Kashmir Under Siege

Since the partition of India in 1947, Kashmir, with a predominantly Muslim population, has been the site of militant unrest and a cause for war with Pakistan. Despite numerous UN proclamations calling for a plebiscite, the Kashmiri people have never been given a direct opportunity to voice their preference on the question of accession, and many within the state claim the central government of India has retreated from its original support for autonomy and democracy. Government security forces have massacred large numbers of unarmed civilians, conducted warrantless house-to-house searches, seized youths, beat protestors, and destroyed whole neighborhoods.