perpetrators of international crimes against the Sikhs in India will be brought to justice."

3) Human rights violations by Indian security forces continue in Panjab and Kashmir and the UN and international human rights organisations continue to be denied access

The UK Foreign Office report states: "We remain concerned at the credible reports of human rights violations by Indian security forces operating in Kashmir. In our contacts with them, we urge the Indian authorities to investigate all abuses of human rights, and to bring the perpetrators to justice. We also encourage the Indian authorities to permit international human rights organisations to operate effectively in Kashmir."

The Federation stated in its submission that "We are most disappointed that the report fails to make any mention of human rights violations of the Sikhs in Panjab and India's failure to allow Amnesty International and the UN Rapporteur on Torture access to Panjab since 1984. This is particularly worrying as these issues have been raised publicly by MPs in Parliament in the last two years via Early Day Motions and Parliamentary Questions."

4) India defies the UN and ends the moratorium on the death penalty

In August 2004, India ended the long-standing moratorium on the death penalty despite a strong EU lobby against the return to executions. The Federation's submission stated: "British Sikhs find India's position on the death penalty totally unacceptable and the ending of the moratorium as a most backward and retrograde step."

The Federation also made reference in the submission to the death penalty imposed on the Sikh activist Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar who was returned to India from Germany. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office were urged to work with EU partners to maintain pressure regarding the Professor so the threat of the death penalty can be removed and an early release secured.

Reference was also made by the Federation for the release of the one hundred or so Sikh political prisoners known to British Sikhs that are still languishing in Indian jails. Some have been held for many years without yet being charged or convicted.

The submission by the Federation concluded by reminding the UK Government that it should demonstrate its supports for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reject the notion often peddled by India that criticism of a country’s human rights record means interfering in it’s internal affairs. Amrik Singh said: "The UK government should break its silence on the continued abuse of Sikh human rights by India that many independent human rights groups have documented. It is incumbent on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that its reports should reflect the views of the British Sikh community and our democratically elected representatives."

Well if so many indian organizations for freedom of kashmir (peceful methods) can stay in india then why does someone from outside needs to advocate for Sikhs. They are a strong community with the PM as a sikh , the Army cheif as a sikh. Well u give an incident of abuse on sikhs in the last 10 years.