With each
passing hour, the world is increasingly concerned and worried by the growing
conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and the possibility of a
much-feared nuclear meltdown. Malaysians are no exception to this. As
peace-loving members of the world community, the people of Malaysia and their
counterparts in every continent of the globe are keeping their fingers crossed
for a peaceful solution to the standoff between both countries.
We, the Democratic Action Party (DAP),
wish to express our grave apprehension that the current tension between both
India and Pakistan, if not averted through immediate and peaceful means, could
lead to an unnecessary and very costly war of untold repercussions at this very
challenging juncture of world peace.
We are deeply fearful of the
possibility of such a war breaking out on the Kashmir border because of the dire
consequences that it engenders, as underscored below:
·
A war between India and Pakistan will not be seen merely as a war between nation
states but one which would inevitably involve religious undertones, i.e. Islam
against Hinduism. The scope of such a war will thus not only be confined to the
Kashmir border but would give rise to undesired tensions between Muslims and
Hindus worldwide.
·
A war between India and Pakistan may well lead to a war of greater proportions
– a prospect that the entire world fears – as the use of nuclear weapons
cannot be discounted considering the nuclear might of both countries. If such a
nuclear war should erupt, it will result in a most tragic global humanitarian
crisis as the lives of millions of people are literally at stake. One dare not
imagine the unthinkable consequences of it.
·
A war between India and Pakistan will further destabilise the immediate region,
if not the world, and place world peace under great threat at this very
challenging period of human progress and world history in the aftermath of the
September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, from which the global
community has barely recovered.
Knowing fully well that such a dreaded
armed confrontation will only result in great suffering to millions of Indian
and Pakistani nationals and sacrifice the lives of innocent civilians and troops
on both sides – the ongoing gun-fighting having claimed a large number of
casualties already – we urge the Indian and Pakistani governments to
immediately take the following measures:
· Call for an immediate ceasefire and withdraw all frontline troops from the Kashmir border to cool the escalating tension between both sides
·
Work out a peaceful and permanent solution to the current conflict through
negotiation and diplomatic means
·
Ink an agreement to assure the world community that both sides will not use
nuclear weapons in any situation to prevent a humanitarian crisis.
We appeal to the leaders of both
governments not to allow their emotions to get the better of their reason and
resort to the folly of a war, which could only lead to disastrous consequences.
Instead of violence in the form of warfare which is destructive, both sides
should seek a peaceful reconciliatory alternative to iron out their differences
over points of dispute such as cross-border incursions and militant attacks.
We hope that both governments concerned will strive for an amicable solution to their long-standing hostility over Kashmir, for the sake of world peace as well good-relations between both countries.
(The memorandum was presented to both the High Commissioners by the DAP International Secretary and MP for Seputih, Teresa Kok, on behalf of the Party on 6 June 2002)