Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka
|
European Union team meets separatist Kashmir leaders | A five-member European Union (EU) delegation that arrived here on a two-day visit to assess the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, met various separatist leaders on
Tuesday. Led by Sweden Ambassador to India, Lars Olof Lindgren, the team included
Belgian Ambassador Jean M. Deboutte, Spanish Ambassador Ion de la Riva, Second
Secretary (Political Affairs) in the Swedish embassy Oscar Schlyter and EU Ambassador
Danielle. They discussed issues relating to human rights violation in the state.
The delegation met Mohammed Yasin Malik, the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir
Liberation Front (JKLF). Malik said he told the EU delegation that people in Kashmir
would respond to the call of the international community. "I told them that people
in Kashmir respond the call of the international community. Now it is the responsibility
of the international community to help to resolve this issue. If you will not
help to resolve this issue, then you are pushing Kashmiri people back to the wall,"
said Malik. The delegation also met with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of
the separatist All Parties Hurriyat (freedom) conference. Lord Olof Lindgren,
the head of the European Union delegation, said they were concerned about the
human rights violation in Kashmir. "Well, there are a lot of human rights issue
that we are looking into. I cannot go into the details of those but those are
of concern to the European Union and we discussed them with the Indian government
and we have met the Human Rights Commissioner in the state. So we will follow
these things with interest like we follow the situation in all parts of India,"
added Lord Olof Lindgren. Separatist groups have long demanded the withdrawal
of Indian troops and scrapping of anti-terrorism laws, including the Armed Forces
Special Powers Act that gives sweeping powers to security forces in Kashmir, where
about 500,000 troops are stationed. |
|
|
|
|
|