Protest the Prejudiced Testimony of US Asst. Secretary on Gujarat
On March 22, 2003, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, Ms Christina Rocca, was called to testify in a Senatorial hearing on South Asia. When asked about the situation of minorities in Gujarat, India, Ms Rocca said "much action" has been taken by the Indian Government against those behind the Gujarat massacres.
"The legal system in India is agonizingly slow and that gives the impression that nothing is happening. But the fact of the matter is that they did take action and they are continuing to take action" she said.
Ms Rocca also said that the "United States has spoken out loudly and often on the terrible events of Gujarat, and it did not in any way get a pass from anywhere in the world, much less from the Bush administration."
ALSO SEE:
http://www.zeenews.com/links/articles.asp?aid=87361&sid=TOP
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/4279.htm
ACTION TO BE TAKEN:
1. Please write an E-mail to lodge your protest.
2. Call the following people and lodge your protest:
Secretary of State Colin Powell
Email: secretary@state.gov
Tel: (202) 647-5225/ (202) 647-4000
Bureau of South Asian Affairs, Asst. Secretary, Christina Rocca
Phone: 202-736-4325
Fax: (202) 736-4333
Fax: (202) 647-6640
email: roccacb@state.gov
Address: 2201 C St NW,
Washington, DC 20520
FACTS & TALKING POINTS
1. Ms Rocca's comments are very disturbing as they ignore the mountain of evidence compiled by organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and also by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), on the complicity and inaction of the Indian Central and Gujarat State governments (both led by Hindutva-fascist BJP). Most cases have not even reached the 'slow Indian legal system' as officials refuse to file and register complaints by minority community members.
2. Such comments embolden the Hindutva-fascist groups and provide them a sense of security, allowing them to commit more genocides in other parts of India, as they have already threatened.
3. Human rights organizations and media have documented that the violence in Gujarat continued for more than two months.
4. These same human rights organizations have indicted the Gujarat administration for collusion in the murder of more than 2000 Muslims during this period of violence. This collusion has been described as identifying Muslims and their businesses, ordering the police to either help in the killings or refrain from protecting the victims, and preventing or obstructing prosecution of the accused masterminds of the killings.
5. Unlike the British High Commissioner, the US ambassador to India had not spoken forcefully about the massacres and gang rapes in Gujarat, nor has the State Department.
6. The US administration must display leadership and commitment by avoiding such distortions to the truth regarding the events in Gujarat. Such misrepresentation of facts sends a message of approval to the perpetrators of the killings, paving the way for more human rights abuses in the future.
