Curfews and blackouts . . .
It has been 15 days since the Indian Government removed the governance rights in Kashmir and imposed a widespread communications ban and curfew that have impacted nearly seven million residents, making it difficult to fully assess the implications on the ground. According to an AFP report, at least 4,000 people were arrested and held under the Public Safety Act, a controversial law that allows authorities to imprison someone for up to two years without charge or trial. Authorities have repeatedly declined to provide a tally of those taken into custody, apart from confirming that more than 100 local politicians, activists, and academics were detained in the first few days after Article 370 was revoked.
UN Security Council response . . .
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a closed-door meeting on Kashmir for the first time since 1965. According to reports, China requested this closed consultation and supported Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s push for the UNSC to create resolutions for Kashmir’s right to self-determination. India’s permanent representative to the UNSC, Syed Akbaruddin, pushed back against the Chinese and Pakistani proposal. The Russian envoy supported India’s position, suggesting that the UNSC has no right to interfere with the Kashmir situation, a “bilateral matter.” As a result, the UNSC failed to agree on a statement.
Demonstrations across Canada and the world . . .
Since last week, thousands have demonstrated in solidarity with the people of Kashmir at Indian embassies and consulates around the world. Many of these demonstrations coincided with large public celebrations around India’s Independence Day on August 15. In Toronto, for instance, more than 2,000 demonstrators gathered across from an India Day event. Last Thursday, a similar demonstration took place at the Indian consulate in downtown Vancouver, organized by local Kashmiri communities. With about 500 people in attendance, many protesters expressed concerns over the safety of their relatives and friends in Kashmir, and have claimed they have not been able to make contact with them in over two weeks.
READ MORE
- The New Yorker: A Kashmiri Novelist on a State Under Siege
- Youth Ki Awaaz: Everything You Need To Know About The UNSC’s Closed-Door Deliberations On Kashmir
- CBC Vancouver: Vancouver Kashmiris march to raise awareness of conflicts with India
