This is a report of the UN Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances that was submitted to the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Topics: enforced disappearances, attacks on human rights defenders, legalized impunity

Terms: inability to collect information, reprisals, harrassment of human rights defenders, attacks on human rights defenders, 1992 extrajudicial execution of H.N. Wanchoo, arbitrary detention, prolonged detention, incommunicado detention, judicial failure, army impunity, state impunity, custodial rape, Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), widespread torture

Article Summary: This is a report of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions (Bacre Waly Ndiaye) that was submitted to the Commission on Human Rights

Topics: violation of right to life, killings of government officials, killings by Indian forces, torture

Terms: extrajudicial killings, arbitrary killings, custodial torture, custodial killings, killings by Border Security Forces (BSF), impunity, failure to investigate, failure to prosecute

This report is based on work done over several in-person missions to Indian-Administered Jammu and Kashmir and over 130 corroborated witness interviews, the examination of physical evidence, medical examinations and other documentation of the incidents described.

Topics:  the pattern of impunity, access for international organizations, applicable international law, extrajudicial executions and reprisal killings, summary executions and deaths in custody, reprisal attacks, indiscriminate use of lethal force, torture, rape by Indian government forces in Kashmir, indiscriminate attacks and assaults on civilians, violations of medical neutrality by government forces, other medical consequences of the conflict, the government's comments and Asia Watch/PHR's response, violations by militant organizations, disappearances, comments of the Government of India   

Terms: attempted execution of Masroof Sultan, killing of Gowhar Amin Bahadur and Javed Bakshir, killings in Srabala, killing of Ashiq Hussain Masoodi, killings at Tengpora, Dal Gate killings, killings in Abeguzar, killing of Mohammad Yaqub Mir, burning of Lal Chowk, the Shikara killings, April 1993 Sopore killings, killing of Dr. Farooq Ahmed Ashai, Sopore Massacre, killing of three civilians in Sopore, killings at Badasgam, massacre in Batekote, killings in Safakadal, massacre at Nasarullahpora, killing of Tajuddin and Imtiazuddin Farooqi, killing of Ashiq Hussain, torture victims with acute renal failure (rhabdomyolysis), rape in Shopian, rape in Haran, rape in Gurihakhar, assaults on journalists, preventing medical personnel from transporting the wounded, refusal by security forces to provide or permit medical care for wounded, raids on hospitals, detentions, harassment and assaults on health care workers, muder of H. N. Wanchoo, killing of Dr. Abdul Ahad Guru, Operation Tiger, Operation Shiva, “catch and kill,” Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), The Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, 1990, names of the disappeared, comments and rebuttals of the Government of India

On 10th April 1993, a large neighborhood of Srinagar’s city center known as Lal Chowk was burned to the ground by a contingent of India's Border Security Forces. More than 60 houses, 5 commercial buildings, 150 shops, 2 official buildings, shrines, and schools were burnt to ashes. A total of 47 innocent civilians were charred to death and over 125 were killed. This fact finding probe was compiled by Institute of Kashmir Studies and has been reproduced by Legal Forum for Kashmir.

Topics: Lal Chowk has a history, Lal Chowk Arson: brief facts, critical study on Lal Chowk Arson, statement of occupying authorities, who put residential and commercial establishments on fire?, public reaction and protest, international organizations on Lal Chowk Arson, Lal Chowk Arson in local press, table details of human loss, table details of residential houses burnt, Lal Chowk Arson testimonies

‍Terms: systematic killing, mass killing, systematic arson, indiscriminate firing, destruction of property, legalized impunity, failure of accountability, war crimes, crimes against humanity, disinformation

This report finds that one of the main reasons behind the human rights crisis in Kashmir is the government's unwillingness to take steps to curb abuses by its security personnel. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, members of the security forces have not been held criminally liable for abuses that include torture, rape and murder. When punishments have been given, they have been limited to administrative disciplinary measures. Despite complaints by medical workers in Kashmir about violations of medical neutrality, assaults on health professionals and other actions by the security forces to deliberately obstruct health services, there has been no response from the government.  

Topics: historical background, applicable international law, violations of medical neutrality by governmental forces, preventing medical personnel from transporting the wounded, refusal by security forces to provide or permit medical care for wounded, raids on hospitals, detentions, harassments and assaults on healthcare workers, torture- the medical evidence, torture victims with acute renal failure, additional torture cases, other medical consequences of the conflict, militant abuses

Terms: harassment of medical workers, harassment of human rights defenders, denial of right to life, denial of right to healthcare, custodial torture, custodial killings, excessive use of force, torture of doctors