Organisation of Islamic Cooperation demands basic human rights for Kashmiris in J&K but remains silent on abuses against Uyghur Muslims in China

Islamabad, Oct 28: In yet another attempt to meddle in India's affairs, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has once again issued a statement reiterating its solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their “quest for the right to self-determination”.

 

The OIC released a statement on October 27, which is observed as Infantry Day to commemorate the landing of the Indian Army at Srinagar airport in 1947 to defend the country’s territory from external aggression i.e. Pakistani invaders. At the same time in Pakistan, the country marked “Black Day” to reject the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir by India. It was marked by a complete shutdown and civil curfew by the people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

 

On this occasion, the OIC urged India to halt and reverse the actions taken on August 5, 2019, and subsequent steps to change the internationally recognized disputed status of the territory and alter the demographic structure of the “occupied territory”.

 

The OIC General Secretariat also demanded respect for basic human rights of the inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated its call to the international community to step up its efforts to resolve the matter in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

 

 

However, the OIC has completely remained silent on the treatment of the Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities in China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang.

 

 

The situation in China is so worseining that Former UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet had released a report in August about the severe situation. While it did not mention the word “genocide”, it found that “serious human rights violations” had been committed, and said “the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups … may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.”

 

Several activists groups accuse Beijing of abuses against Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labour in internment camps. The United States has accused China of genocide. Beijing vigorously denies any abuses. And OIC remains silence on such abuses against Muslims!