“Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” - Global Coalition to Protect ...

Acknowledgments
This report was written by Aruna Kashyap, Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellow at
Human Rights Watch, based on research by the author, Jo Becker, advocacy director
for the Children’s Rights Division, and Meenakshi Ganguly, senior researcher for the
Asia Division. The report was edited by Jo Becker, Meenakshi Ganguly, James Ross,
legal and policy director, and Joseph Saunders, deputy program director. Bill Frelick,
director of the Refugee Policy Division and Brad Adams, director of the Asia Division,
also reviewed the report.
Paula Silveira, intern in the Children’s Rights Division, provided important research
support. Kennji Kizuka, associate in the Children’s Rights Division provided
invaluable research, editing, and production assistance. Veronica Matushaj, creative
director, Anna Lopriore, creative manager, Andrea Holley, publications director,
Grace Choi, publications specialist, and Fitzroy Hepkins, mail manager, provided
production assistance.
We are very grateful to the many local NGOs, activists, humanitarian workers,
lawyers, and others who assisted our research and the preparation of this report, in
particular, K. Balagopal of Human Rights Forum, Prof. J.P. Rao, Sitara Organization,
and Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, and others that cannot be named for security reasons.
The views expressed in this report are those of Human Rights Watch and Human
Rights Watch takes full responsibility for any errors or omissions.
Above all, we thank all victims and witnesses, special police officers, and former
Naxalites who recounted their experiences in the interest of publicizing violations
and bringing perpetrators to account. We also acknowledge the government officials
who agreed to be interviewed at length for this report. Because of the sensitivity of
our research, we regret that we have to withhold the names of many of those who
provided us with invaluable assistance.
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Human Rights Watch July 2008