On 5 January 1949, the UN Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) adopted a Resolution enshrining the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people. Australia was one of the countries that voted in favour of the Resolution that stated that the question of Accession of State of Jammu and Kashmir will be decided through a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices.

However, for over 7 decades, the Indian Government continued its terror and oppression reign in the occupied territory. The violations of human rights by the Indian occupation forces are well reported by UNHCR and other renowned Human Rights bodies. These include extrajudicial killings, collective punishments, enforced disappearances, abduction of children and molestation of women and girls during the raids of Indian Security Forces.

The Indian Government’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 aiming to change the demographic structure of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), in clear violation of the UN Security Council Resolutions and International Law, particularly the 4th Geneva Convention has further perpetuated India’s illegal occupation of IIOJK.

The reign of terror that over 8 million Kashmiris are experiencing in IIOJK has no parallel in recent history.

Taking great pride in the Australian values and ethos to uphold human rights around the world and resolving not to fail in protecting the Australian value system by responding to the human rights crisis in IIOJK, we, therefore, ask the House of Representatives to recommend to the Australian Government to:

·  Support implementation of UN Resolution of 5 January 1949 allowing the grant of right to self-determination to people of Kashmir.

·  Play a leading diplomatic role in the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute by the UNSC Resolutions.

·  Express support for universal human rights without any exceptions. We believe that Australia’s long-term relations with other countries must be based on shared human values.

·  Urge India to rescind its illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 that have further perpetuated India’s illegal occupation of IIOJK.

·  Urge India to stop the continuing human rights violations in IIOJK including persistent denial of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination; recent upward surge in extra-judicial killings; arbitrary arrests, including that of human right activist Khurram Parvez.

·  Demand from India to allow impartial investigations into ongoing crimes in IIOJK and accept the establishment of a Commission of Enquiry, as recommended in the two Kashmir Reports of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued in 2018 and 2019, and visits to IIOJK by the UN High Commissioner and the various UN Special Procedure Mandate Holders.