Brussels: The new UN Human Rights Chief, Michelle Bachelet, while upholding the position taken by her predecessor Zeid Raad al Hussain on human rights situation in occupied Kashmir, has said that the people of Kashmir have exactly the same rights to justice and dignity as people all over the world.
Michelle Bachelet in her opening remarks at the 39th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Brussels urged India to respect these rights and take meaningful action on addressing issues highlighted in the UN report on human rights violations in Kashmir.
This was part of a written statement by the new UNHRC chief.
The former Chilean president succeeded Zeid Raad al Hussain as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, this month. In her opening remarks at the 39th UNHRC session, Bachelet said, “The people of Kashmir have exactly the same rights to justice and dignity as people all over the world and we urge authorities to respect them.”
Bachelet also reiterated the UNHRC’s request for unconditional access to Kashmir on either side of the Line of Control. “The Office of the HRC continues to request permission to visit both sides of the LoC, and in the meantime, will continue its monitoring and reporting,” she said.
In his report to the UN Human Rights Council in June, Bachelet’s predecessor Zeid Hussain had sought an “establishment of a commission of inquiry to conduct a comprehensive independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir” and asked the government of India to “fully respect the right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir as protected under international law”.
However, India reacted sharply to the report, calling it “fallacious, tendentious and motivated”.
