WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is all set to take up the issue of human rights violation during his maiden trip to India in the coming week.
“We will raise it [human rights and democracy issues], and we will continue that conversation, because we firmly believe that we have more values in common on those fronts than we don’t,” Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson told reporters on Friday.
Blinken is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on July 27.
During his stay, he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, among others.
Thompson did not specify the human rights issues Blinken will bring up in his talks, but India’s suppression of the people of Kashmir, especially after the August, 5, 2019, military siege of the disputed state has been a top international human rights concern.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has repeatedly voiced concern about human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The Hindu-nationalist Modi government has also been criticised for the growing demonisation of India’s Muslims and depriving them of their human rights.
In addition, human rights organisations have been highlighting the systematic erosion of civil liberties in India as well as democracy itself.
“We are looking forward to this opportunity for the secretary to talk with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and continue to pursue the myriad areas of common interest that we have,” Thompson said.
In response to another question on whether India and Pakistan’s relationship would come up in the talks, Thompson said US ‘strongly’ believed that the issues were for India and Pakistan to resolve between themselves.
“We are pleased to see that the ceasefire that went into place earlier this year is – has remained intact, and we certainly always encourage them to continue their efforts to find ways to build a more stable relationship going forward,” he said.
