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Genocide Watch, a US-based organization that campaigns against all forms of mass murder, has recognized as genocide the crimes committed by the Pakistani forces during Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971."Genocide Watch recognizes the crimes committed by the Military Forces of Pakistan against the Bengali population in Bangladesh in 1971 as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes," the organization said in the declaration on Thursday in commemoration of 50 years of the genocide."
The Washington DC-based NGO works to predict, prevent, stop, and punish genocide and other forms of mass murder. "These crimes by the Pakistani Military Forces constituted the crimes against humanity of murder, extermination, deportation or forcible transfer of population, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, rape, sexual violence, persecution, enforced disappearance of persons, and other inhumane acts," the declaration states. It adds that strong evidence supports the conclusion that the crimes committed against the Bengalis of East Pakistan during 1971 were widespread and systematic and carried out by the Pakistani Army, other militia forces and pan-Islamic political forces. "Conclusive research by internationally recognized genocide experts indicates that the nature, scale and organization of the Pakistani Military operations demonstrates planning and intentional design by the Pakistani junta leadership and military command to destroy a substantial part of the Bengali ethnic and national group and a substantial part of the Bengali Hindu religious group," the declaration states. Gregory Stanton, an expert in genocide studies and founder of Genocide Watch, called upon the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution recognizing the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh. He urged the member states of the United Nations, especially the United States, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan, to recognize the crimes committed by Pakistani Military Forces in Bangladesh as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The declaration also urged member states of the UN to take necessary measures to recognize these crimes in appropriate fora and to charge surviving leaders of this genocide in national courts with universal jurisdiction. (ANI)
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