United Nations: India strongly hit out at Pakistan yet again for propagating “false and malicious propaganda” against it at a UN platform, where Islamabad spoke in favour of its close ally China’s “protection of ethnic and religious minorities” in Xinjiang.
At the meeting of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly that deals with Social, Humanitarian & Cultural issues, Indian representative spoke after Pakistan’s delegate again raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in her intervention at the meeting.
“At the outset, we condemn the abuse of a UN platform by Pakistan to propagate its false and malicious propaganda against my country. We dismiss and condemn all such efforts with the contempt they deserve,” First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Ashish Sharma said on Thursday.
Sharma said India is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multilingual country of continental proportions and is guided by the principles of democracy, pluralism and rule of law.
He also said that in the specific reference made by the Special Rapporteur in his report regarding statelessness, “we are disappointed that this issue is being wrongly and repeatedly linked with the issue of minority rights. Minorities in India enjoy all fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, which are justiciable.”
Sharma added that the Government of India has ensured the extension of all progressive legislation to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and to resume the pace of socio-economic development.
“The residents enjoy more freedom and fundamental rights since all union laws now apply there. Women in particular relish greater rights and freedom than ever before. We strongly object to any attempt to politicise development issues.”
While referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan’s delegate started her intervention by saying that “we reject the unwarranted statement delivered by some states to undermine China’s independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“We commend China’s model of inclusive development, social protection, equal treatment and protection of ethnic and religious minorities.”
Human Rights Watch noted that at the Third Committee, 43 governments from all regional groups strongly condemned the Chinese government’s widespread human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in the restive province of Xinjiang.
Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said the “global condemnation of China’s horrific rights abuses in Xinjiang should give the Chinese government cause for concern – and Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims reason for hope.
For the first time, all UN regional groups joined in calling for the violations in Xinjiang to stop and UN investigators to get immediate access. UN member states should establish an international commission of inquiry to formally investigate alleged crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and recommend avenues for holding those responsible to account.”
