Yasin Malik Address to the Geneva Conference - 13 Aug, 2000
JKLF hunger leaders on hunger strike
Srinagar, 25th May, 2000
As the JKLF chief Yasin Malik ended his two-day hunger strike and the the Kashmir valley observed a total shutdown on second consecutive day, the APHC chairman Ali Geelani was among five detained by police near Sopore where five boys had been killed by Indian security forces last fortnight. Over 400 activists, mostly lawyers and representatives of trade unions provided company to Malik in his strike against 'custodial killings' by security forces. The strike ran parallel to a 2-day shutdown all over Valley as most of the Government offices, all the branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank and other banks, besides shops, commercial establishments, schools, colleges and universities remained closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
The strike call was given by JKLF chief Yasin Malik. He ended his fast fast on thursday evening with mother of Niyaz Ahmad Sofi alias Mitha Sofi offering the strikers glass of juice. Two other women who lost their sons recently offered juice to senior JKLF leader Javed Mir and Sahihdul Islam of Awami Action Committee. Senior leaders and activists of Huriyat Conference including Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai of Jamat Islami, Ghulam Mohammad Hubi of Peoples Conference, Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi of Muslim Conference Bashir Butt of JKLF and many others.
Earlier Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who had been placed under- house arrest visited their hunger strike camp put up at JKLF headquarters in Maisuma to express solidarity with Malik. Yasin Malik expressed deep concern over, the 'rein of terror let loose' in Kashmir by the Indian forces and said that his next step would be "fast unto death" at New Delhi in front of the office of United Nations if the killings did not stop within a month. He accused New Delhi of raising a bogey of 'talks' on one hand while unleashing genocide of Kashmiris on the other. Calling it 'state sponsored terrorism', Malik vowed to fight against this till 'my last breath' adding that New Delhi was living in a fool's paradise if it though that such repressive measures were going to cow down the Kashmiris.
JKLF activists also sat on a
hunger strike in London, New York and Islamabad.Chattisinghpura Massacre condemned
London, 20th March, 2000
JKLF Statement on callous murder of 38 Kashmiri Sikhs in Chattisinghpora village
It is beyond belief that anyone could indulge in such a cowardly attack on innocent people. Only the enemies of Kashmiri liberation movement could contemplate on such an act. We in JKLF are appalled to hear of this ghastly massacre of Sikh Kashmiris and utterly condemn the perpetrators of the crime.
We understand that the death toll has risen to 39 and with that increases the ever rising figure of loss of human life in our motherland. We know that no one has claimed any responsibility for Monday night's attack but it is a well calculated blow to our efforts to bring our message to the visiting President of USA and thus point us to only one possible culprit.
We note that Kashmiri Sikhs have remained neutral in the current conflict. We understand that the assailants of Chattisinghpora were wearing combat uniforms and operated in Indian para-military style 'crackdown', which is well known to Kashmiris. They stormed into several houses, segregated the men from women, and announced that they were conducting a 'search' for 'Kashmiri militants'. All the men were taken to a nearby school and 23 were shot dead at close range. 15 others were killed outside the village Gurudwara and a woman has since died of shock. Another disturbing fact is that this Sikh village is allegedly controlled by armed Kashmiri groups who abandoned the resistance movement and joined forces with Indian army as an auxiliary 'counter-insurgency force'. The village is also surrounded by three BSF camps
(SEE MAP) and yet the Indian armed forces took 8 hours to arrive at the scene.We send our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and call upon the visiting President of the United States, Bill Clinton to act on urgent basis and help save innocent lives in our Kashmir. We support the APHC call for an independent international inquiry into the massacre. The APHC sponsored nationwide strike on Wednesday in Jammu-Kashmir to protest against the massacre and to voice the our nation's outrage at this latest chapter in the brutalisation and victimisation of Kashmiris is a clear manifestation of our national will not to succumb to the forces of occupation in Jammu-Kashmir. Ends
JKLF declare Feb 11 as black day, APHC call for national strike on Maqbool Butt anniversary
Srinagar, 11th Febraury, 2000
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front members paid rich tribute to
Maqbool Butt Shaheed and described him as 'the foremost among martyrs', whose 16th death anniversary is being observed by Kashmiris on the two sides of the divide.In a special session JKLF's leading activists held in Srinagar a program to commemorate the death of Kashmir's independence leader was formulated. The JKLF decided to observe the day as a Black Day against 'Indian butchery'.
"Maqbool Butt had laid down his life to rid Kashmir of alien occupation. This sacrifice has opened a fresh chapter in Kashmir history and resurrected the Kashmir issue. His dream of an independent and sovereign Kashmir will soon be realised. The subterfuges and cunning maneuvers employed to subvert his ambition failed to shake his rock-steady will and there was no wavering to his invincible resolve. On the 11th of February, 1984, the government of India sent him to the gallows in Tihar jail after thirteen years of incarceration. The flame of liberty kindled by the martyr has drawn many, like moths to a candle, to carry forward his mission", a JKLF statement said. The clandstine meeting was chaired by Advocate Bashir Ahmed Butt and attended by JKLF leaders and district level cadres where the APHC call for a general strike was welcomed and endorsed. The UK chapter of the JKLF is to hold a demonstration at the India High Commission on Friday the 11th of February in London while the USA branch will hold a commemorative meeting in New York on 12th. Reports from Azad Kashmir suggest that major Kashmiri nationalist groups there are planning to take out marches and hold rallies on the day to pay their tribute to Maqbool Butt Shaheed while Kashmiri expatriots in other countries will continue with special meetings and rallies throughout the month of February. ENDS
PICTURE - MAQBOOL BUTT ANNIVERSARY DEMO HELD IN SRIGNAR ON 11TH FEB, 2000 - SEVERAL JKLF LEADERS WERE ARRESTED ON THE DAY. SIMILAR PROTEST RALLIES WERE HELD IN ISLAMABAD AND IN LONDON.
