India/Kashmir Talks Must Include Guarantee On Missing People

2.40.57pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 31st Aug 2005

Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh has announced he is to hold talks with the moderate Kashmiri All Parties Hurriyat Conference who are opposed to India's rule in the divided region.

This will be the first dialogue between the conference and the Indian government since they stalled in August last year when the separatists objected to conditions set by the previous government.

Liberal Democrat member of the South Asia delegation in the European Parliament and President of Liberal Democrat friends of Kashmir, Liz Lynne MEP welcomed the move as another major step forward in the peace process.

"All of us who have campaigned for a peaceful solution in the region will welcome the talks. However, there is still along way to go before the Kashmiri people will be free from the violence that has plagued the region for decades.

" I hope part of the talks will focus on the number of Kashmiris who have disappeared from Indian military custody over the last decade. Families of those reported missing have received no support from the Indian Government or information regarding their relatives.

"It is important that both sides are able to trust each other in order for there to be a peaceful solution. While the estimated 10,000 people remain unaccounted for that will be difficult to achieve. I am therefore repeating my call for the Indian Government to immediately investigate all disappearances reported by Kashmiri people."

ENDS