A global summit hosted by Angelina Jolie and Foreign Secretary William Hague in London to end sexual violence in conflict zones, was criticized after activists said the summit ignores rape cases in Kashmir.
Governments from over 100 countries, over 900 experts, non-government organizations, faith leaders and representatives from international organisations across the world will attend the four day summit.
However, Kashmiri activist San’aa Sultan accused the foreign secretary of hypocrisy and of putting British financial interests before human rights in the absence of Kashmiri human rights violations by India from the summit's agenda. Sultan told the Anadolu Agency (AA), “Once again Kashmir has been sidelined at the table where policy makers will sit to discuss human rights. As a Kashmiri I find this outrageous.”
“The British, whilst championing human rights, forget their role in South Asia and how their withdrawal lead to the current conflict in Kashmir. But we cannot ignore the fact that the human rights violations committed against Kashmiris by the Indian state are not recognised at a conference hosted by Britain's Foreign Secretary,” she added.
The summit intends to launch an international protocol for documenting sexual violence in conflict. The summit also wants countries to ensure sexual and gender-based violence responses and the promotion of gender equality are fully integrated in all peace and security efforts as well as providing greater support for the victims of sexual violence.
The Foreign Secretary pledged a further £6 million to support survivors of sexual violence in conflict. William Hague's opening remarks at the summit read, “From the abolition of slavery to the adoption of the arms trade treaty, we have shown that the international community can tackle vast global problems in ways that was once considered impossible. There is power in numbers, and if we unite behind this cause, we can create an unstoppable momentum and consign this vile abuse to history.”
San’aa Sultan remained critical of the U.K. and said that Britain cannot afford to challenge the Indian state on its human rights record in Kashmir as India holds more weight as Britain's partner in business and economics than in human rights and added that "we Kashmiri’s who live in Britain cannot forget.”
Opening the ceremony Angelina Jolie said, “We need to shatter that culture of impunity and make justice the norm, not the exception, for these crimes. We need political will, replicated across the world, and we need to treat this subject as a priority. We need to see real commitment and go after the worst perpetrators, to fund proper protection for vulnerable people, and to step in to help the worst-affected countries. We need all armies, peacekeeping troops and police forces to have 'prevention of sexual violence in conflict' as part of their training.”
Sultan speaking with the AA asked, “Why is a Kashmiri survivor of rape less fit to be recognised on an international platform and be allowed to engage in a dialog which seeks to end the practice?”
Adding, “We cannot afford to let the Indian state continue to use rape as a tool of systematic torture. The double standards presented by this summit which deem some victims more palatable than others are a clear representation of Britain’s current attitude towards Kashmiris and its inability to create dialog with the Indian state regarding its human rights abuses in our country.”
Activists who plan to protest have started a twitter campaign to highlight the absence of Kashmir on the agenda of the summit. Earlier, campaigners accused the summit of hypocrisy accusing the government of ignoring issues on their own doorstep. The Refugee Council highlighted the Government’s failure to protect victims of sexual violence when they flee to the U.K. and seek asylum. Refugee Council Women’s Advocacy Manager Anna Musgrave said, “It seems like the government only wants to deal with this problem at arms length; when it’s on their own doorstep, they don’t want to know.
"On the one hand, you’ve got real progress being made in conflict zones overseas, but when those very same victims make it to U.K. shores, it’s a completely different story. Women often aren’t believed, and instead of being protected they’re further traumatised by the asylum system.
“It’s critical that the government tackles this issue with the same gusto at home as it is doing abroad and protects the survivors of sexual violence.”
www.aa.com.tr/en
