Protest at BBC, CNN hqs on Kashmir ‘blackout’

LONDON: Human rights activists protested outside the headquarters of BBC and CNN here to protest, what they called, apathy over coverage of Indian occupied Kashmir as lockdown of more than eight million Kashmiris by the Indian government nears two months following the revocation of Article 370 in early August.The activists, mainly Kashmiri origin’s British nationals, gathered outside the BBC office to demand of the public funded broadcaster to cover the situation in Kashmir which has been cut off from rest of the world for around two months now with all communication modes cut off by the Indian government to quell protest by Kashmiris who have come together in an unprecedented show of unity against actions of the Indian government.The protesters were carrying banners which read: “crime against humanity”, “wake up BBC”, “wake up CNN”, “stop use of pellet guns”, “India should be held accountable for crimes against humanity”, “impose economic sanctions on India”, “justice for victims of mass rape”, “freedom for Kashmir”, “wake up US, UK, UAE, OIC” and “Narendra Modi is a criminal”.The protesters called on the BBC and CNN editorial management to “wake up” and cover Kashmir “impartially”. Those who took part in the protest said they had gathered to show solidarity with the people of Kashmir who are suffering incalculable human rights abuses under brutal occupation of India for the past seven decades that has turned into a humanitarian crisis following India’s illegal actions since 5th August.The protest organisers said in their speeches that for the past 53 days, over 8 million Kashmiris are under siege by Indian forces and internet along with communication services have been suspended. Journalists, especially foreign journalists are being denied access to the Indian occupied Kashmir in violation of press freedom while crimes against humanity are committed and universal declaration on human rights and international covenants are violated with impunity.The protesters were of the view that the BBC did a few good reports in the initial days after Article 370 was abrogated but stopped providing any coverage in the following days and there has been no coverage of any kind on BBC and CNN as a massive humanitarian crisis unfolds.After protesting outside the BBC for an hour, the large number of protesters marched towards the CNN building a mile away where protest was held for an hour.The protesters met the editorial management of both the BBC and CNN and handed over a memorandum, requesting the broadcasters to consider giving due and impartial coverage to Kashmiris. They said that while Kashmiris are suffering from humanitarian crisis of a huge magnitude, coverage by the international mainstream media is abysmal, selective and almost non-existent and the world media has turned a blind eye to one of the biggest human catastrophes.The protesters handed over a memorandum to the BBC and CNN editorial management, drawing their attention towards international reports on the situation in Kashmir. The memorandum made reference of reports by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on June 14, 2018; Human Rights Watch World Report 2019; All Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir (APPKG) inquiry report into the human rights situation in the IOK issued on October 30, 2018 and reports by the European Union, United States Department of State’s country report on human rights practices for 2018, Amnesty International Report of 2016-17 and the European Parliament’s Ad Hoc Delegation which described Kashmir as ‘the world’s most beautiful prison’ on earth due to unchecked, unwarranted, illegal Indian atrocities in Kashmir.The memorandum urged the UK mainstream media to highlight the plight of Kashmiris and massive human rights abuses being committed by Indian forces with impunity, presently and in the past; report the current humanitarian crisis in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir “adequately, independently and impartially”; and demand India to provide access to independent international media, including UK media an unhindered access to the occupied Kashmir.

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