What else can you call it?
The main Kashmir city of Srinagar is under a curfew in an attempt to halt sectarian unrest. Indian authorities have also used barbed wire and patrols by paramilitary troopers. (Tauseef Mustafa/ AFP/ Getty Images)
“They have converted the entire Kashmir region into a prison and.... besieged people’’
That meets my definition.
"Indian army on patrol in Kashmir; Three killed as protests continue" by Aijaz Hussain, Associated Press | September 18, 2010
The main Kashmir city of Srinagar is under a curfew in an attempt to halt sectarian unrest. Indian authorities have also used barbed wire and patrols by paramilitary troopers. (Tauseef Mustafa/ AFP/ Getty Images)
“They have converted the entire Kashmir region into a prison and.... besieged people’’
That meets my definition.
"Indian army on patrol in Kashmir; Three killed as protests continue" by Aijaz Hussain, Associated Press | September 18, 2010
SRINAGAR, India — India sent army troops into the streets of Kashmir yesterday as it intensified a crackdown on increasingly angry separatist protests in the region, where three more Muslim demonstrators were killed in clashes, police said.
Wouldn't you be angry if the police gunned your friends down?
Paramilitary forces and police have taken the lead in confronting protesters since widespread rallies began in June, but with violence escalating over the past week, the government has searched for a new strategy, settling on bringing the military in.
That is not a "new" strategy, and explains the escalating violence.
While some Indian officials have called for easing harsh security laws as a good-will gesture, a top state official said yesterday that the government would use all of its powers to restore order.
“The government has to assert its writ, and appeasement will not work. We’ll take every legal measure to stop the protests now,’’ said Taj Mohi-u-Din, an influential Cabinet minister.
At least 97 people have been killed in demonstrations that demand the mostly Muslim region be given independence from Hindu-dominated India or be allowed to merge with predominantly Muslim Pakistan.
Yeah, SOMEHOW Muslims are the ONLY PEOPLE DENIED SELF-DETERMINATION!
As part of a new security plan, army troops patrolled several towns and villages across the Himalayan region yesterday and guarded the road leading to the airport in Srinagar, the region’s main city.
That is NOTHING NEW!
The use of the army, which normally patrols the frontier with Pakistan and fights against militants, is likely to further anger residents, who have lived under rolling government curfews and separatist strikes for much of the summer.
Then why are they all lying their dead?
“This is India’s last resort,’’ said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a top separatist leader. “What we’ve been repeatedly saying should now be clear to all — that this place is under martial law.’’
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah came under heavy criticism in July when, in a symbolic show of force, he called in the army to march in Srinagar. That was the first time in nearly two decades that soldiers patrolled in the city.
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Another show of symbolism called a photo op:
"Indian lawmakers visit Kashmir as deaths continue" by Associated Press | September 21, 2010
SRINAGAR, India — A delegation of Indian lawmakers began a mission yesterday in Kashmir to find ways of defusing months of deadly unrest, but their trip was immediately derided by the Himalayan region’s separatists as a publicity stunt.
Nearly 40 lawmakers from all major Indian national parties met Kashmiri leaders in Srinagar — the main city in the Indian portion of the divided region — to find ways to address longstanding demands for self-rule or a merger with predominantly Muslim Pakistan.
It was unclear how fruitful the mission would be, after Kashmiri separatists said they would not meet the lawmakers.
Kashmir has been rocked by widespread protests against Indian rule since June, with at least 106 people killed in clashes with security forces — including four who died Sunday. Human rights group Amnesty International has urged Indian authorities to investigate the killings and order government forces to stop the use of lethal force against demonstrators.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a top separatist leader, described the Indian lawmakers’ visit as “a facade, a joke.’’
“They have converted the entire Kashmir region into a prison and now a delegation has been sent to meet the besieged people,’’ Farooq said.
Makes one think of GAZA -- except Israel doesn't let anyone in!
Five members of the delegation were able to meet with Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a key separatist leader spearheading the current agitation, in the presence of journalists.
Ever notice it is always Muslims do the agitiating in the agenda-pushing propaganda papers of AmeriKa?!
Geelani said talks could only be held if India accepts that Kashmir is an international dispute, releases all political prisoners, and starts the withdrawal of hundreds of thousands of troops from the region. “We will not surrender,’’ he said.
Oh, I LIKE THAT LAST IDEA I highlighted!
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"Van carrying 30 drives into Kashmir river" by Associated Press | September 22, 2010
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan — A van carrying at least 30 schoolchildren plunged into a river in Pakistan-held Kashmir yesterday, and most of the passengers were confirmed or feared dead....
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NEW DELHI — The Indian government announced a major policy shift in Kashmir yesterday, calling for the release of jailed student protesters, easing security strictures in major cities, reopening schools, and offering financial compensation to the families of the more than 100 civilians killed since the restive region erupted in protests in June.
And not a peep from the U.S.
Related: U.S. Finally Cares About Kashmir
Haven't heard another word otherwise.
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, who led a parliamentary delegation on a fact-finding trip last week, also said a government committee would be established to open a dialogue with political parties, students, and civil society groups in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian-controlled part of the disputed region.
All after the troops have moved in, huh?
“We hope that these steps should address the concerns of different sections of Jammu and Kashmir,’’ Chidambaram said.
Separatist leaders said they were assessing the announcement last night, but several protesters and analysts said that the changes would be judged less by what was said than by how they were carried out.
“People are just cynical,’’ said Amitabh Mattoo, a Kashmir specialist at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. “Cynical because of 20 years of conflict and because past dialogues had not gone anywhere.’’
Seems to be a worldwide pandemic.
Kashmir, the predominantly Muslim region claimed by India and Pakistan, has been embroiled in a crisis for more than three months as stone-throwing protesters have clashed with Indian security officers firing live ammunition. Many of the protesters were demanding independence from India as outrage over the heavy security presence in the region boiled over.
Related:
"It is now the focal point for seemingly bottomless Kashmiri rage at the continuing presence of the roughly 500,000-strong Indian security force here.... a full-scale occupation..... They remain even though violence.... has fallen to its lowest point in two decades.... rapes by soldiers, extrajudicial killings, and a lack of redress are endemic, not least because security forces are largely shielded from prosecution by laws put in place when Indian troops were battling a once-potent insurgency here.... About 68,000 people have died in the 20-year conflict."
Also see: India's Mass Graves
Wouldn't you be outraged?
For India, Kashmir had become a political and security crisis, but also a major embarrassment as the country prepares to host the Commonwealth Games next week in New Delhi.
Related: India's Olympics
They won't be winning any medals.
In recent days, the Kashmir Valley has choked under a stifling curfew enforced with thousands of security forces. Shops have been shut and even milk deliveries were halted. Many residents described the situation as “collective punishment.’’
Then it is a WAR CRIME!!
Omar Abdullah, the embattled chief minister of the state, called the policy changes “a welcome step.’’ Abdullah has come under fire from critics who say he has mismanaged the crisis, and has previously called on the central government to ease security laws in the region.
He said he hoped schools and universities could reopen tomorrow but warned that other changes “may take time.’’
Sorry, I am out of patience.
Mattoo cautioned that it would take time to determine whether the changes would be meaningful. He said some Kashmiris had hoped for a bolder announcement, including the removal of emergency laws that grant broad arrest powers to soldiers and security officers.
Instead, Chidambaram said the state government would review them.
Translation: This "new" strategy is ALL BLATHER so people will CALM DOWN!
The protests began in June and have steadily escalated into a major crisis.
Then WHY SUCH LITTLE PUB and PRESS, AmeriKan corporate media?
Chidambaram said at least 108 Kashmiris had died since June; 194 students were in custody for throwing stones and 51 for violating the Public Safety Act.
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Updates: Kashmir: Would the Sense Prevail?
I never expect sense to prevail anymore.
Four injured in Kashmir, curfew imposed
I knew it was bull.
More: Israel and India: Brothers In Occupation of Kashmir
