EDM: Kashmir Black Day and self-determination

Kashmir Black Day and self-determination

Tabled by Imran Hussain (Labour) 47 signatures

The motion

That this House commemorates Kashmir Black Day on 27 October, observed annually by Kashmiris across the world as a day of solidarity and reflection on the loss of autonomy following the events of 1947; recognises that for millions of Kashmiris, this day symbolises the beginning of a continuing struggle for the right to self-determination, as enshrined in successive United Nations Security Council resolutions; notes the decades of persecution, injustice, oppression and human rights violations faced by the Kashmiri people at the hands of the Indian Armed Forces, including through the continued use of the Public Safety Act and Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which enables arbitrary detention and excessive force without accountability; further notes the ongoing detention of political leaders and civil society voices, many of whom remain imprisoned without charge or access to a fair trial; further notes that successive UK governments have failed to give the Kashmir issue the diligence, urgency and international attention it deserves, allowing the crisis to deepen; affirms that lasting peace in the region cannot be achieved without dialogue that includes the voices and aspirations of the Kashmiri people themselves; further believes that the international community must recognise the situation in Kashmir as an international issue requiring coordinated international engagement, rather than a matter to be settled through bilateral dialogue; and calls on the UK Government to recognise its moral, historic and legal duty to help resolve this long-standing issue and ensure the birth right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir.

Signatories (47)