SRINAGAR: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Monday paid tribute to the victims of the Kupwara massacre, describing the incident as a stark reminder of what it called the criminal conduct of Indian forces in the occupied territory.
In a statement issued in Srinagar on the martyrdom anniversary, the APHC said Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute and maintained that the use of force, repression or what it termed colonial practices by India cannot alter the disputed character of the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian troops killed 27 unarmed civilians in Kupwara on January 27, 1994, a day after local residents observed a shutdown against India’s Republic Day.
APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas said the Kashmiri people would always remember the sacrifices of those who lost their lives while demanding political justice through a plebiscite in accordance with United Nations resolutions. He urged international human rights organisations to take note of the situation and play their moral and legal role.
The Hurriyat Conference said the history of the occupied territory is marked by incidents such as the Kupwara massacre, adding that such actions have failed to crush the Kashmiri demand for the right to self-determination.
The statement said Kashmir continues to remain under heavy military presence, and that ongoing actions described as state violence and injustice against civilians should serve as a warning for the international community.
It added that measures such as the large-scale deployment of troops, arrests of young people, frequent raids, cordon-and-search operations, roadblocks and routine checks reflect what it termed India’s moral and legal failure in the occupied region.
