The scars of colonialism run deep in South Asia, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Kashmir, where, as reported by Human Rights Watch, the people and Jammu and Kashmir have been victim to an on-going ethnic cleaning since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947.
There are numerous reports from credible human rights organisations that Kashmiris and other Indigenous populations continue to be forced out of their lands and homes by the Indian government.
Almost 6 years after the revocation of Jammu & Kashmir’s special autonomous status, freedom of speech and association are rights still off limits to Kashmiris and other native populations in the region.
The revocation of the region’s special autonomous status represented the biggest escalation in recent memory. Joe Biden stated in 2020 that “India should take all necessary steps to restore the rights of all the people of Kashmir”.
According to Human Rights Watch, the far-fight BJP government routinely carries out arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killings under the guise of clamping down on security threats. Australia recognises Israel's occupation of the West Bank as illegal under international law. The Australian Government should take a consistent approach in relation to Jammu and Kashmir.
The situation is dire for Kashmiris - self-determination cannot be undermined. India must reaffirm its intention to hold a free and impartial plebiscite that addresses the future of Jammu and Kashmir, in line with the 1948 UN resolution. Australia as an important international partner of India has an express responsibility to remind its allies of their duties and obligations under International law.