India blocks US senator from visiting occupied Kashmir
Senator Chris Van Hollen wanted to visit occupied area to ascertain ground realities
October 05, 2019
Senator Chris Van Hollen from the United States was this week refused entry into Indian-occupied Kashmir during a trip to India, according to a report in American news publication The Washington Post.
Hollen is part of a group of US Senators who have expressed serious concern over the alarming human rights situation in occupied Kashmir, which has been under a military curfew since August 5.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had revoked the constitutional autonomy of occupied Kashmir two months ago and imposed a military curfew in the valley, imprisoning millions of Muslims.
Also read: India clampdown hits Silicon Valley of occupied Kashmir
According to the American publication, Van Hollen had asked New Delhi to allow him to travel so that he could ascertain whether Indian government claims about the occupied area were grounded in reality.
“If the Indian government has nothing to hide, they should not worry about people visiting Kashmir and witnessing the situation with their own eyes,” Van Hollen was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.
"As the world’s two largest democracies, India and the United States “talk a lot about our shared values,” he said. “I think this is a moment where transparency is important.”
Also read: US ‘very concerned’ about reports of detentions, restrictions in Kashmir
In addition to the US senator, even domestic political leaders in India are being denied permission to visit occupied Kashmir, where reports of food shortages and health issues are pouring in almost daily now.
Many US congresspersons, including Indian-American and Muslim-American members, have expressed concern over the callous attitude of the Indian government to the plight of the oppressed people in Kashmir.
Some members of the European Parliament have even called for trade and travel sanctions on India to force New Delhi into softening the military curfew in the area and allowing international observers in.
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