India Exposes Amnesty Intl's Bias

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India accuses Amnesty of biased view on terrorism

RASHMEE Z AHMED

 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2003 07:00:36 PM ]

 

LONDON: As the world remains focussed on the real and propaganda war

in Iraq, lower-grade but significant hostilities have erupted in a

different theatre, with India accusing human rights group Amnesty

International of a "mystifying reluctance to condemn (terrorism) in

black and white" and "a curious attempt to obfuscate" the real issues

involved in Sunday's tragic murder of 24 civilians in Jammu and

Kashmir.

 

 

 

In a strongly-worded rebuke, Navdeep Suri, Indian High Commission

spokesman said Amnesty's condemnatory statement on the

massacre "further eroded its credibility- by first dwelling on the

fact that the terrorists wore army fatigues and then trying to

establish some bizarre form of moral equivalence between the actions

of terrorists, the plight of victims and the responsibilities of

government authorities".

 

 

 

He said the human rights organisation was merely confirming

its "bias" and "a pattern of reporting that can only be interpreted

as a deliberate attempt to project events in a manner that suits

Amnesty's own version of reality".

 

 

 

Amnesty spokesperson Magda Wendorff-Kowalczuk dismissed the Indian

allegations, which came to light on Thursday. "It's not weak at all.

We condemn the unlawful killing of 24 civilians very strongly. We're

talking here about 11 women and two children, so we can't be weak in

condemning such a crime. The problem is that it is a horrifying

incident, but we don't know who did it. The Indian government doesn't

know either. So it doesn't make it any easier at all".

 

 

 

On Wednesday, Delhi had officially pinpointed "the culpability of

Pakistan (in) these acts of terror".

 

 

 

Amnesty's latest statement echoes its original response to the

massacre. It had then declared, "It is as yet unclear who is

responsible".

 

 

 

Its first statement, within 24 hours of the murder, had called

on "all sides" to "safeguard the lives of civilians in Jammu and

Kashmir", adding that "International humanitarian law prohibits

deliberate attacks on civilians and those not taking direct part in

hostilities".

 

 

 

Observers said the row was likely only to harden the mutual

suspicions of India and Amnesty, which have resulted in bitter

exchanges in the past, over J&K and Gujarat.

 

 

 

Amnesty has said India's newest criticism comes "as a surprise"

because it has received no official or unofficial complaints.

 

 

 

But Suri said the human rights group was engaged in a "disingenuous

attempt to escape their own obligations for fairness and objectivity".

 

 

 

He said India had previously taken up numerous "instances (of)

twisted facts or using information selectively to arrive at flawed

conclusions".

 

 

 

This time, said Suri, "We thought we would ignore this latest example

and dismiss it with the contempt it deserves."

 

 

 

The massacre, in Nadimarg village, has been roundly condemned by

several Western governments, including Britain.

 

 

 

British organisations such as the Council of Indian Muslims and

Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP) have united to condemn the

killing.

 

 

 

OFBJP president Dr Surendra Sharma told TNN he was shocked and

surprised that Amnesty could be "so lukewarm about such a heinous

crime, considering it is always ready to condemn human rights

violations in J&K