Omar says 'mass graves' are only unmarked graves Submitted by admin3 on 27 September 2011 - 7:13pm Indian Muslim

By IANS, Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday denied the exis tence of "mass graves" in the state, saying these were only unmarked graves. Delivering a long speech in the assembly, Abdullah said: "It is important to set the record straight. I want to make it clear these are not mass graves. Nobody has furnished any proof about a mass grave existing in the state. "If anybody has information about so-called mass graves, let him give the inform ation to the state human rights commission. "What we are talking about is unmarked graves. When we talk about mass graves, i t has international connotations. People buried in unmarked graves have been bur ied with due religious rites. I want to make it clear with authority that all th e disappeared persons are not buried in these graves. "Some of the disappeared persons are driving taxis or have set up some businesse s across the Line of Control (LOC)," he said, referring to that part of Kashmir with Pakistan. "For their return we have created a provision through the rehabilitation policy. So far 800-900 applications have been received from families of those who want to return. A hundred such applications have already been approved by us. "When such persons return with their family and children instead of guns, the pr opaganda of our neighbouring country would be exposed. "Another thing I want to make absolutely clear is whether anyone can with author ity say that all those buried in the unmarked graves were killed by the security forces? "I can say with authority that some of the persons buried in these unmarked grav es were killed by the militants. "Why are the security forces treated as guilty unless they prove themselves to b e innocent? Why does not this perception hold good for the militants? "In an encounter in the Gurez, 14 foreign militants were killed and buried under Islamic rites after maintaining the records of all of them properly." Abdullah took a dig at Pakistan, sahing Islamabad did not even recognise its own regular soldiers who took part in the 1999 Kargil conflict with India. "Can anyone say with authority that during the last 22 years not a single person died in the training camps across the LOC? "In villages is it not the practice to mark graves after the dead are buried her e. "(A total of) 2,090 foreign militants killed during the lats 22 years in Poonch and Rajouri districts are buried there. "If specific instances are brought to our notice, we are ready to go for DNA mat ching of the buried persons with those who fear their dear ones could be buried

in these graves." The chief minister then took on Britain. "Now Britain gives us a lecture on human rights. They must set their house in or der (first). "People were lifted from Iraq and Afghanistan. What happened to them in Guantana mo Bay?" Talking about his proposal for a truth and reconciliation commission, Abdullah s aid: "(A total of) 17,000 civilians were killed during militancy. People want to know why they were killed? The truth and reconciliation commission cannot funct ion unless it is facilitated by the authorities across the LOC." Share