Indian occupied Kashmir has witnessed at least 229 killings during more than 100 military operations since January, a rights group said on Wednesday.
The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), which operates in the region, said in its bi-annual report that from January 1 to June 30, the region witnessed the extrajudicial executions of at least 32 civilians and the killing of 54 armed forces personnel.
It also saw 55 internet shutdowns and the destruction of 48 structures, it said.
The report said three children and two women were also killed, while at least “107 cordon-and-search operations and cordon-and-destroy operations were conducted in the region”.
In addition, during search operations and encounters, “vandalism and destruction of civilian properties were reported”.
The report said India is paving the way for demographic change in occupied Kashmir on a large scale, thus institutionalising a system of domination over indigenous populations.
“The order is a clear violation of the 4th Geneva Convention,” it noted.
The report cited observers as warning that the new domicile law could permanently alter the demography of the disputed region.
It also touched on the recently introduced new media policy wherein the government will examine the content of the media.
According to the policy, the government will decide what is “fake,” “unethical” or “anti-national” news and take legal action against the journalist or media organisation concerned, including sharing information with security agencies.
The JKCCS’s report said that after the first case of the novel coronavirus was declared in the region in March, the local government clamped down with restrictions and curfews, even when people had already been locked up since August 2019.
It said roads were barricaded while surveillance tools were used to track down people.
“Until April 16, around 2,303 people were also arrested in the region for defying lockdown orders while many shops were sealed and vehicles seized in the region,” it said.
The report also said that 345 prisoners were released amid the pandemic, but many prisoners are still being held in Indian jails, giving the example of J&K High Court Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom, who has been detained since August 5, 2019.
It said during the Covid-19 crisis, many doctors in the region have been harassed and beaten by government forces while performing their duties.
