kashmir paradise on earth or nuclear flashpoint

8/13/2019 Kashmir Paradise on Earth or Nuclear Flashpoint

1/87

Kashmir: Paradise on Earth or a

Nuclear Flashpoint

Laura Schuurmans


2/87

Kashmir: Paradise on Earth or a

Nuclear Flashpoint

KASHMIR SOLIDARITY FORUMJAKARTA - INDONESIA

Laura Schuurmans


3/87

II


4/87

III

Map of Kashmirs disputed territory


5/87

IV

First printed in 2010

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or

reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission

of the author. She can be contacted [email protected]

Design and layout by PT Schuurmans Indonesia

Printed in Indonesia

This publication is not for sale

KASHMIR SOLIDARITY FORUM

Jl. Danau Agung 2, Blok E13/IB

Sunter Agung Podomoro

Jakarta Utara

INDONESIA

Phone/Fax +62 21 647 15976
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


6/87

V

To my father, himself a victim of injustice, war and oppression


7/87

VI

Credits

Kashmir Media Cell

Front cover photograph

Map on page III

Photographs on the following pages:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 20, 24, 25, 26,

27, 38, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35, 43

The Jakarta Post

Articles on the following pages:

15, 30, 47

Laura Schuurmans

Photographs on the following pages:

X, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 36, 38, 40


8/87

VII

Contents

Foreword IX

Authors note XI

Prelude 1

Kashmirs religious divide 8

The Two Nation Theory 9

Militancy in Kashmir 13

Indias stance on Kashmir 14

Pakistans stance on Kashmir 16

The State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir 17

Refugees from Indian-held Kashmir 22

Present conditions in Indian-held Kashmir 24


9/87

VIII

Aksai Chin & Chinese views on Kashmir 30

The opinion of the Kashmiris on both sides 31

of the Line of Control

United Nations 36

Bilateral talks 43

Kashmir; a problem with global dimensions 45

The way forward 48

Appendix 51

- The Mumbai attacks: A new hypothesis 52

- Timor Leste a model for Kashmir 56

- Understanding India: Myth or reality 60

- China views Kashmir as a major dispute 64

- Indias commercial interests vs the Kashmir dispute 67

References 71


10/87

IX

Foreword

By

Drs Zahir Khan, SH. Dipl. TEFLLecturer

Legal Consultant

Director of Iqbal Academy Indonesia

Chairman of Kashmir Solidarity Forum

Chairman of Indonesia Institute for Christology

It is with immense pleasure that I pen down my thoughts on this

research paper Kashmir: Paradise on Earth or a Nuclear Flashpoint.

I am highly impressed with the utmost passion and objectivity of Laura

Schuurmans, who has traced the genesis of the Kashmir Dispute, its

protracted fallout on the suffering humanity for the past six decades

and a resolute need for its solution. The world generally understands

the Kashmir problem as a border dispute between two nuclear rivals,

India and Pakistan. This, however, is not the only dimension of the

issue, a fact well researched by Laura not from a political angle but

from a human rights view point, of which not much is known to the

world due to the presence of 700.000 Indian troops and draconian

laws applied to the daily life in Indian occupied Kashmir. This researchpaper makes an interesting reading as an introduction to the conflict

and it gives a convincing argument for a quick and meaningful solution

to the Kashmir Dispute.

Drs Zahir Khan


11/87

X

The writer, Laura Schuurmans


12/87

XI

Authors note

Located between the vast mountainous ranges of the Himalayas, the

Karakoram and Pir Panjal lays the princely state of Jammu and

Kashmir which once was a popular tourist destination known for its

serene beauty. The Mughal Emperor Jehangir rightfully called Kashmir

a Paradise on Earth.

Unfortunately the beauty and serenity of Kashmir has been

overshadowed by decades of armed conflict.

Although the Kashmir dispute is a conflict between India and Pakistan,

those who have been suffering are the Kashmiris. During the

interviews which I conducted during my research, many spoke of the

agony without any emotion, as though it was normal and part of theireveryday life.

After more than six decades the Kashmiris are still waiting for the

plebiscite promised by the United Nations. I staunchly believe that it is

the moral obligation of the international community to seek a solution

to the ongoing Kashmir dispute.

Laura Schuurmans

September 2010

Email:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


13/87

Kashmir: Paradise on Earth or a Nuclear Flashpoint

1

Prelude

In the seventeenth century the British founded the East India

Company and established trade routes with the South Asian

subcontinent and South East Asia. The East India Company eventually

created the British Raj stretching from todays Pakistan, India to

Bangladesh which ruled the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947.

The British Raj comprised British India and 584 Princely States

scattered throughout the subcontinent. Earlier in 1846 the East India

Company had sold one of the Princely States to Maharaja Gulab Singh

Maharaja Gulab Singh who purchased Kashmir from the British Raj


14/87


2

through the Treaty of Amritsar. Maharaja Gulab Singh was the great

grandfather of Hari Singh, who was Maharaja of Kashmir at the time

of partition in 1947.1

Maharaja Hari Singh

The Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually referred to as

Kashmir comprised Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. Hunza,

Gilgit and Nagar known as the Northern Areas are located in todays

Pakistan. Kashmir only refers to the Kashmir Valley with the capital

Srinagar where the majority of the people live and which is now

located on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LOC).


15/87


3

The biggest human migration of the 20thcentury,

refugee trains to Pakistan in 1947.

After the partition of India under the British Empire in 1947, Pakistan

and India became two independent nations. The treaty of partition was

based on the Two Nation Theory which clearly stated that all parts of

India with a majority Muslim population would become part of

Pakistan and those with a Hindu majority would become part of

Hindustan, todays India. In addition there were the Princely States with

different geographic and demographic patterns. Some of these Princely

States were ruled by Muslims called Nizambut the majority was ruled

by Hindu Kings called Raja or Maharaja. These Princely States were

given the choice to accede to India, Pakistan or in some cases to

become independent on the basic premise of their demographic


16/87


4

patterns as well as geographic contiguity. Those States whose location

was deep inside present India became part of India due to unavoidable

geographic compulsions, even if the demography favored to join

Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir was one region that was contiguous to

both India and Pakistan, but at the time of partition in 1947, the vast

majority favored to join Pakistan as declared by representatives of the

working party in Kashmir on July 19, 19472.

Refugees fleeing from India to their newly formed country, Pakistan, 1947

The majority Muslim population of this Princely State was ruled by

Maharaja Hari Singh who instead of joining Pakistan signed a

controversial treaty of accession with India after which its armed

forces positioned themselves in Kashmir. Consequently war between


17/87


5

India and Pakistan broke out in October 1947. India accused Pakistan

for initiating this armed conflict to move Pathan (also known as

Pashtun) tribesmen from Pakistans North West Frontier Province

presently called Khyber Pukhtunkhwa into Kashmir, whereas Pakistan

has always claimed it was a spontaneous counter-reaction by the

people. Alastair Lamb, a British historian and one of the leading

authorities on Kashmir wrote in The Incomplete Partition that with

the arrival of the Pathan tribesmen into what is today Azad Kashmir,

Mountbatten had concluded that Jawaharlal Nehru himself a

Kashmiri - was using this event as an excuse to extend permanent

Indian control over as much of the State as could be brought about by

force of Indian arms.3

The natural beauty of Azad Jammu and Kashmir


18/87


6

In 1948 India brought the matter to the United Nations and the

United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan was established to

mediate and investigate the dispute. India and Pakistan wanted peace

and order to be restored in Kashmir and both also agreed to hold a

plebiscite for the Kashmiri people to decide on the future of the State

as enshrined in the UN resolutions. However, mistrust started growing

between the two countries, two more wars were fought and more than

sixty years after the first attempt to restore peace and order a plebiscite

has not yet been held. After India and Pakistan became nuclear powers

in the following decades, the Kashmir dispute potentially turned into

one of the worlds most dangerous conflicts.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan

with Kashmiri leaders in Srinagar, 1944


19/87


7

Pakistan has been accused of its alleged support for militancy, but

India has never succeeded in winning the hearts and minds of the

Muslim majority in Kashmir. Torture, killing and rape of innocent

civilians by the Indian security forces have deeply frustrated the

Kashmiri people who after more than six decades of waiting are still

deprived of their right to self determination.

As the world has been faced with economic challenges, growing food

insecurity in the developing world and the global war against terrorism,

the Kashmir dispute has further endangered regional peace and

security. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Israel-Palestine conflict

and the Kashmir dispute have been a grave threat to world peace.

These conflicts are part of the bigger problem of peaceful coexistence,

but they are also part of the solution. If no immediate action is taken

to move towards a settlement of Kashmir dispute, the conflict may

ultimately have dire repercussions for international peace.


20/87


8

Kashmirs religious divide

Muslims and Hindus had lived in a relative peaceful fashion during the

British Raj, but the small and influential Hindu upper class known as

the Brahmins or Pandits had always maintained powerful positions in

Kashmir which generated resentment particularly among the Muslim

elite. This led to separation between Hindus and Muslims in the

Princely State. Muslim landlords had been distressed over the fact that

under non-Muslim rule Pandits controlled more land than them and

although Panditshad been less than 5 percent of the valleys population

since at least the eighteenth century, they had never loosened their grip

on the job market. Muslim traders were also resentful of their Hindu

counterparts.4The Muslims, toiling on their land, had to pay such high

taxes that economic crisis bordering on starvation became more or less

a regular affair.5Its history over the past six centuries ensured that it

faced inter-religious violence and ethnic and sectarian suspicions more

sharply than most.6 Moreover, Muslims in Kashmir overall were

disadvantaged by education, they were excluded from the states armed

forces and the state administration was dominated by Hindus. The vast

majority of Muslims were illiterate, lived in dire poverty and they did

not relate with the Hindu rulers.7According to the 1941 census 93.4percent of the population was illiterate.8As dissatisfaction continued

to grow among the Muslims, in 1931 they came up with a plan to oust

the Maharaja.


21/87


9

The Two Nation Theory

The end of WWII also marked the end of colonization, and

Muhammad Ali Jinnah succeeded persuading the British India

Government with his plans to create a separate Muslim nation in a

Hindu dominated subcontinent.

Two leaders of independence, Gandhi of India and

Muhammad Ali Jinnah of Pakistan


22/87


10

The basic principles behind the Two Nation Theory were actually

initiated by Veer Savarkar, an Indian revolutionary and politician who

developed the ideology of Hindu nationalism called Hindutva. While

the Americans developed the Marshall plan to help rebuilding war-torn

Europe with one of the conditions to decolonize, in 1947 the British

hastily demarcated the final borders which divided British India into

two new states. According to the Two Nation Theory, the

strategically important Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir was

expected to accede to Pakistan owing to its predominantly Muslim

population as enshrined in the partition plan brokered by the British

Raj, but Maharaja Hari Singh, who also thought of declaring an

independent nation, finally decided to join India through a

controversial treaty of accession. Pakistan felt frustrated and angry.

Based on the Two Nation Theory, Kashmir should have acceded to

Pakistan just like Hyderabad and Junagadh had to join India because of

its predominant Hindu population. The late Josef Korbel, father of

former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who went to

Kashmir on behalf of the UN Security Council to find a settlement for

Kashmir in 1948 stated in his book Danger in Kashmir that

Junagadh, with a Muslim ruler but with a Hindu population of about

700,000 acceded in September 1947 through the act of its Nawab toPakistan, but the Indian army entered the country and assured the

people of their right to express themselves about their future. They

voted for India.9 The same happened in Hyderabad.

According to the census of 1941, a total of 77.1 percent were Muslims,

20.12 percent Hindus, and 1.64 percent Sikhs in Kashmir. The rate of

increase of population has been estimated at 1 percent per year. 10The


23/87


11

region of Ladakh adjacent to Tibet was home to some 40.939

Buddhists.11 Due to its geostrategic location and close proximity to

China, Pakistan and India, Kashmir is of strategic importance to all.

Nehru of India and Muhammad Ali Jinnah of Pakistan in Simla, 1946

In addition, the politics of waters of the Jhelum, Chenab and Indus

Rivers also play an important role for India and Pakistan. These rivers

start in the Himalayan Mountains and flow from or through Kashmirto Pakistan into the Arabian Sea on which Pakistans and Indias

agrarian land and economy heavily depends. Given the Radcliffe Line

demarcated by the British which defined the border between India and

Pakistan, the geographic location of Kashmir and the flow of the

rivers, it would have been logical for Kashmir to become part of


24/87


12

Pakistan. Moreover, India had no direct land access to Kashmir and at

the last moment the British altered the border at Gurdaspur giving

India the land access which was crucial to them.


25/87


13

Militancy in Kashmir

Although militancy in Kashmir also include some former Afghan

mujahideenwho started with an armed struggle in Kashmir after the end

of the Soviet occupation in Afghanistan in 1989, in fact the freedom

struggle in Kashmir mainly comprises Kashmiri youth who resorted to

armed struggle only when the Kashmiri people failed to secure their

right to self-determination through peaceful means. They held

demonstrations, made representations and even contested the

elections. Further, the armed struggle in Kashmir is based on

international covenants and the United Nations resolutions which have

categorically justified even use of military means to end illegal

occupation.


26/87


14

Indias stance on Kashmir

India has been taking a different stance on the Kashmir dispute than

Pakistan and it has always continued to claim that Kashmir is an

integral part of the Indian Union which was legalized by successive

democratic elections in Kashmir. The vast majority of Kashmiri people

however, have never accepted to be part of India. India, moreover, had

initially agreed to hold a plebiscite to give the legal right to the

Kashmiri people for self determination but it has always accused

Pakistan of not having met the preconditions to hold a plebiscite. India

also claims that the Tashkent Declaration of 1966 and the Simla

Agreement of 1972 laid the foundation to solve the dispute through

bilateral dialogue. Despite these bilateral declarations, India- Pakistan

relations have always remained strained.


27/87


15

The Jakarta Post 08/12/2010


28/87


16

Pakistans stance on Kashmir

Pakistan is of the view that the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir

are the core basis for a peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute which

should be settled in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri

people. Pakistan has always taken the Kashmiri leadership in

confidence before having talks with India on Kashmir who were and

would always remain the main aggrieved party in the whole spectrum

of this dispute and therefore should never be ignored. Contrary to

India, Pakistan has always maintained Kashmir to be a disputed

territory between India and Pakistan and rejects Indian claims on

Kashmir being an inseparable part of India. Pakistans stance also

revolves around the legal dimensions of the conflict which is

embedded in the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir. According

to Pakistan the Tashkent Declaration and Simla Agreement did not

change the legal position of the dispute as was enshrined in all UN

resolutions on Kashmir


29/87


17

The State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir

A view from Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Pakistans administered part is called Azad Jammu and Kashmir which

means Free Jammu and Kashmir. Until the partition of 1947, Azad

Jammu and Kashmir was not easily accessible and had remained

underdeveloped. Despite financial constraints, the Pakistan

government has made continued efforts to improve living standards of

the Kashmiri people. Since the state has been under Pakistans

administration, two airports and many major roads have been

constructed, piped water supplies, electricity and healthcare has

significantly improved. Presently infant mortality stands at approx 56

per 1000 live births and the immunization rate for children under 5


30/87


18

years of age is more than 80 percent. 12 Pakistan together with Azad

Kashmirs government has also worked hard to eradicate illiteracy.

Literacy rate stands for over 60 percent which is higher than Pakistan

where the literacy rate is at least 10 percent lower according to

UNESCO.13 In addition, enrolment rates at primary schools in Azad

Kashmir are 95 percent for boys and 88 percent for girls. 14

Writer with the President of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and presidential staff


31/87


19

Development in Azad Jammu & Kashmir15

Development 1947 2002

Airport non-existent 2

Road 265 km 9816 km

Electricity non-existent 360,000

homes

Piped water supply rural areas non-existent 62 percent

Piped water supply urban areas non-existent 77 percent

Healthcare 30 beds 1731 beds

Writer at a school for the children of Kashmiri refugees in Muzaffarabad

Ethnic Kashmiri people whose grandparents migrated to Pakistan long

ago have fully integrated in Pakistans society of which some examples

are former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz


32/87


20

Sharif, General Aziz Khan (ex chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff

Committee) and many more. More than 30.000 Kashmiris are serving

in Pakistans armed forces and have reached the ranks up to four stars

generals. Kashmiris have no restrictions to move or find jobs in

Pakistan. In fact they can and do serve in all major ministries and

government departments.

Pakistans ex Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, taking oath of office

Kashmiri families have been divided on both sides of the Line of

Control (LOC) and are not allowed to visit each other. Pakistan has

repeatedly requested to allow free cross border travel across the Line

of Control. India, however, has not agreed to the proposal. As a

humanitarian gesture to the Kashmiris in 2005 the first bus service

started operating between Muzaffarabad (capital of Azad Jammu and

Kashmir) across the Line of Control to Srinagar. Former Pakistans


33/87


21

President Pervez Musharraf initiated this idea to enable the divided

families to meet and build people to people contact and to build trust

between India and Pakistan.

Bus service from Muzaffarabad to Srinagar


34/87


22

Refugees from Indian-held Kashmir

A Kashmiri refugee from Indian-held Kashmir who lost his leg to the Indian

landmine laid on the Line of Control


35/87


23

Thousands of Kashmiris who were forced to flee Indian-held Kashmir

in 1989 have since been living in a Manak Payan refugee camp in

Muzaffarabad. One refugee who had fled his home town in Indian-

held Kashmir after the Indian security forces accused him of being a

terrorist and he faced persecution, does not want his name to be

mentioned. In an interview he quoted by saying You must know what is

truly happening in Kashmir. The international media does not properly cover the

Kashmir dispute. India should stop committing atrocities against innocent

Kashmiris. In Indian-held Kashmir people have no access to basic human rights.

India must stop with its state terror. Its forces must leave the territory and the

United Nations must fulfill its responsibility for a referendum. It is obvious that we

Kashmiris dont want to be part of India. We never wanted to become part of India

in the first place. 16

Refugee camp in Muzaffarabad


36/87


24

Present conditions in Indian-held Kashmir

Natures blessing - Serenity of the Kashmir Valley

Although Kashmir used to be referred to as Paradise on Earth

Jammu and Kashmir is everything but a paradise. This is evident from

the fact that out of over one million soldiers of the Indian army,

700.000 are only deployed in the disputed region of Kashmir to

control 7 million Kashmiris. This is about one soldier for every ten

civilians. Indian-held Kashmir is one of the heaviest militarized regionsin the world and Indian armed forces have been committing atrocities

on large scale against innocent civilians for over two decades.


37/87


25

The Kashmiri people

The New York Times published an article in February 2007 stating

that Kashmiris have long accused Indian authorities of disappearances

and extrajudicial killings; one local human rights group estimates that

10.000 people have disappeared since the anti-Indian insurgency began

in 1989. Nor have civilians been immune to savagery of militants;

beheadings are among their favored tactics.17It has remained hard to

estimate the total number of deaths since 1989. Human Rights Watch

stated the State of Jammu and Kashmir has been in conflict for the

last two decades, and tens of thousands of civilians have died, caught

between separatist militants and Indian security forces. While militants

too have been responsible for human rights abuses, Kashmiris have

long complained about violations by Indian troops who go unpunished

for serious crimes including extrajudicial executions, torture, arbitrary

detentions and enforced disappearances.18The UK Guardian quoted


38/87


26

qthat the conflict has cost at least 40.000 lives. 19 The International

Herald Tribune stated that more than 68.000 people, mostly civilians,

have been killed in the conflict.20

Human atrocities by Indian security forces unleashed on Kashmiris


39/87


27

Against all odds, Kashmiris struggle hard to achieve their independence from India


40/87


28

Human resilience versus state terror

A Kashmiri businessman from Indian-held Kashmir who wishes to

remain anonymous as he fears reprisal from Indian security forces hasestimated that the actual death toll is much higher than those quoted in

the media. In an interview he told that the Indian armed forces have

successfully intimidated the Kashmiris who by nature are too scared to pick up a

gun and fight.21 He continued saying Kashmiris actually have a lot of

goodwill for Sheikh Abdullahs family. As long as they speak the right words, they

will get many followers in Kashmir. Unfortunately his grandson Omar Abdullah,

todays Chief Minister has been too close to India. More than sixty years after the

partition, the situation has not changed. The Indians have never succeeded winning

over the hearts and minds of the vast majority of Kashmiris. If the international

community had cared about us and about democracy, there would have been a

referendum for the Kashmiris to decide on their future. But the international

community obviously has no interest in us which is also one of the reasons why many


41/87


29

Kashmiri families have given money to the freedom fighters in Indian-held Kashmir.

The West considers these rebels religious terrorists, but we Kashmiris simply call

them freedom fighters. After the insurgency started in 1989 thousands of alleged

freedom fighters were forced to cross the border into Pakistan as they feared torture,

arbitrary arrests or death.

What does the future hold for him?


42/87


30

Aksai Chin & Chinese views on Kashmir

A part of Kashmirs disputed region that is usually ignored but whichshould be briefly highlighted is called Aksai Chin and occupies roughly

20 percent of Kashmir. In 1962, China and India fought a brief war

over Aruanachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin. Aksai Chin is largely

inaccessible, almost uninhabited and located right behind the

Karakoram Mountains. It is divided from Kashmir through the Line of

Actual Contact and is under Chinese administration. The following

article which was published in the Jakarta Post on Friday, February 5,

2010 elaborates more on Aksai Chin. (text can be read in the appendix)



43/87


31

The opinion of Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of

Control

Kashmir is divided into different regions, ethnic groups and religions.

The opinion of the Kashmiris should be classified into the following

sub-regions:

- Valley of Kashmir

- Jammu

- Ladakh

- Northern Areas- Azad Jammu & Kashmir

A glimpse of the natural beauty


44/87


32

Religious/demographic pattern in Indian-held Kashmir22

Reg ion uddhis t s H indus Mu s l ims OthersKashmir Valley /// 4% 95% ///

Jammu /// 66% 30% 4%

Ladakh 50% /// 46% 3%

Religious/demographic pattern in Pakistans administered Kashmir23

Reg ion uddhis t s H indus Mu s l ims OthersNorthern Areas /// /// 99% ///

Azad J & K /// /// 99% ///

A view from the paradise

Anti-Indian sentiment is deeply rooted in the Kashmir Valley where

the majority of the people live. In the latest elections of 2008 people

went to poll amid heavy security but most Kashmiris boycotted the

elections. The Indian government claimed that the total voter turnout

was more than 60 percent, but in Srinagar, capital of the Kashmir


45/87


33

Valley, the voter turnout was only about 20 percent.24 In Jammu the

voter turnout was about 70 percent.25Jammu is the only region which

has a predominantly Hindu population. The area is known for its many

temples and Hindu shrines and is a famous pilgrimage destination for

Hindus. Ladakh borders with China in the north and is predominantly

Buddhist. The region has been strongly influenced by the Tibetan

culture. Victoria Schofield, a British historian and author of several

books on Kashmir stated that neither the Buddhists of Ladakh nor the

Hindus of Jammu share the objectives of the Muslim Kashmiris of the

valley. Their main concern has been to press for autonomy against

dominance from the more populous valley.26 Pakistans administered

Kashmir has been divided in the Northern Areas - the new name is

Gilgit Baltistan- and Azad Kashmir.

Dudipatsar lake Azad Jammu and Kashmir


46/87


34

Serenity of Azad Jammu & Kashmir

Although people in the Northern Areas have been living amidst

poverty and their needs have often been neglected, Victoria Schofield

stated that people in the Northern Areas are generally believed to favor

full integration with Pakistan.27 In Azad Kashmir there is a strong

sentiment among the people who still believe that a plebiscite

according to the UN resolutions is the only solution. Although there is

a faction of Kashmiris in Azad Jammu and Kashmir who may desire

independence, they also are aware that an independent Kashmir has to

confront difficulties of survival. Therefore, they generally accept to

become part of Pakistan which has provided them with access to the

basic facilities like healthcare, education and jobs.


47/87


35

View from the window


48/87


36

United Nations

A banner in Muzaffarabad shows the popular public sentiment

During the initial stages the United Nations actually did play an

important role in maintaining law and order in Kashmir. In one of the

resolutions it even included to settle Kashmir through arbitration.

Unfortunately it has never been in the position to press for a

settlement and more than 60 years later the United Nations has hardly

shown any interest in the Kashmir dispute. The following are excerpts

of some of the resolutions adopted by the United Nations Security

Council:


49/87


37

Resolution of January 17, 1948

The Security Council calls upon both the Government of India andthe Government of Pakistan to take immediately all measures within

their power (including public appeals to their people) calculated to

improve the situation, and to refrain from making any statements and

from doing or causing to be done or permitting any acts which might

aggravate the situation.28

Resolution of January 20, 1948

The Security Council, considering that it may investigate any dispute or

any situation which, by its continuance, endanger the maintenance of

international peace and security and that, in the existing state of affairs

between India and Pakistan, such an investigation is a matter of

urgency, adopts the resolution that a Commission of the Security

Council (UNCIP) is hereby established.29

Resolution of April 21, 1948

The Security Council is strongly of the opinion that the early

restoration of peace and order in Jammu and Kashmir is essential and

that India and Pakistan should do their utmost to bring about a

cessation in all fighting.30

The Security Council noted with satisfaction that both India and

Pakistan desire that the question of the accession of Jammu and

Kashmir to India and Pakistan should be decided through the

democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite, considering that


50/87


38

the continuation of the dispute is likely to endanger international peace

and security.31

Refugee camp in Muzaffarabad

Restoration of peace and order

The Government of Pakistan should undertake to use its best

endeavors to secure the withdrawal from the State of Jammu and

Kashmir of tribesmen and Pakistani nationals not normally resident

therein who have entered to State for the purpose of fighting, and to

prevent any intrusion into the State of such elements and any

furnishing of material aid to those fighting in the State.32


51/87


39

The Government of Pakistan should make known to all concerned

that the measures indicated in this and the following paragraphs

provide full freedom to all subjects of the State, regardless of creed,

caste, or party, to express their views and to vote on the question of

the accession of the State, and that therefore they should co-operate in

the maintenance of peace and order.33

The Government of India should, when it is established to the

satisfaction of the Commission set up in accordance with the Councils

resolution 39 (1948) that the tribesmen are withdrawing and that

arrangements for the cessation of the fighting have become effective,

put into operation in consultation with the Commission a plan for

withdrawing their own forces from Jammu and Kashmir and reducing

them progressively to the minimum strength required for the support

of the civil power in the maintenance of law and order.34

The Government of India should undertake to ensure that the

Government of the State invites the major political groups to designate

responsible representatives to share equitably and fully in the conduct

of the administration at the ministerial level while the plebiscite is

being prepared and carried out.35


52/87


40

Kashmiri refugees who are waiting for their promised plebiscite

The Government of India should undertake that there will be

established in Jammu and Kashmir a Plebiscite Administration to hold

a plebiscite as soon as possible on the question of the accession of the

State to India or Pakistan.36

The Government of India should ensure that the Government of the

State released all political prisoners and take all possible steps so that a)

All citizens of the State who have left it on account of disturbances are

invited, and are free, to return to their homes and to exercise their

rights as such citizens b) There is no victimization c) Minorities in all

parts of the State are accorded adequate protection.37


53/87


41

Resolution of March 30, 1951

The Security Council calls upon the parties, in the event of theirdiscussion with the United Nations Representative failing in his

opinion to result in full agreement, to accept arbitration upon all

outstanding points of difference reported by the United Nations

Representative (in accordance with paragraph 5 above), such

arbitration to be carried out by an arbitrator, or a panel of arbitrators,

to be appointed by the President of the International Court of Justice

after consultation with the parties.38

In one of the resolutions of December 2, 1957, however, the United

Nations Security Council expressed concerns over the lack of progress

towards a settlement of the dispute.39

Throughout much of the Cold War, Indias relations with the Soviet

Union were friendlier than those with the United States. 40Since 1957

the Soviet Union had become increasingly involved in the UNSC on

issues related to Kashmir and vetoed many proposals and resolutions

put on the agenda. The Kashmir dispute was put again on the agenda

of the Security Council in 1965 following the war over Kashmir.

Steadily the United Nations started losing interest in the conflict, and

in December 1971 the Security Council discussed the grave situation inthe South Asian subcontinent for one last time.

Although the East-Timor question in Indonesia is a different conflict

compared to Kashmir, with pressure from the international

community, however, Indonesia did open its doors and held a

referendum under the auspices of the United Nations. The article


54/87


42

Timor Leste a model for Kashmir draws a parallel between the two

disputes and also underscores the importance of the United Nations in

conflict resolution. The article was published in the Jakarta Post and

can be read in the appendix.


55/87


43

Bilateral talks

Foreign Secretary level Indo-Pak talks in New Delhi, February 25, 2010

The Composite Dialogue and Confidence Building Measures known

as CMBs were positive steps taken by India and Pakistan to enter into

a bilateral dialogue to address different issues. The CMBs were steps

taken in mutual agreement with each other to bridge the gulf of

mistrust of which some examples are the ceasefire along the Line of

Control, a bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, and the

train service between Khokhrapar and Monabao. The CMBs are put in

place only as steps to help remove mistrust, establish and improve

confidence in each other so as to pave way for a resolution of the core

issue of Kashmir. It, however, does not define the mechanism for a

solution to the dispute.


56/87


44

The Composite Dialogue is meant to address all issues including the

Kashmir dispute. Although the Kashmir dispute is the core issue of all

problems between India and Pakistan, the Siachen issue, Sir Creek

issue and the water dispute also need to be resolved to obtain lasting

and durable peace between the two states.


57/87


45

Kashmir: a problem with global dimensions

A graver threat than the militants in Kashmir is the fact that both

Pakistan and India are nuclear giants. Before the partition, India

established its first nuclear facility for research purposes in 1945 under

professor Bhabha with assistance from the West. India, however,

continued expanding its research center into weapons producing fissile

material facility. In 1962 India and China fought a war over Aksai Chin

and in 1971 a bloody war between India and Pakistan led to the

dismemberment of Pakistan. Serious alarm was raised in the region

when India tested its first nuclear warhead in 1974, just three years

after its full scale war with Pakistan. Pakistans then Prime Minister,

the late Zufiqar Ali Bhutto publicly announced that the Pakistani

nation would eat grass, if it had to, to make an atomic bomb for its

survival against India. In May 1998 India test fired its second nuclear

weapon and carried out five successful blasts. This time Pakistan also

showed its cards and tested its first nuclear weapon later on May 28,

1998. Nuclearization of South Asia has been one of the most

dangerous developments in its history since wars have been fought

over Kashmir between India- Pakistan and India- China. With the

Kashmir issue at its core it is not only in the interest of three nuclear

powers who lay their claims on Kashmir to settle the dispute throughpeaceful means, it is also in the interest of the overall world security.

India has been in direct confrontation with both Pakistan and China

over Kashmir whereas both China and Pakistan respect each others

stance over the issue. Earlier in 2010 Indias army chief said that its

army should be ready to fight a simultaneous war with Pakistan and

China under a limited nuclear umbrella. Such war rhetoric is


58/87


46

counterproductive to world peace particularly in a nuclearized

environment.

The spread of militancy is yet another issue which merits direct

attention of the world. A large percentage of Muslims in India have

been living in dire poverty sometimes worse than Indias untouchables.

Arundhati Roy, one of Indias most prominent writers and winner of

the prestigious Booker Prize concluded in her article The Monster in

the Mirror which she published following the Mumbai attacks of

November 26, 2008 We have a hostile nuclear weapons state that is

slowly spinning out of control as a neighbor, we have a military

occupation in Kashmir and a shamefully persecuted, impoverished

minority of more than 150 million Muslims who are being targeted as a

community and pushed to the wall, whose young see no justice on the

horizon, and who, were they totally lose hope and radicalize, end up as

a threat not just to India, but to the whole world.41According to the

US State Department there are three main militant organizations whichoperate in India, Pakistan and Kashmir.42Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM)

is an Islamist militant group that operates primarily in Kashmir.43Jaish-

e-Mohammed(JEM) was formed in early 2000 and the groups aim is to

unite Kashmir with Pakistan.44India has made claims that Lashkar-e-

Tayba (LT) has allegedly been involved in the Mumbai attacks of

November 26, 2008. LT is a Sunni missionary organization formed in

1989 and is one of the largest and best trained groups fighting in

Kashmir which has conducted a number of operations against Indian

troops and civilian targets in Jammu and Kashmir since 1993.45


59/87


47

The following article The Mumbai attacks, a new hypothesis

elaborates more on the issue. (text can be read in the appendix)



60/87


48

The way forward

After more than six decades of conflict between India and Pakistan,Kashmir is ripe for a solution. A solution to Kashmir will significantly

improve peace and security of the South Asian subcontinent. Human

life is very important but the international community has generally

turned a blind eye to the Kashmir conflict at the expense of innocent

Kashmiris. Much more needs to be done but this cannot be done

without pressure from the international community. If the East-Timor

issue can be addressed and resolved, then Kashmir can and should

receive similar attention from the West and move towards the final

settlement. First and foremost the Kashmiris should be included in

peace talks between India and Pakistan as the most aggrieved party.

A special commission of Indians, Pakistanis and Kashmiris should be

established with a neutral country to act as mediator. All parties need

to go to the negotiating table and install a clear mechanism on how to

move forward with specific steps being taken with reference to definite

timelines. Both India and Pakistan should reduce troops presence on

the Line of Control to demonstrate their seriousness. Besides, India

must withdraw its army from the occupied territory and stop human

rights violations. They should also open the Line of Control with

immediate effect for families on both sides to visit each other. This

will build friendly relations between India and Pakistan and it will also

build confidence among the Kashmiris. To move on, elections should

be held in each district and representatives should come together and

listen whether the regions are opting for greater autonomy, self rule,

independence or a plebiscite under the United Nations. This should be


61/87


49

followed by a Kashmiri Assembly to represent each district. Indians,

Pakistanis and Kashmiris should be nominated to put together a

committee to monitor the peace process and to decide on the borders.

After the Kashmiris, Indians and Pakistanis have agreed on a final

outcome, it should be implemented by the UN under its charter. Law

and order should be kept in Kashmir with supervision of UN

peacekeepers. At the same time Pakistan and India should pledge to

the international community that they will not deliberately interrupt

the peace process for which a special human rights commission should

be established where perpetrators of human rights violations should be

brought to book. All this is possible if the bigger world powers take

serious interest in the issue and do not brush it aside for political

reasons. The Kashmir conflict is a serious human dilemma and needs

to be tackled with compassion to restore human dignity and bring back

peace to the South Asian subcontinent.

As the world dynamics keep on changing, people should cope with

new challenges. The secret of world peace lies in peaceful coexistence

among different religions, ethnicities and cultures.


62/87


50


63/87


51

Appendix

Jakarta Post articlesReprinted with the courtesy of the Jakarta Post,

Indonesias leading English daily newspaper


64/87


52

The Mumbai attacks: A new hypothesis

The Jakarta PostSaturday 02/21/2009

Laura Schuurmans

The fire ignited by the terrorist attacks on Mumbai on Nov. 26 last

year has not been put out as yet. The FBI has been helping India

conduct the investigation to prevent the conflict from turning into a

regional inferno. Pakistan has been carrying out its investigation based

on the dossier provided by India.

It also responded to the United Nations resolution for prompt action

against an Islamic charity organization allegedly involved in the

Mumbai attacks.

Just a few days ago, Pakistans Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik

came up with findings on the Mumbai attacks that part of the terror

plan was indeed hatched within its territory. At a recent press

conference on Feb. 12, Rehman Malik announced that Pakistan was

holding the ringleader and five other suspects involved in the appalling

tragedy in custody. Two others, however, remain at large. Theinvestigation is ongoing, and much more still needs to be done.

To the surprise of many, however, Narendra Modi, Indias Gujarat

chief minister, and L.K. Advani, former president of the BJP, one of

Indias major political parties, recently hinted that the Mumbai attacks

could not have been carried out without internal help. Modi reportedly


65/87


53

said, If we single out that one incident [the Mumbai attacks] and ask

any person in this countrywith basic information and knowledge, he

will say that such a big terror attack on India cannot take place without

help from the nation itself.

In July 2008, within a time span of 70 minutes, a series of 21 bomb

blasts hit Ahmedabad, the cultural and commercial heart of Gujarat

State located in western India, killing 56 people and injuring more than

200.

Earlier in 2002, sectarian violence erupted between Hindus and

Muslims for the first time in Gujarat, killing hundreds and displacing

more than 150,000 people, of which the majority were Muslims, who

have since been living in refugee camps in dire humanitarian

conditions.

The Indian Mujahideen, an Islamic terrorist organization active within

the country, claimed responsibility for the 2008 attacks, and the Indian

government rapidly linked them to militant groups operating in Indian-

held Kashmir, where a dozen rebel groups have been fighting for an

independent Kashmir against Indian armed forces since the separatist

insurgency erupted in 1989.

Modi and Advanis statements, however, added an altogether new

dimension to the Mumbai issue, which interestingly may lead to

Kashmir and which may ultimately also lead to renewed talks between

Pakistan and India on the disputed territory.


66/87


54

The Kashmir dispute dates back to the partition of British India into

two independent states in August 1947 and which has remained

unsolved after more than six decades.

US President Barack Obama pledged to intervene and seek to solve

the Kashmir dispute.

During the latest visit to India by British Foreign Secretary David

Miliband, he suggested that resolving the Kashmir dispute would make

India less vulnerable to attacks, and that Richard Holbrooke, the US

special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, would also work

for a resolution to the Kashmir issue.

A solution to the Kashmir dispute will enhance the regional stability of

the South Asian subcontinent, where both India and Pakistan are

nuclear powers. It will also boost Indias economy and open many

more doors for the worlds fastest growing democracy to become a

global political and economic player.

Nonetheless, the time has also come for Pakistan to seriously focus on

the growing threat of militancy within its borders. It has a dual

responsibility when it comes to eradicating terrorism. It not only has to

wipe out the menace from within its territory, but to succeed, Pakistanwill also have to stop supporting militant groups beyond its borders.

The international community, however, needs to realize that one

country alone cannot overpower the giant of militancy which it has

been facing since the end of the Afghan war in 1989. It needs support

from the region and the whole world to seriously address the issue.


67/87


55

Fortunately, President Obama has blown some rejuvenating air into

US foreign policy. Whether it is the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the

Israel-Palestine issue, or the Kashmir dispute, he definitely has the

right intentions within his capacity to do something good for this

world.


68/87


56

Timor Leste a model for Kashmir

The Jakarta PostTuesday 08/25/2009

Laura Schuurmans

On Aug. 30 it will be 10 years since a UN-sponsored referendum was

held in the former Indonesian province of East Timor, which granted

freedom to its people. After Portugals decolonization in 1975, East

Timor initially became an independent nation.

Shortly after independence, it was invaded and occupied by the

Indonesian military. After more than two decades of occupation,

Indonesia agreed to hold the referendum to determine whether East

Timor would be given special autonomy or become a fully

independent state.

After voting for independence, Timor Leste received long-term

financial support and the international community has remained

strongly committed to aiding the new state. The successes of Timor

Leste in becoming an independent country could be applied in

Kashmir.

A conflict of different dimensions but which shares similar aspirations

of honoring the peoples will to create a separate homeland, is the

ongoing territorial dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.


69/87


57

During the partition in 1947, Kashmir was given the right to accede to

India, Pakistan or to become independent. Based on the ideology of

the two nations, theoretically, it was widely expected that Kashmir

would accede to Pakistan. While Kashmir is a predominantly Muslim

state, the Hindu ruler of Kashmir, however, signed a rather

controversial Treaty of Accession in favor of India.

More than 60 years later, the unresolved Kashmir dispute has turned

into a grave threat to security of the South Asian subcontinent.

Both India and Pakistan, however, can learn from Indonesia. During

the years it occupied East Timor, Indonesia invested significantly more

money for development than Portugal had done during their colonial

rule. Despite Indonesias obstacles and fears of losing East Timor, it

ultimately did accede to international demands to hold a referendum.

Following the referendum in 1999, relations initially remained tense

after elements of the Indonesian military left most of East Timor in

ruins. Violence broke out on several occasions in the years that

followed, and a number of Indonesian military officers and militia have

enjoyed impunity.

On the road toward democracy, however, Indonesia has accepted thefact that it lost East Timor. It has also been dealing with the issue

wisely as it has continued with its efforts to give support and build

strong ties with the former province.

The international community and the UN were deeply involved in

pressing Indonesia for a referendum.


70/87


58

Unfortunately, those who helped free the people of East Timor have

been turning a blind eye to the people of Kashmir, who have been

living under the shadow of the gun for the past six decades.

The Kashmir dispute dates back far earlier than the East Timor issue

and it is also a far more serious threat as India and Pakistan are two

nuclear giants. A solution to Kashmir will undoubtedly enhance and

improve regional security.

In the War on Terror the international community has been

focusing mainly on the western border with Afghanistan. Pakistans

three largest militant groups with alleged ties to al-Qaeda and the

Taliban, however, do not operate in the porous mountains along the

Pakistan-Afghanistan border, but have been active for more than two

decades in Indian-held Kashmir.

Consequently, in the worlds largest democracy, 700,000 soldiers are

now keeping a population of seven million Kashmiris under tight

control and have been widely violating human rights.

Lashkar-e-Tayba, the largest of these militant groups has been accused

of involving in the Mumbai attacks of Nov. 26, 2008. Unlike East

Timor, it seems nobody is really moving to find a solutionto Kashmir. Maintaining todays status quo may actually favor India,

since any renewed talks on Kashmir may jeopardize Indias integrity.

While Pakistan has been sinking deeper into trouble, its political

leadership has been more concerned with ousting potential political

opponents than on the root cause of its problems.


71/87


59

US President Obama has expressed his desire to seek a world free of

nuclear weapons. His statement, however, may have been premature,

for as long as there is no solution to the Kashmir dispute both India

and Pakistan will likely continue expanding their nuclear arsenal.

A solution to the Kashmir dispute is essential for regional peace and

security. The longer one maintains the status quo, the more likely this

will have global repercussions in the mid and long term. In this regard,

Indonesia can play an active role as a neutral mediator to renew talks

between India and Pakistan and to move one step forward.


72/87


60

Understanding India: Myth or reality

The Jakarta PostMonday 10/26/2009

Laura SchuurmansIndia is a success story. India has achieved considerable economic

development that has lifted millions of people out of poverty. It is now

the world's second-fastest growing major economy and is poised to

become a new world power. Indians should rightfully be proud that

they live in the world's largest democracy.

Since India's creation in 1947 its leadership has been striving hard to

improve the living standards of the population. Freedom of opinion

and the press, human rights and equality are all important aspects that

have contributed to India's success.

But behind each success, there is also a story. Since independence

from the British, India has been left with many challenges of which

one is the territorial dispute between Pakistan and India over Kashmir.

During the partition of British India in 1947 the princely state of

Jammu and Kashmir was free to choose to accede to either India orPakistan. Based on the two-nation theory it was widely expected that

Kashmir would accede to Pakistan. On Oct. 26, 1947, the Hindu

Maharaja of Kashmir decided to accede to India and the Indian army

positioned its troops in Kashmir the following day.


73/87


61

In the eyes of pro-independence Kashmiris, the decision of the

Maharaja to join India has been rather controversial, and the arrival of

the Indian army on Oct. 27, 1947 is considered a black day in

Kashmir's history.

Each year on Oct. 27 Kashmiris commemorate this black day to bring

the Kashmir dispute to the attention of the international community,

to appeal for an end to human rights violations and to bring about a

solution of the Kashmir dispute in line with the aspirations of the

Kashmiri people and the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir.

After Pakistan and India first went to war in 1947, three more wars

were fought in 1965, 1971 and 1999. Both nuclear giants, however,

have failed to resolve the dispute. Consequently, millions of Kashmiris

have been living under severe oppression and tens of thousands of

people have since been killed. Moreover, the conflict has seriouslyjeopardized regional peace and security.

If Indian claims are correct that the state of Jammu and Kashmir is an

integral part of India, this beautiful country may then not be as

*'incredible'' as its tourism campaign "Incredible India" has portrayed.

Today, Indian-administered Kashmir is the heaviest militarized region

in the world where 700,000 Indian troops have been keeping apopulation of 7 million Kashmiris under tight control. India has

argued, however, that its military presence is vital to fight Islamic

militants that have been crossing the border from Pakistan.

Besides the Kashmir dispute, India has been dealing with other

internal challenges. Only 50 percent of the population has access to


74/87


62

electricity, one in four Indians goes to bed hungry, and illiteracy rates

particularly in rural areas where the majority of Indians live remains

high. Separatist and Maoist movements in India have been active for

decades and Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have

repeatedly reported on communal violence between Hindus, Christians

and Muslims.

In comparison to India, Indonesia, the world's fourth-largest

democracy, may have achieved more success in some cases. Although

Indonesia suffered for more than three decades under military

dictatorship, it has made considerable progress over the past decade.

Indonesia has been successful in keeping the country unified, it has

settled disputes in East-Timor and Aceh, and it has significantly

improved its human rights record.

Although sectarian violence and separatist violence has occasionallyerupted, overall different ethnic and religious groups have been living

peacefully side-by-side. Indonesia's diverse and rich culture represents

many ethnic, linguistic and religious groups and although India is far

larger in population, Indonesia does have a national language that is

spoken by almost everyone across the archipelago. Hindi, the most

widely spoken official language in India, is only spoken by an estimated

30 percent.

Going back to the Kashmir dispute, if Indonesia together with

mediation from the international community can resolve the East

Timor problem and Aceh's separatist movement, it may be time that

India returns to the negotiating table as per the wishes of the

Kashmiris. To bring about a solution to the more than 60-year-old


75/87


63

Kashmir dispute is essential for regional peace and security and will

allow India to be a true and incredible democracy.


76/87


64

China views Kashmir as a major dispute

The Jakarta PostFriday 02/05/2010

Laura Schuurmans

While Pakistan has been calling for the international community to

help resolve the 62-year-old Kashmir dispute as per the wishes of the

Kashmiri people, according to the United Nations resolutions, India

has continued with its claims that Kashmir is an integral part of its

nation.

The world generally sees Kashmir as a land dispute between India and

Pakistan. However, based on historical facts China is also a part of this

complex issue to which a solution is essential for lasting peace in the

region.

China has been taking a different stance than India and views Kashmir

as a separate entity and not an integral part of India.

The Indian media has reported in the past that China has been

publishing tourist maps depicting Kashmir as a separate entity.

Moreover, the Chinese consular department has been issuing visas

to Kashmiris living in Indian-held Kashmir on a separate sheet of

paper and not stamped in their passport claiming since Kashmir is a

disputed region the Kashmiris are not considered Indian citizens and

therefore should not be granted a visa on their Indian passport.


77/87


65

In November last year the Chinese authorities reiterated that they

would continue issuing visas on a separate sheet as they believed that a

solution to the Kashmir dispute was essential and should be solved

through dialogue instead of continuing to idle.

Twenty percent of the disputed Kashmir region is under Chinese

administration but claimed by India. In 1962 this border dispute

triggered the Sino-Indian war after China had constructed a highway

through Aksai Chin, which the Indians only discovered after it was

depicted on Chinese maps. Historically Aksai Chin was part of the

Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh until it was annexed to the Princely

State of Kashmir in the nineteenth century.

The Chinese never accepted the boundary between China and

Kashmir that was negotiated by the British following the partition of

India and Pakistan in 1947 and have continued to lay their claims onAksai Chin.

Despite Indias claims to move to a solution of the Kashmir dispute it

appears to prefer a status quo.India also fears that a solution to

Kashmir may jeopardize Indias integrity where dozens of separatist

movements have been active throughout the country for decades.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has declared that the Maoist

movement is presently the gravest threat to Indias internal security.

Indonesia had similar fears when East-Timorese voted for

independence in August 1999 that this could trigger a domino effect

for other separatist movements that have been active since they gained

independence from the Dutch in 1945 but in fact Indonesia was able


78/87


66

to solve most of its problems, with peace and stability returning to

Aceh.

Regretfully the international community generally ignores the Kashmir

dispute. Instead they tend to bow to the demands of India, which is a

growing world economic power where many western companies have

their interests.

And the international community is not really interested listening to

Pakistans or Chinese demands to seek a solution to the Kashmir

dispute.

Kashmir is a problem with global dimensions. Kashmir is home to

some of the hardcore militant groups.On top of the danger of these

militant groups, three nuclear giants that have some of the worlds

largest armies have come together in Kashmir where each country lays

its claim and has its stakes.

Despite Indias and Pakistans statements to move toward a solution

to the Kashmir dispute, no major steps have been taken and nothing

concrete has actually been happening.

China on the other hand has increasingly been gaining more influencethroughout the world. It also has a long history of some of the worlds

longest lasting empires with vast experiences of diplomacy. Perhaps

China may be of help to move one important step ahead.


79/87


67

Indias commercial interests vs the

Kashmir disputeThe Jakarta PostSaturday 08/12/2010

Laura Schuurmans

For the first time since taking office, British Prime Minister David

Cameron traveled to India in early July, where he was warmly

welcomed by his Indian counterpart to cement their friendship,

enhance cultural cooperation and boost trade.

India is a growing world power and economists have predicted that by

2020 India will be among the worlds largest economies. It has also

started playing a more significant role in world politics and is

one of the countries seeking a permanent seat on the UN Security

Council.

Camerons staunch support for one of the worlds fastest-growing

economies was evident and he did not hesitate to openly accuse Indias

arch-rival Pakistan for exporting terrorism to its neighboring countries.

This outraged the Pakistani people and government, whichconsequently led to the Pakistan intelligence chief canceling a planned

trip to London.

Analyzing the root cause of antagonism between India and Pakistan

and subsequently that of terrorism in the region, former British foreign

secretary David Miliband may have been more objective than the


80/87


68

prime minister. During his visit to India in January 2009, Miliband said

that a resolution of the dispute over Kashmir would help deny

extremists in the region one of their main calls to arm, and allow

Pakistani authorities to focus more effectively on tackling the threat on

their western borders. His comments angered the Indian authorities

that are not interested in foreign intervention, including that of the

UN, in the Kashmir dispute.

The origins of the Kashmir dispute date back to the partition of the

British Raj in 1947. Based on the partition plan and the Two Nation

Theory, the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir with a

predominately Muslim population was widely expected to accede to

Pakistan.

The Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir, however, signed a controversial

treaty of accession with India which led to war in October 1947. Thetwo countries fought three more wars over Kashmir in 1965, 1971 and

the 1999 Kargil conflict. China also lays claims on a part of Kashmir

and went to war with India over the disputed region in 1962.

More than 60 years later, the conflict between the two nuclear giants

over Kashmir has led to serious repercussions and complex security

conditions in South Asia. Pakistan, on the other hand, has been a statedirectly affected since the war on terror first began in October 2001.

The US and its NATO allies have not succeeded in winning over the

hearts and minds of the Afghan people. The growing instability in

Afghanistan has caused a spillover effect into Pakistan where the

Pakistani Taliban has been waging a war against its own people. One


81/87


69

hundred and fifty thousand Pakistani troops have now been stationed

along the Afghan border.

Over the past eight years, Pakistan has suffered severe economic

losses, high inflation, a large number of civilian casualties and internally

displaced people, and has lost more troops than the US and NATO

forces combined in Afghanistan. Pakistan says, moreover, that their

sacrifices have not been recognized by the world at large and that it

continues to receive pressure from the international community to do

more.

Going back to the Kashmir dispute, David Cameron is not the only

one who underestimates the magnitude of this dispute and who may

believe that Indias commercial interests are of more significance than

a resolution of Kashmir.

The security conditions in Kashmir have recently begun to spiral out

of control after a 17-year-old student was killed by Indian security

forces earlier in June. Dozens more have been killed by Indian forces

over the past two months. The media has given wide coverage to the

ongoing human rights violations, but the Indian government has not

done enough to safeguard the dignity of life and property of the

Kashmiris.

Angry protesters have continued to demonstrate and even women

have taken to the streets. In protest they have chanted anti-Indian and

pro-freedom slogans to express their anger and frustrations against

Indian occupation and over the killings of young innocent Kashmiris.


82/87


83/87


71

References

1Kashmir, a disputed legacy 184-1900, Alastair Lamb2Interview with the President of Azad Kashmir. October 20093Alastair Lamb. Incomplete Partition ISBN 019579767 14In search of a future, the story of Kashmir. David Devadas5Danger in Kashmir. Josef Korbel ISBN 019579781 7 6In search of a future, the story of Kashmir, David Devadas7Kashmir, a disputed legacy 1846-1900, Alastair Lamb8Danger is Kashmir. Josef Korbel ISBN 019579781 79Ibid10Ibid11Ibid12Official website of the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir13UNICEF website, Pakistan14Official website of the State of Jammu and Kashmir15Ibid16Interview in Muzaffarabad. Manak Payan refugee camp. October

2009

17The New York Times February 6, 2007. Indian Army and PoliceTied to Kashmir Killings.18Human Rights Watch August 12, 2008. India: Order KashmirForces to Use Restraint19The Guardian, August 13, 2008. Indian Security Forces shoot deadKashmir demonstrators as thousands defy curfew20International Herald Tribune September 11, 2007. Violent protestsin Indian Kashmir over army killing21Interview with Kashmiri businessman22Source: Indian/Pakistani Government Censuses23Ibid24International Herald Tribune. December 25, 2008. Voting ends inKashmir amid heavy security.25Ibid26Victoria Schofield. Kashmir in Conflict. I.B. Taurus. ISBN186064898327Ibid28United Nations Security Council Resolution January 17, 1948


84/87


72

http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/63/

IMG/NR004763.pdf?OpenElement29United Nations Security Council Resolution January 20, 1948http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/64/IMG/NR004764.pdf?OpenElement30United Nations Security Council Resolution April 21, 1948http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/72/IMG/NR004772.pdf?OpenElement31Ibid32Ibid33Ibid34Ibid35Ibid36Ibid37Ibid38United Nations Security Council Resolution of March 30, 1951http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/072/10/IMG/NR007210.pdf?OpenElement39United Nations Security Council Resolution of December 2, 1957http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/131/33/

IMG/NR013133.pdf?OpenElement40Does America Need a Foreign Policy, Henry Kissinger ISBN068485567-441The Guardian UK. December 13, 2008. Arundhati Roy; TheMonster in the Mirror42US State Department, Terrorist Groups. Foreign TerroristOrganizations43Ibid44US State Department, Terrorist Groups. Foreign Terrorist

Organizations45Ibid
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/63/IMG/NR004763.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/63/IMG/NR004763.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/63/IMG/NR004763.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/64/IMG/NR004764.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/64/IMG/NR004764.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/64/IMG/NR004764.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/72/IMG/NR004772.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/72/IMG/NR004772.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/72/IMG/NR004772.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/072/10/IMG/NR007210.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/072/10/IMG/NR007210.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/072/10/IMG/NR007210.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/131/33/IMG/NR013133.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/131/33/IMG/NR013133.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/131/33/IMG/NR013133.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/131/33/IMG/NR013133.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/131/33/IMG/NR013133.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/072/10/IMG/NR007210.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/072/10/IMG/NR007210.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/72/IMG/NR004772.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/72/IMG/NR004772.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/64/IMG/NR004764.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/64/IMG/NR004764.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/63/IMG/NR004763.pdf?OpenElementhttp://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/047/63/IMG/NR004763.pdf?OpenElement


85/87


73


86/87


74


87/87

After the partition of India under the British Empire in

1947, Pakistan and India became two independent nations.

The treaty of partition was based on the Two NationTheorywhich clearly stated that all parts of India with a

Muslim majority would become part of Pakistan and those

with a Hindu majority would become part of Hindustan,

todays India.

The majority Muslim population of the Princely State of

Jammu and Kashmir was ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh

who instead of joining Pakistan signed a controversial

treaty of accession with India. Consequently war between

India and Pakistan broke out in October 1947.

More than sixty years later the Kashmir dispute has further

endangered regional peace and security. If no immediate

action is taken to move towards a settlement of the

Kashmir dispute, the conflict may ultimately have direrepercussions for international peace.

kashmir paradise on earth or nuclear flashpoint

Documents