Amnesty International (AI) Secretary-General Kumi Naidoo said that the Indian government is making attempts to repress the rights group for raising voice on human rights violation in occupied Kashmir.
The Amnesty International India had recently launched the #LetKashmirSpeak campaign to highlight the alarming human rights abuse in the occupied valley by Indian security forces.
The Narendra Modi government had earlier alleged that Amnesty International India is not complying with foreign exchange regulations by taking money from its London-based parent.
The AI chief vowed that his organization would not be silenced despite intimidation by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The Modi government has made a very big attempt to crush Amnesty in India,” Kumi Naidoo told AFP news agency on a visit to Washington.
“On the Kashmir question, on various human rights questions in India itself, we are not intimidated,” he continued.
“While our colleagues in our Indian office are under stress, they are as committed, motivated and courageous as ever, if not more, as a result of the repression that we face.”
“It is a horrific thing to actually cut people’s legitimate way of communicating with each other completely,” Naidoo added.
“There are life-and-death issues associated with doing that. Whether it is family members needing to communicate with each other, being able to go to the doctor’s, this is something that governments need to stop doing,” he said.
The valley is under continued military siege with communication blockade since August 5 when Narendra Modi-led Indian government repealed the special status of occupied Kashmir and imposed strict clampdown in the territory.
