LONDON, Dec 13 (APP): The international community has been urged to put human rights at the heart of policy making and to adopt self determination as a key driver to resolve conflicts in a democratic and peaceful manner, in accordance with international law. The call was given at a packed venue in the Houses of Parliament at Westminster where the cross party group ‘Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination’ (PNSD) marked International Human Rights Day 2007.
The resolutions passed at the event stressed that respect for human rights is critical to achieving security, dignity and prosperity for all the nations and peoples of the world. Human rights defenders were praised for their courageous efforts and a call was made for the effective punishment of those who have carried out massive violations as a matter of state policy.
Speakers presenting the perspective of Kosovo, the Kurds, Nagas, Kashmiris and Sikhs set out how their peoples have suffered gross violations and been denied fundamental freedoms enshrined in international law and why they now sought international support for a peaceful resolution of those conflicts. The ex-Prime Minister of Kosovo Bajram Rexhepi informed the gathering that Kosovo was on an irreversible course to secure independence in the near future following the failure to agree a settlement with Serbia by the UN’s deadline of 10 December 2007.
Rexhepi, recalled the barbaric assault on his people by the Yugoslav armed forces which led to NATO’s intervention and his own decision to join the Kosovo Liberation Army as a medical doctor. He said Independence was, for the Kosovars, an expression of their right of self – determination as well as a natural and lawful outcome which the vast majority of the international community had already come to acknowledge.
He said the Kosovo Government would work with those who wanted an orderly transition to independence and, in response to a question, said all necessary measures would be taken to fully protect and enfranchise Serb and other minorities within Kosovo.
Sebahat Tuncel, a recently elected Kurdish member of the Turkish Parliament from Istanbul spoke of the plight of the Kurds and called for establishing a meaningful dialogue with the minority community. She said a military approach could never solve the Kurdish issue.
A Sikh perspective on the conflict between the Sikhs and India was presented by Dr Awatar Singh Sekhon, Managing Editor of the International Journal of Sikh Affairs. He contextualised the Sikh Nation’s continuing struggle to secure freedom as the sovereign right of a proud nation based on the right of self determination.
The Naga delegation, which had travelled from the Naga homeland, included a cultural troupe whose superb rendition of freedom songs was warmly received. Mr Rh. Raising of the NSCN referred to the refusal of his people to join the Indian Union or indeed the Union of Burma. His people have resisted unlawful de facto annexation and terrible oppression; they seek peace and an honourable settlement but this has been frustrated by “false promises and assurances” from the Indian establishment whose approach to peace talks appears to amount to no more than a ploy “to buy time in order to bury the peace process under the wrap of time”.
He called for the UK and the wider international community to step forward and assist the Nagas, who had contributed so valiantly for the cause of freedom in the Allied war efforts in both World Wars.
Dr Neivetso, Secretary General of the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights mapped out the history of the Indo-Naga conflict and echoed the call for the international community and especially the UK to “live up to expectations” and intervene to facilitate a just and peaceful outcome.
Muzamil Ayyub Thakur of Tehreek-e-Kashmir made an impassioned plea for the restoration of human rights in Kashmir where his people have been subjected to terrible and sustained abuses by India in order to crush a legitimate struggle for self-determination which the UN itself has endorsed by demanding a plebiscite to determine the will of the people.
He demanded that perpetrators of mass violations in Kashmir be held accountable by the civilised powers of the world. He said the people of Kashmir would continue their lawful struggle for self determination and they would work with the Sikhs, Nagas and others who had been targeted by similar oppressive tactics in a bid to deny them freedom.
Amrik Singh Sahota, President of the Council of Khalistan endorsed those sentiments and said that oppressed nations should work shoulder to shoulder to their mutual benefit in the cause of human rights and justice.
Lord Ahmed thanked those who had contributed so constructively to an important reminder – on World Human Rights Day 2007 – of the centrality of human rights in making the world a better place. He pledged that PNSD would continue to promote this core message to the UK Government and beyond.