SRINAGAR (Kashmir English): Civil society activists in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have said that the suppression of dissent has become a systematic tool to silence voices demanding justice and freedom in the territory
According to Kashmir Media Service, activists stated that arbitrary arrests, raids, surveillance, and intimidation continue to shrink democratic space in IIOJK.
They said journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens are paying the price for demanding freedom and accountability.
“Arbitrary arrests, raids, surveillance, and intimidation continue to shrink democratic space in IIOJK,” they said, adding that criminalizing dissent cannot erase Kashmiris’ legitimate aspirations for dignity and the right to self-determination.
India imposing fear through draconian laws
The activists noted that India is imposing fear and silence through draconian laws, mass surveillance, and unchecked state power.
They stressed that silencing dissent in IIOJK is not peace but the denial of fundamental human rights.
They urged the international community not to remain silent as democratic freedoms are steadily eroded in the territory. “India must remember that lasting peace in Kashmir cannot be built on repression, censorship, and the silencing of dissent,” they said.
The activists concluded that Kashmiris’ voices must be heard, not silenced through intimidation and coercion.
