Thursday, May 15, 2003
NHRC seeks details on missing Kashmiris
By Anjali Mody
NEW DELHI May 14. The National Human Rights Commission has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government for a report with regard to the "disappeared'' persons in the Kashmir valley, even as the Central Government maintains that the disappeared persons were "terrorists'' and that some of them have been killed in "encounters''.
The NHRC's call for a report follows a statement issued by the Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) for the past few months, statements made in the Legislative Assembly and media reports all of which give different figures, ranging from 364 to 3184 to `more than 8,000', for the number of the disappeared.
The NHRC has asked the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir for specific information about any system to record allegations of enforced or involuntary disappearances established by the State Government, the number of such allegations recorded by it. The system established to investigate allegations and the results of any investigations it has undertaken, the measures being taken to prevent occurrences of enforced or involuntary disappearances, and the measures being taken to bring to book those who may be involved in such disappearances and provide justice to those who have suffered.
The NHRC first took cognisance of the issue of the disappeared persons in Kashmir following newspaper reports published in September 2000. These reports also mentioned the APDP and a document it had prepared containing a list of missing persons. The Commission issued notice to the State Government on September 1, 2000. It also issued notice to APDP, requesting a copy of its list of missing persons and material this was based on. It received a list of 364 names from APDP in 2001 and the promise of a more complete list. However it has, as yet, received no second list. The 364 names were sent on to the State Government and the Union Ministries of Home and Defence, with the direction to report on their findings to the Commission.
The NHRC has received responses from the State Government in respect of 93 cases and from the MoD in respect of 85. The MoD has said that Army personnel had "allegedly been involved in only 85 of the 364 cases''.
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