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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

e-Media is Reviving The Kashmir Freedom Moment

By: Sheikh GULZAAR
Srinagar, August 04: These days a term “New Media” is used almost everywhere. But only a few people actually know its meaning. “New Media” means to encompass the emergence of digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies in the later part of the 20th century. Most technologies described as “new media” are digital, often having characteristics of being manipulatable, networkable, dense, compressible, and impartial.

People around the world are taking advantage of new media. It is the most effective, fastest and easiest way to communicate with other people around the world. Social networking sites like Facebook, video streaming sites like Youtube and blogs all fall into the horizon of new media.

The traditional media have been covering and reporting about the events occurring in Kashmir for years now. But for last two years, the people have started reporting events on their own, utilizing the new media. Young men using camera mobile phones are recording events all around Kashmir and sharing captured videos and pictures on sites like Youtube.

According to these men, by doing this they are gathering evidences against the Indian Army about their inhumane treatment with the innocent people. And so far they are quite successful. One of the most famous videos shared was shot by Adnan, a 15 years old boy in which aftermath events are shown of the killing of a Sheikh Abdul Aziz & others by a bullet in year 2008. The video was viewed more than 3, 50,000 times in just a few day after its upload.

By the way, this type of reporting is termed as Citizen Journalism. People of Kashmir are communicating their messages with the rest of the world utilizing digital publishing. A group of youngsters which is highly involved in these reporting term it as ‘Cyber Protest’.(Writer-South Asia)

On going freedom struggle now or never for Kashmiris: Hizb

Muzaffarabad, August 3: The Supreme Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Salahudin Monday has said that the current phase of resistance movement has ushered the Kashmir conflict into a now or never phase.

Syed Salahudin while addressing in a extraordinary meeting of Command Council, the Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman Ehsan Ellahi in a statement said despite Indian suppression from past 63 years, the current mass struggle has now entered into now or never mode where people irrespective of age and sex are up in arms against India.

While condemning the criminal silence of world over the killing of innocent people in the Valley by paramilitary forces and police men Hizbul Mujahideen, indigenous outfit of Kashmir said that the ongoing freedom struggle has entered into now or never stage.

Everyday dozens of people are being martyred while hundreds are injured,” Hizb chief, Syed Salahudin said,

Terming as unfortunate the recent statement by Britain Prime Minister David Cameron, the Hizb Supremo said that the Kashmir issue was basically created by the United Kingdom. “He should have taken strong note of the human rights violations and the unresolved Kashmir and impressed upon the New Delhi to resolve the issue. Thereby, he would have honoured the tenets of democracy.”

United Nations and the world human rights bodies silence on Kashmir is unfortunate,” he said, adding, incase, United Nations and the other world organizations want to take account of the real situation obtaining in the Kashmir, they should rise above the Indian propaganda and depute a team to decide for themselves as to how the innocents are being killed for raising peaceful protests due to unresolved Kashmir.(Writer-South Asia)

Writer-South Asia is updated every minute of every hour with the latest news, features,analysis: On going freedom struggle now or never for Kashmiris: Hizb

Writer-South Asia is updated every minute of every hour with the latest news, features,analysis: On going freedom struggle now or never for Kashmiris: Hizb: "On going freedom struggle now or never for Kashmiris: Hizb"

Thousands lost in Kashmir mass graves

Srinagar, 3 August: Hundreds & thousands of unidentified graves – believed to contain victims of unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other abuses - have been found in   Kashmir.

Amnesty International has urged the Indian government to launch urgent investigations into the mass graves, which are thought to contain the remains of victims of human rights abuses in the context of the armed conflict that has raged in the region since 1989.

The findings appear in the report Facts under Ground, issued on 29 March by the Srinagar-based Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP). The report details the existence of multiple graves which, because of their proximity to Pakistan controlled-areas, are in areas not accessible without the specific permission of the security forces. Since 2006, the graves of at least 940 people are reported to have been discovered in 18 villages in Uri district alone.

The Indian army has claimed that those found buried were armed rebels and "foreign militants" killed lawfully in armed encounters with military forces. However, the report recounts testimonies from local villagers saying that most buried were local residents hailing from the state.

The report alleges that more than 8,000 persons have gone missing in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989. The Indian authorities put the figure at less than 4.000, claiming that most of these went to Pakistan to join armed opposition groups.

In 2006, a state police report confirmed the deaths in custody of 331 persons, and also 111 enforced disappearances following detention since 1989.

Unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and torture are violations of both international human rights law and international humanitarian law, set out in treaties to which India is a state party. They also constitute international crimes.

Amnesty International has called on the Indian government to unequivocally condemn enforced disappearances in Jammu and Kashmir and ensure that prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into all sites of mass graves in the region are immediately carried out by forensic experts in line with the relevant UN Model Protocol.

All past and current allegations of enforced disappearances must be investigated and, where there is sufficient evidence, anyone suspected of responsibility for such crimes must be prosecuted in fair trial proceedings, with all victims granted full reparations. (Writer-South Asia)