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Marking the 34th anniversary of attacks and displacements of Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir in 1990, three UK members of parliament, including Bob Blackman, Jim Shannon and Virendra Sharma tabled the Early Day Motion (EDM) in the British parliament.
EDMs are formal motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons. While very few are actually debated, they are a way for British MPs to draw attention to an event or cause. The EDM read, "That this House commemorates with deep sadness and disappointment the 34th anniversary of the co-ordinated attacks in January 1990 by cross-border Islamic terrorists and their supporters on the innocent population of Jammu and Kashmir; expresses its condolences to the families and friends of all those killed, raped, injured and displaced by force in this planned massacre." The motion "condemns the desecration of holy sites in Jammu and Kashmir; is concerned that Kashmiris who fled persecution have still not seen justice or recognition of the atrocities committed against them; deplores those sponsoring such cross-border terrorist attacks and demands that such attacks cease immediately; condemns the continued targeted killings of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir" It "further notes that the international principle of responsibility to protect obliges individual States and the international community to take effective measures to prevent the commission of genocide and crimes against humanity as suffered by Kashmiri Hindus." The motion also highlighted "that properties belonging to minority Hindu community continue to be occupied and urged the Government of India to fulfil its long-standing international commitment to recognise and acknowledge the worst form of genocide of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir and enact the proposed Panun Kashmir Genocide Crime Punishment and Atrocities Prevention Bill in the Indian Parliament, thereby delivering much-awaited justice to the Kashmiri Pandit community". It further urged the UK Government to extend the UK's longstanding commitment to protect and demand justice for the victims of this genocide. (ANI)
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