Report by:
Mr. Idzham Haqim Mat Rasid
Secretary International Affairs and SDG Bureau
Malaysian Youth Council
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organization (MAPIM) alongside Malaysian-Kashmir Youth Movement (MKYM) and Sekretariat Himpunan Ulama Rantau Asia (SHURA) recently hosted a program as a form of solidarity towards Jammu and Kashmir after a year of being under lockdown. The event was attended by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in which he gave his keynote regarding the matter saying “I had chosen to speak out (Kashmir injustice) despite being aware of the potential backlash. To my mind, keeping quiet is not an option. When Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy was revoked, the fear of the people being oppressed and prosecuted became a concern. The deployment of troops by the tens of thousands into the disputed territory added to the concern.” He called upon resemblance of the situation to the illegal administration of Palestine by Israel and labelling it as a siege.
Jammu and Kashmir was an independent autonomous state in Northern India bordering Pakistan until last year when the Indian government revoked Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which automatically removed the state’s autonomy. What proceeded was a year of lockdown for the residents and hostile police and military brutality. The situation quickly became a human rights crisis when the government had cut off all telecommunication infrastructure and access roads thus blacking out the entire state and disallowing medical and food supplies to be delivered to the location. This situation unfortunately has been going on for a year with little to no mainstream media attention hence, it is crucial for human rights activists to shed light onto the horrific attempts of the Indian government to take over the region.
Date : 8th August 2020
