Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights body, has urged the government of India to stop human rights violations by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along the Bangladesh border and prosecute those responsible. Human Rights Watch has also asked Bangladesh government to take a stronger stand with the Indian government to stop the killing and torture of Bangladeshis.

HRW recalled that in December 2010 it released the report “Trigger Happy”, which documented the excessive use of force by the Indian Troops at the Bangladesh border as well as nearly 1,000 killings by the BSF over the last decade.

Human rights activists charge that the BSF is committing grave abuses on these desperate people, including torture and murder, in defiance of the laws of both countries and a violation of promises made earlier to exercise restraint.

India is constructing a 2,500-mile wall of concrete and barbed wire on the Bangladesh border costing $1.2 billion.

References:

·      The latest report of Human Rights Watch: India: Abuses by Border Force Increasing  

·      Read the earlier report by Human Rights Watch: Trigger Happy

Action Items:

1) Call and write the Indian Ambassador to the US

o   Contact info:

§  Ambassador Mrs. Nirupama Rao

§  Telephone: (202) 939-7000 • Fax: (202) 265-4351

§  Web Message: http://tinyurl.com/7rodcy2

·      Please select Ambassador from drop down menu

o   Ask: Ask her that the Prime Minister of India form a high level commission to investigate these crimes. Tell her that as an American you are dismayed at the report of torture and murder by the BSF.

2) Call anti-torture groups to look into the torture of Bangladeshi refugees by the Indian Border Security Forces. Get their contact info and send them the report of Human Rights Watch.

o   Contact info:

§  National Religious Campaign Against Torture: (t) 202.547.1920 • http://www.nrcat.org/

§  Physicians for Human Rights: 202.728.5335  • http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/

o   Ask: Tell him that as an American you are dismayed at the report of torture and murder by the BSF. Ask them that the Prime Minister of India form an high level commission to investigate these crimes

Call and Write to Bangladeshi Ambassador to the US Contact info: H.E. Akramul Qader 202-244-2745 http://tinyurl.com/86ybwg4

o   Ask: Ask if he has read the Human Rights Watch report asking Bangladesh to take a stronger stand with India to stop border killing and torture by Indian BSF. Ask him to inform the foreign office that Bangladeshi Americans want them to take a stronger stand to safeguard the lives of Bangladeshis

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