Two-days ‘Int’l Kashmir Congress’ being organized by LFK in collaboration with ESAM held in Ankara
ANKARA, Dec 11 (SABAH): The two-days “International Kashmir Congress”, is being organized by the Legal Forum for Kashmir – LFK in collaboration with Center for Economic and Social Research (ESAM) under the title of “The Narrative of Occupation and Scope of International Law: A Preview of Occupied Kashmir”, was held in a hotel in Ankara.
Experts from the UK, USA, Pakistan and Palestine and many local and foreign participants attended the sessions on the first day of the two-day congress.
Professor Richard Falk, Princeton University Professor of International Law Emeritus, spoke at the session titled “The Occupied Territories and the Scope of International Law.” There has been a long period of victimization in Kashmir and said, “This occupation is both unlawful and unjustified. It is one of the longest-lasting occupations in history,” he said.
Pointing out that Kashmir has been suffering for a long time, Falk said, “This occupation is both illegal and unjustified. It is one of the longest-lasting occupations in history,” he added.
Referring to the British occupation of the Indian subcontinent, Falk continued: “A very chaotic and conflictual period emerged and led to the partition of Pakistan and India. When we look at the rest of the world, Cyprus, Palestine, Ireland, some parts of Africa, we see that their lands are divided and conflicts are taking place.
These occurred after Britain withdrew its colonial, colonial administrations there. While doing this, they did not do it by providing security, they did not make this withdrawal by ensuring the safety of the people living there. Kashmir is one of those places.” Noting that India declared that it would respect Kashmir’s independence in the first period, Falk emphasized that the United Nations (UN) also supports the “right to self-government” of the Kashmiri people.
Falk underlined that the tragedy in Kashmir stems from being in the midst of geopolitical conflict tensions, noting that these tensions make it difficult for Kashmir to be liberated.
Stating that international law is insufficient in the Kashmir issue and the geopolitical element causes international law to remain weak, Falk said, “The implementation of the (UN) veto means that strong countries do not have to comply with international law if they do not want to comply, because the UN Security Council It is the only UN decision-making body, he said.
Pointing out that international law cannot carry out the act of liberation alone, Falk said that political support should be generated for the execution of international law.
-“An issue that should be perceived as a problem of Muslim countries”
Saadet Party Chairman Temel Karamollaoğlu stated that the Islamic world has many problems and emphasized that the Kashmir and Palestine problem has exceeded 75 years and could not be resolved.
Pointing out that the pressures in Jammu Kashmir have increased a lot, Karamollaoğlu emphasized the human rights violations there.
Pointing to the importance of the Kashmir issue, Karamollaoğlu said that the reason why no progress has been made on this issue for 75 years is that “the influential powers that rule the world do not care about oppression”.
Karamollaoğlu used the following statements:
“It is not possible for us to say that we have fully embraced this issue, even as Islamic countries. However, first of all, this is an issue that should be perceived as a problem of Muslim countries. There is definitely a need for conclusions on this issue. I am sure Islamic countries have put this issue at the top of their agendas. If they did, this problem would be solved.”
Iran’s Ambassador to Ankara Mohammad Ferazmend said that Kashmiri people have the right to self-determination. Ferazmend argued that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) did not fulfill its responsibilities regarding the Kashmir issue. “The Kashmir region was not on the agenda of our conversations in the international arena”
HilalElver, Former UN Special Rapporteur on Right to Food, spoke at the congress’ first session titled “Can Settler Colonialism Be Applied to Kashmir: Learning from Palestine”.
Addressing the food security situation in different conflict zones, Elver stated that he writes 4 reports to the UN every year on conflict zones and different dimensions of food security. “The Kashmir region has never been on the agenda of our conversations in the international arena. I think this is a very important issue.” Elver emphasized that Kashmir has become an issue that comes to the fore in the international arena together with Palestine.
Elver explained that almost 80 percent of Kashmir’s population makes a living from agriculture, adding that the population is increasing and agricultural lands are shrinking.
Palestinian Research Writer Abdullah Moaswes, on the other hand, stated that the concept of “settler colonialism” was a theory that was first discussed in mainstream history.
Noting that this concept has been used in academia for the last 15-20 years, but it is not a new concept, Moaswes said that settler colonialism as a practice is the basis of modern capitalism.
President, World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF) Dr. Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai said, “India may have killed 100000 people in Kashmir but what India couldn’t kill is the aspirations and hopes of Kashmir to wake up to the dawn of freedom.” Pen is also one of the powerful tools of the modern world. We have 2 billions pens at our disposal and reminding the world through this medium can change the destiny of Kashmir, he said.
Ghulam Muhammad Safi, former Convener, APHC said, “India after 9/11 replicated its own version in the form of Parliament attack. It was done to justify state terrorism against defenceless & voiceless minority who were fighting Indian occupation.”
Dr. Muhammad Mushtaq, former DG Sharia Academy Pakistan while addressing the conference said “Kashmir is an issue of broken promises. Indian first prime minister Pandith Jawaharlal Nehru promised people of Kashmir that they will be given right of self-determination but still people of Kashmir are waiting and struggling for that right. Kashmir was one among the princely states of India with Muslim majority. According to the geographical factors it was more a part of Pakistan than India.
Moreover, he stated that the worst kind of atrocities are going on in Kashmir, Indian occupational forces have been given unlimited powers to suppress and oppress the fundamental rights of people. India is not only violating the international human rights laws, international standards, UN charter, Geneva convention but also, their own constitutional laws. There is a long list of fundamental rights in Indian constitution that is being violated by Indian forces n daily basis.
The “International Kashmir Congress” will continue today (Monday).
Meanwhile reception was held by President of Essam ustaz Rejoy kutan, ex interior minister of Turkiye in honor of former Emir Jamaat-e-Isalmi Azad Kashmir and former chairman of the public accounts committee in the Azad Kashmir legislative assembly Abdul Rashid Turabi and other participants of the conference.
The reception was attended by Ustaz Tamel karamallahoghlu, President Saadet Party, diplomats and other key speaker participants.