SEOUL: Chairman of the Kashmir Council Europe (KCEU), Ali Raza Syed has urged the international community to take immediate and decisive steps toward resolving the long-standing Kashmir dispute, emphasizing that continued inaction undermines global commitments to justice and human rights.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Black Day: The Cry of Kashmir for Justice and Freedom” held in Seoul on Wednesday, Syed called on the United Nations and world powers to uphold their own resolutions and international law concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
The event, hosted by the International Interchange Development Association (IIDA), gathered diplomats, human rights defenders, scholars, and civil society representatives to draw attention to ongoing violations in the Indian-administered region.
Ali Raza Syed denounced India’s August 5, 2019 decision to revoke the region’s special constitutional status, calling it a clear breach of international law. He said Jammu and Kashmir has been turned into one of the most militarized zones in the world, where basic freedoms are curtailed and dissent is met with repression.
He also raised alarm over alleged demographic engineering efforts, describing them as a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and an attempt to alter the region’s Muslim-majority character.
Highlighting the plight of detained Kashmiri figures such as Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Khurram Parvez, and journalist Sajjad Gul, Syed said that decades of oppression have failed to weaken the Kashmiri people’s resolve for their right to self-determination.
In his address, Dr. Yongjo Mun, Global President of IIDA, expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people and pledged to utilize his organization’s network in over 30 countries to amplify their call for justice. He underscored the need for a peaceful and negotiated settlement that respects the will of the Kashmiri people.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to South Korea, Syed Moazzam H. Shah, reaffirmed Pakistan’s political and moral support for the Kashmiri cause, warning that India’s continued denial of basic rights to Kashmiris threatens not only peace in South Asia but also international stability.
Wrapping up the session, Ali Raza Syed said that the Kashmir conflict is a test of global conscience, urging the world community to stand up for justice, freedom, and the rule of law. Participants at the seminar collectively demanded the implementation of UN resolutions and the protection of the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people.
