UNITED NATIONS, Mar 04 :UN human rights chief Volker Turk has voiced over the situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as he called on the international community to intensify efforts to defend fundamental freedoms and the institutions founded to promote them.
\n\u201cI am concerned by the use of restrictive laws and harassment against human rights defenders and independent journalists resulting in arbitrary detention and a diminished civic space, including in Kashmir, \u201cTurk told the Human Rights Council, which is meeting in Geneva.
\n He also called for stepped-up efforts to address violence and displacement in the Indian state of Manipur, based on dialogue, peacebuilding and human rights.
\nTurk\u2019s remarks about Kashmir, drew a protest from India\u2019s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Arindam Bagchi, who called them \u201cunfounded and baseless.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs India was mentioned by name, let me begin by emphasizing that the world\u2019s largest democracy continues to be a healthy, vibrant and pluralistic society. Unfounded and baseless comments in the update contrast jarringly with ground realities,\u201d the Indian envoy claimed.
\nPresenting his global update covering more than 30 countries, the High Commissioner noted that there were some 20 conflicts described as \u201coutrageous\u201d the fact that legal safeguards for non-combatants were being repeatedly ignored around the world.
\n\u201cCivilians are deliberately attacked. Sexual violence and famine are used as weapons of war,\u201d Turk said. \u201cHumanitarian access is denied, while weapons flow across borders and circumvent international sanctions. And humanitarian workers are targeted.\u201d
\nIn 2024, he added, a record 356 humanitarian workers were killed while providing aid to people in some of the world\u2019s most appalling crises.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur world is going through a period of turbulence and unpredictability, reflected in growing conflict and divided societies,\u201d the High Commissioner said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot allow the fundamental global consensus around international norms and institutions, built painstakingly over decades, to crumble before our eyes.\u201d
\nIn the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the UN rights chief emphasized that the fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza \u201cand becomes the basis for peace\u201d.
\nHe also stressed that aid deliveries into Gaza should resume immediately, just as Israel announced a halt to aid flowing into the shattered enclave, having proposed extending the first phase of the ceasefire which ended at the weekend and which would allow Israeli troops to stay in Gaza.
\nUN aid chief Tom Fletcher responded with alarm to the Israeli decision, insisting that the ceasefire \u201cmust hold\u201d.
\nIn an online appeal, he added: \u201cInternational humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid. We can\u2019t roll back the progress of the past 42 days. We need to get aid in and the hostages out.\u201d
\nBack in the Human Rights Council, Turk said that the Gaza had been \u201crazed\u201d by constant Israeli bombardment, and, \u201cAny solution to the cycles of violence must be rooted in human rights, including the right to self-determination, the rule of law and accountability. All hostages must be freed; all those detained arbitrarily must be released; and humanitarian aid into Gaza must resume immediately.\u201d
\nReflecting deep concerns by humanitarian officials and the human rights community about Israeli military raids on Palestinian settlements in the West Bank, the UN High Commissioner insisted that Israel\u2019s \u201cunilateral actions and threats of annexation in the West Bank, in violation of international law, must stop\u201d.<\/p>\n
Turk also condemned the use of \u201cmilitary weapons and tactics, including tanks and airstrikes, against Palestinians\u201d. Equally worrying was \u201cthe destruction and emptying of refugee camps, the expansion of illegal settlements, the severe restrictions on movement and the displacement of tens of thousands of people\u201d.
\nOn Afghanistan, the High Commissioner said, \u201cwomen and girls are subject to State-sponsored gender apartheid that is unparalleled in today\u2019s world, noting they are denied the most basic and fundamental freedoms essential to normal life, including movement, education and work.
\n\u201cI am deeply concerned for the long-term future of a country that is self-harming on a national scale.\u201d Turk added.
\nIn Sudan, the High Commissioner once again condemned devastating bomb attacks launched in heavily built-up areas with total impunity, by the parties to the conflict.
\nAll the while, the world\u2019s worst humanitarian catastrophe deepens, threatening regional stability, he maintained: \u201cCivilians are paying an unbearable price, in a naked struggle for power and resources. All countries must use their influence to apply pressure on the parties and their allies, to stop the war, embark on an inclusive dialogue, and transition to a civilian-led Government.\u201d
\nTurning to Ukraine, whose future material support from the United States appeared unclear following televised disagreements between Presidents Trump and Zelensky at a White House meeting on Friday, Turk opposed any peace deal that excluded Ukraine.
\n\u201cThree years since the full-scale Russian invasion, people continue to suffer appallingly\u2026Any discussions about ending the war must include Ukrainians and fully respect their human rights. Sustainable peace must be based on the United Nations Charter and international law.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 04 :UN human rights chief Volker Turk has voiced over the situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as he called on the international community to intensify efforts to defend fundamental freedoms and the institutions founded to promote them. \u201cI am concerned […]<\/p>\n
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