Amnesty Intnl:No Time for Kashmiri Terror Victims

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UK Show On Kashmiri Pandits' Plight Draws Little Response

> http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5983_937568,00430005.htm

>(ARTICLE HAS ALREADY BEEN REMOVED)

> Finally, after 10 phone calls, she said that 'she (head of Kashmir

at Amnesty International and the Director Asia & Pacific Program of

Amnesty) had too many files on her desk and that she had no time to

come,' although the exhibition was a few blocks from her office. So

much for Amnesty's sense of justice."

 

LONDON, UK, August 9, 2004: A Kashmiri pandits exhibition held

recently

> in London by Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT), which

> through the film "Terrorism Unleashed" and exhibits highlighted the

> plight of Kashmiri pandits, has led to a fierce controversy.

Francois

> Gautier, a journalist who lives in India, lamented the lack of

response

> and interest in the Indian community and the British media. It was

> indeed surprising that despite a good location, near Trafalgar

Square,

> and a high-profile inauguration, the turn-out of the Indian

community

> or journalists was pitiable. Pyara S. Khabra, MP, inaugurated the

> exhibition. He highlighted the forced exile of Kashmiri Hindus from

> their homeland due to continued threat of terrorism. He said the

Indian

> government must create a safe haven in Kashmir for the return of

> Kashmiri Hindus. "I even saw an Indian man turn his heels as soon

as he

> saw that it was something on terrorism," said Gautier.

>

> Gautier added: "We also witnessed hostility of Amnesty

International to

> the plight of the Kashmiri pandits. Sunil Bakshi (the organizer) had

> repeatedly sent invitations to them three weeks before the

exhibition.

> I personally called several times the head of Kashmir at Amnesty

> International and the Director Asia & Pacific Program of Amnesty.

She

> said they only reported on first-hand facts. I replied that these

were

> photos and statistics which nobody could dispute. Finally, after 10

> phone calls, she said that 'she had too many files on her desk and

that

> she had no time to come,' although the exhibition was a few blocks

from

> her office. So much for Amnesty's sense of justice."

>

> "I personally had a lot of hope in the British Press," Gautier

said. "I

> thought they would be moved if they saw the photos showing innocent

> Kashmiri pandits' children being mercilessly butchered and the film

> made by renowned filmmaker Ashok Pandit on the tragic story of a

> harmless community, who because of terror became refugees in their

own

> land. But I was sadly mistaken. One of the few journalists who

cared to

> come to the exhibition was Michael Binyon, Lead Writer of the

> prestigious London Times. Michael saw the exhibition and sat during

the

> film without saying a word, and at the end he said: 'It is very

crude,

> it is not made for the British public, and it sounds too much like

> propaganda.' "