Mr. Ban Ki-moon Secretary General United Nations Organization New York Dear Secretary General, The Kashmir dispute stands unresolved decades and decades after the United Nations passed a resolution to hold plebiscite in the state of Jammu and Kashmir which gave its people a chance to decide their future in consonance with their aspirations. The Indian state has used its might to hold on to the territory of the state of Jammu and Kashmir against the wishes of the Kashmiri people. The people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir have been waging a defiant struggle to achieve their aim. The Indian state has responded with brute force and committed massive human rights violations in pursuit of its territorial objectives. More than 100,000 people have been killed, thousands jailed and tortured and collateral damage worth billions of rupees has taken place in the last two decades. The mute response of the international community and international institutions especially the United Nations against the massive human rights violations by the state of India is a serious cause of concern. This has emboldened the Indian state to carry on the human rights violations with impunity. The discovery of unmarked graves in Kashmir is an indicator of the levels of human rights violations. The people of Kashmir, the parents of disappeared persons have right to know - who lie in these graves, who killed them and when will the international community take note of these grievous case of human rights violations. Delaying of the resolution of the Kashmir dispute will continue to send thousands of innocent victims to graves. We the subjugated people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir make a fervent appeal to the international community to intervene for the cause of humanity and put an end to murder and mayhem in Kashmir. During the last one month, eight innocent Kashmiri’s, mostly students, were ruthlessly killed and property worth millions destroyed particularly in Sopore town by the Indian Armed forces. In the past week two innocent students in their teens Zahid Farooq and Wamiq Farooq were brutally killed. The people of Srinagar continue to be under seize as the authorities have imposed undeclared curfew and heavy deployment of troops in Srinagar as well as in other towns has paralyzed normal life in Kashmir. People are not allowed to come out of their houses to buy food and other essential commodities especially medicine. In blatant interference in our religious rights people were not even allowed to offer Friday prayers and the central Grand Mosque in Srinagar continues to be under the siege of armed forces. The people of Kashmir are expressing their bruised feelings through peaceful modes of agitation and resistance but on the other hand the authorities are hell-bent on strangulating Kashmri’s through various repressive and coercive means and methods including police and military action. Agitating youth are arrested and subjected to torture and senior leaders of All Parties Hurriyat Conference have either been confined to their houses or arrested and imprisoned under Public Safety Act. The people of Kashmir believe that the time has come that the United Nations should come forward and let India and Pakistan know that talks between these two countries must be accompanied by practical measures to restore an environment free of violence. This can be done by: a. The immediate and complete cessation of military and Para-military actions against the civilian population in Jammu & Kashmir; b. Withdrawal of the military presence from towns and villages; c. Dismantling of bunkers, watchtowers and barricades; d. Releasing of political prisoners; e. Annulling various special repressive laws; f. Restoring the rights of peaceful association, assembly and demonstrations;

We appeal to your Excellency to impress upon the Government of India to stop violations of human rights and we trust that your personal involvement in this matter will bring its influence to bear on both India and Pakistan to initiate a peace process with which the United Nations as well as the people of Jammu & Kashmir will be associated so as to ensure that settlement arrived at will be based on the principles of justice. Sincerely, The People of Jammu and Kashmir