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The Honourable Dr Mehreen Faruqi is Greens Senator for New South Wales. Hon. Dr Mehreen is a career engineer and life-long activist for social and environmental justice.
Hon. Dr Senator Mehreen Faruqi
Speech: Self-determination for Kashmir
Raising Kashmir in the
Senate
Salam Zafar bhai,
I hope you are all
really well. Last night I took the first opportunity after Parliament returned
from its Winter break to speak in support of self-determination for the
Kashmiri people. A video of my speech to the Senate is available
here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwPFqQPAUA0
Senator Richard Di Natale and I also
moved to urge the Indian Government to withdraw military forces, end the mass
lockdown and respect the human rights of Kashmiris and their right to
self-determination. The Government did not allow our motion to be debated, but
the Greens stand by it wholeheartedly. The motion said:
1. Notes with
deep concern that:
a. In August the Indian Government decided to revoke
Kashmir’s special status and its relative autonomy under India’s constitution,
further eroding Kashmiris’ right to self-determination;
b. The Indian
Government shut down phone and internet connections, arbitrarily detained
political leaders, evacuated tourists, restricted freedom of movement and
oversaw an influx of tens of thousands of additional troops to Kashmir;
c. These actions risk a dangerous escalation of violence in the world’s most
militarised region.
2. Expresses solidarity with the many Australian
Kashmiris who have been deeply worried about their loved ones in
Kashmir.
3. Further notes that, in response to the three wars between
India and Pakistan over Kashmir, the UN has unequivocally called for Kashmiris’
right to self-determination.
4. Urges the
Australian Government to call on the Indian Government to respect the human
rights of the people in Kashmir, withdraw military forces, end the mass
lockdown and respect the Kashmiris’ right to
self-determination.
Please feel free to share the speech and
motion in Sada -e-Watan.
Warm regards,
Mehreen
Senator Mehreen
Faruqi
Greens Senator for NSW
