HHR_Hindus_in_South_Asia_2013

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Acknowledgements As in the past, numerous grass-roots organizations were involved in collecting data about the violation of human rights of Hindu minorities, and HAF thanks them for sharing the information they have collected. Chief among these organizations are Bangladesh Minority Watch (BDMW), Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council USA (BHBCUC-USA), and Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) – organizations that have been at the forefront of publicizing the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh; the Indo-American Kashmir Forum and the Kashmir Taskforce – which have worked to bring the attention of the United States government and media to the plight of Kashmiri Hindus; Panun Kashmir – working tirelessly to recover the lost properties and homes of Hindus forced to leave the Kashmir Valley; Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), also known as Human Rights Party (HRP) Malaysia and Malaysian Hindu Foundation (MHF) – working for the human rights of Hindu minorities in Malaysia; Hare Rama Foundation (HRF) and Scheduled Caste Rights Movement (SCRM) Pakistan, which works on behalf of marginalized Hindus in Sindh province and southern Punjab in Pakistan; and Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), a national advocacy group for Hindus in Pakistan. HAF further thanks the following individuals for their assistance in providing information: Hindu Singh Sodha of Seemanth Lok Sangathan (SLS), the primary organization assisting Pakistani refugees in India’s western Rajasthan state; Dr. Sachi Dastidar, State University of New York Old Westbury Professor; Dr. DNS Dhakal, Duke University Fellow; Dr. Tien Liang of Antioch University in Seattle; Mr. Waytha Moorthy, Hindu Rights Action Force and former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in Malaysia; and Suneeta Israni for her research assistance. HAF acknowledges the work of other human rights organizations, including Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) – an independent voice in the struggle for human rights and democratic development in Pakistan; Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD) – seeking to educate European media and government about the status of human rights worldwide; and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) – which keeps track of human rights abuses in Asia. Similarly, Amnesty International, Freedom House, and Human Rights Watch have played a critical role in widely publicizing the denial of human rights around the world. Also, important historical information and contemporary updates were obtained from the U.S. Department of State’s annual reports on religious freedom and human rights, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s annual reports, as well from a number of think tanks and foreign policy analysts. Samir Kalra, Esq. Director/Senior Fellow for Human Rights © Hindu American Foundation 2014
Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights – 2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The human rights of Hindu citizens are consistently violated in nine countries and one state in India where Hindus constitute a minority: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bhutan, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Saudi Arabia, and Trinidad and Tobago. This report documents the ongoing violations of human rights in these countries, as well as those of specific refugee populations. HINDUS ACROSS THE DIASPORA Hindus, numbering nearly one billion, constitute the third largest religious group in the world. Hinduism is one of the oldest surviving religions with its origins tracing back to at least the third millennium BCE. Hindus are pluralistic in their beliefs and accept the myriad means of worship and prayer available to human beings seeking spiritual enlightenment. Hindu minorities living in countries throughout South Asia and other parts of the world are subject to varying degrees of legal and institutional discrimination, restrictions on their religious freedom, social prejudice, violence, social persecution, and economic and political marginalization. Hindu women are especially vulnerable and face kidnappings and forced conversions in countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. In several countries where Hindus are minorities, non-state actors advance a discriminatory and exclusivist agenda, often with the tacit or explicit support of the state. Persecution by state and non-state actors alike has led a growing number of Hindus to flee their country of origin and live as refugees. Executive Summary i © Hindu American Foundation 2014
Page 1 and 2: Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspo
Page 3 and 4: © Hindu American Foundation 2014
Page 7: Nikhil Joshi, Esq. Raman Khanna, M.
Page 11 and 12: government should provide access to
Page 13 and 14: The Malaysian government also place
Page 15 and 16: institutions in the country. Moreov
Page 17 and 18: INDIAN STATE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Page 19 and 20: HAF Recommendations: 1) HAF calls o
Page 21 and 22: 4) The government must uphold and p
Page 23 and 24: Executive Summary xv © Hindu Ameri
Page 25 and 26: Countries of Serious Concern ......
Page 29 and 30: which comprised of a brief summary
Page 31 and 32: Cognizant of these complexities, th
Page 33 and 34: major dental disease, and preventio
Page 35 and 36: larger trends surrounding the statu
Page 37 and 38: Pakistan Flood Relief and Rehabilit
Page 39 and 40: conditions and a spike in civilian
Page 41 and 42: dynasty (early second century BCE).
Page 43 and 44: Status of Human Rights, 2013 Religi
Page 45 and 46: In addition, according to the Afgha
Page 47 and 48: Similarly, in Britain, a Hindu fami
Page 49 and 50: Thus, the international community m
Page 51 and 52: Throughout 2013, the right-wing opp
Page 53 and 54: Bangladesh ultimately achieved inde
Page 55 and 56: of ordering an all out attack on Hi
Page 57 and 58: Tribunals are widely popular in Ban
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Gracious.” 222 This occurred desp
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The following examples are intended
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Decline of the Hindu Population Sin
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The ruling to remove the “insulti
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Two examples of temple attacks towa
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Hindu families were offered financi
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Similarly, up until 2007, Hindus ha
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distinction based on religion. In a
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As conditions continue to deteriora
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Malaysia Area: 329,847 square kilom
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law in Parliament that would have a
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Chinese and Indian Malaysians, tire
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Several human rights organizations,
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it is illegal for Muslims to conver
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Department lacked proper evidence a
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for Bumiputra purchase, and project
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Furthermore, nearly 200,000 Malaysi
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Several high-profile leaders have b
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The existence of protections and in
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Islamic Republic of Pakistan Area:
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voting, tarnished the elections. 58
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History/Background Pakistan is bord
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in the region. According to one rep
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The Human Rights Commission of Paki
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22 were non-Muslims, with 15 Christ
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ansom was demanded and Hindu commun
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Pakistan filed a civil lawsuit to r
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encroached upon over the years, and
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Mastung, Lasbela, Hub, Nushki, and
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woman who applied for a CNIC, was n
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A recent L.A. Times article summari
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him. Consequently, he migrated to I
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The incumbent government, headed by
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According to the UNHCR, “Estimate
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qualifications. 929 In particular,
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Many human rights activists and sch
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Grade IX, X (Pakistan Studies, Khyb
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With the exception of those arrivin
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Violations of Constitution and Inte
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Hindus and other religious groups.
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Provide adequate security to places
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determinations (India has allowed U
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the incumbent Druk Phuensum Tshogpa
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authorities announced that Lhotsham
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unwillingness to citizenship act. 1
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the country. 1121 It thus appears e
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The refugees that have been resettl
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with their own Bhutanese community,
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Violation of Constitution and Inter
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Recommendations to the Government o
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decline in terrorism-related fatali
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Despite widespread agitation by Kas
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China controls a total of 16,500 sq
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at destabilizing the state and coun
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The violent campaign targeting Hind
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organizations, including the Voice
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should not come under the scope of
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thousands of displaced Kashmiri Pan
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psychological and physical ailments
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Furthermore, Pandit leaders remain
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the Elimination of All Forms of Rac
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development of the state; (3) Provi
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Introduction Sri Lanka’s Sinhala
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History/Background Sri Lanka’s co
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Simultaneously, in the post-indepen
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two-thirds of which allegedly occur
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The following sections, therefore,
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In October 2013, government authori
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news documentary, Sri Lanka’s Kil
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Page 199 and 200:
international investigation into al
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Monitored Countries Republic of the
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governments, minorities, especially
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Subsequent Parliamentary elections
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addition to overt threats, she also
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increasing restrictions on Hindu te
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Bainimarama ensures that the upcomi
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In its assessment of Saudi Arabia
Page 215 and 216:
These nine million plus workers,
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laborers have been subject to surve
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subjected to violate the protection
Page 221 and 222:
there has been an increase in relig
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then, Indians in Trinidad have been
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society; it also suggests that the
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epresentation of Hindus in governme
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Appendix A International Acts, Conv
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According to the Association for La
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United Nations Universal Declaratio
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Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1830 M
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Qa‘ida leaders, including al-Qa
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References 6 Das, Subhamoy, “Hind
Page 243 and 244:
59 Id.; Ayubi, S. R., “Hindu, Sik
Page 245 and 246:
104 Sahni, B., “Afghans in India
Page 247 and 248:
163 Bertil Lintner, “The Plights
Page 249 and 250:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpa
Page 251 and 252:
War Crime Verdict of Bangladesh,”
Page 253 and 254:
296 Total Extrajudicial Killings fr
Page 255 and 256:
340 “Bangladesh HC Asks Govt to g
Page 257 and 258:
402 Id., Article 16(b). 403 Convent
Page 259 and 260:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007
Page 261 and 262:
509 “All Hindu Temples Denied Lan
Page 263 and 264:
543 “Smoke and Mirrors: Malaysia
Page 265 and 266:
611 Abbasi, Reema, “Space for Hin
Page 267 and 268:
657 “11 Journalists Killed in Pak
Page 269 and 270:
Pakistan,” (April 9, 2010), The C
Page 271 and 272:
764 “Hindus in Pakistan Demand La
Page 273 and 274:
824 “The Politics of Our Lives: T
Page 275 and 276:
880 Toosi, Nahal, “Scenic Pakista
Page 277 and 278:
950 “Hindus Call for Concrete Law
Page 279 and 280:
998 “Pak Hindus Spend Dreary, Qui
Page 281 and 282:
1081 Amnesty International Press Re
Page 283 and 284:
1144 Das, Bijoyeta, “In Pictures:
Page 285 and 286:
escalates-between-Hindus-and-Muslim
Page 287 and 288:
1268 Suroor, H., “Indian ‘conce
Page 289 and 290:
1311 “Jammu and Kashmir: Religiou
Page 291 and 292:
1369 “India: Large Numbers of IDP
Page 293 and 294:
1471 “History of Sri Lanka,” Wi
Page 295 and 296:
http://www.theolympian.com/2012/04/
Page 297 and 298:
1571 “Fiji,” CIA World Factbook
Page 299 and 300:
1642 Constitution of the Republic o
Page 301 and 302:
1688 Id. 1689 Id. 1690 Jha, Durgesh
Page 303 and 304:
1752 Kaufman, J.E., “In Trinidad,
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