SOUTH ASIA - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

2243According to HRW, on April 20, a mob of local residents and politicians raidedthe Almora and Jageswar offices of an NGO working primarily on women’s healthand empowerment in Uttar Pradesh. The attack allegedly was in response to a pamphletthat the NGO had published in 1999 on HIV transmission, which containedpurportedly sexually offensive material. Police and protestors assaulted staff andtrainees, and a number of persons were detained for a short period.According to Amnesty, the chief judicial magistrate in Srinagar released on bailGhulam Mohiuddin Najar, a political activist and teacher; however, immediatelyupon release, members of the Special Operations Group, a unit of the state police,shot and killed him at the court gate. According to Amnesty International, in Februarysecurity forces in Jammu and Kashmir pointed guns at journalists who wereattempting to investigate the killing of Najar.Amnesty International reported the November killing of human rights defenderT. Puroshottam in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. A group of unidentified men wieldingknives attacked Puroshottam, the Joint Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh CivilLiberties Committee, in a local shop. Puroshottam was involved in numerous investigationsof alleged human rights violations by the police including torture andextrajudicial executions, had been attacked previously, and had received persistentthreatening telephone calls. There has been no independent investigation intoPuroshottam’s killing.There was no definitive resolution in the case of abducted and murdered Kashmirhuman rights monitor Jalil Andrabi. Human rights workers allege that the state isattempting to subvert the judicial process by withholding evidence (see Sections 1.a.and 1.b.). In Assam the investigation into the 1996 murder of human rights monitorand journalist Parag Das has yielded no definitive information on the identity of hiskiller. The assailant allegedly was a militant who previously had surrendered andwas supported by the Government (see Sections 1.a. and 2.a.).Several Christian-affiliated (in many cases, non-evangelical) international reliefagencies stated that, during the year, their work in delivering services to the poorbecame considerably more difficult due to threats, increased bureaucratic obstacles,and, in some cases, physical attacks on their field workers by Hindu extremists (seeSections 2.c. and 5).The Government appointed a National Human Rights Commission in 1993 withpowers to investigate and recommend policy changes, punishment, and compensationin cases of police abuse. In addition the NHRC is directed to contribute to theestablishment, growth, and functioning of human rights NGO’s. The Governmentappoints the members and finances the operations of the NHRC. The NHRC is seriouslyunderstaffed and prohibited by statute from directly investigating allegationsof abuse involving army and paramilitary forces.From April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999 (the most recent reporting year), the NHRCreceived 40,724 new complaints of human rights violations. The Commission had13,512 cases awaiting consideration at the beginning of the reporting period. Of the54,236 cases before it in the 1998–99 year, the Commission reviewed 53,711, leaving525 awaiting review at the end of the year. Of the 53,711 cases considered duringthe year, 32,172 were dismissed; 10,718 were transmitted to other governmental authoritiesfor disposition; 3,395 were concluded, and 7,426 were pending. In the previous12-month period (April 1997 to March 1998), the Commission received 36,791complaints. The increased number of complaints in the most recent reporting yearis believed to be the result of the Commission’s increased visibility.The NHRC has sought to encourage a culture respective of human rights by fosteringhuman rights education in schools and universities, by offering assistanceand encouragement to human rights NGO’s, by supporting training programs forthe police, military forces, and paramilitary forces, and by making recommendationsto the central and state governments. During the year, the NHRC carried out, withthe assistance of NGO’s, a human rights training program for state police that includedstress counseling. The NHRC also has influenced the legislative process, particularlyby issuing a formal opinion that a new Prevention of Terrorism Act is notneeded, and by proposing Prison Reform Legislation. State Human Rights Commissionsexist in Assam, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal,Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, and Rajasthan; Uttar Pradeshtook legal steps to establish a commission but has yet to appoint members. In additionspecial courts to hear human rights cases have been established in Tamil Nadu,Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. The courts in Uttar Pradesh are not functioning,despite a September 1999 court order that they be reactivated. The NHRCalso encouraged the establishment of human rights cells in police headquarters inthe states.The NHRC also was involved in programs to eliminate child labor (see Section6.c.).VerDate 11-MAY-2000 13:46 Sep 20, 2001 Jkt 071555 PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 F:\WORK\COUNTRYR\S71555\71555.035 HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1