Visa Refused to Amnesty for Gujarat Probe
July 23
London
from www.expressindia.com
Amnesty International has criticized the Indian government for refusing it
a visa to go to Gujarat for an independent probe into the communal riots there.
"The refusal damages the image of both the Indian and the Gujarat governments
before their citizens and the international community," the organization
said in London. It claimed that the refusal of the Indian government to grant
its team access to the state would "reinforce the concerns that the government
of Gujarat and the state police might have been accomplices in preparing the
ground for violence and in allowing it to occur, and could be attempting now
to cover up the involvement of their officials."
Brushing aside Amnesty criticism, India said events in the state were already
under continual independent scrutiny of its own organizations like the National
Human Rights Commission and other national commissions and NGOs.
"We did not see what value a visit by a few London-based members of Amnesty
International would add (to their findings), Indian Deputy High Commissioner
Satyabrata Pal said when contacted for comments on the criticism.
"We had told Amnesty that we understand the legion of local associates
they had in India were active on their behalf, collecting information first
hand. If over and above what their local associates provided, Amnesty wanted
fresh information from the Government of India, or to check out any facts with
us, we would be glad to do what we could do to help," Pal said.
The watchdog said the Indian government had not responded to a visa application
by it "before the mutually agreed deadline of July 12, 2002," and
added that "as agreed with government representatives in London, Amnesty
is therefore compelled to assume that the visa will not be granted."
Stating that it remained committed to exposing the truth on the Gujarat massacres and campaigning for Justice for the victims, Amnesty called on the international community to strengthen its efforts to ensure that "Gujarat did not fall off the agenda until the perpetrators of violence are brought to justice, and the victims and their families receive adequate reparation, including compensation and rehabilitation."