Reaffirming our pledge to the Kashmiri cause

By Zumar-e-Fatima

Head of Chancery, Embassy of Pakistan

SCREAMS for help by people living in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) have now been echoing around for more than seven decades, and have more often than not found themselves falling on deaf ears of an international community that has increasingly chosen to focus on high politics.

The plight of Kashmiris has not only been ignored, but relegated to the political realm of human rights. To make it worse, on August 5, 2019, the Indian government illegally annexed occupied Jammu and Kashmir through abolition of special statusrelated Articles 35A and 370 of the Indian Constitution. These articles provided people living in IIOJ&K identity and economic rights, and prevented the Indian government from violating the basic principle of self-determination of the same people.

Demographic reengineering (a “softer term” denoting genocide and mass exodus) of Kashmiris by bringing in Hindus from the union itself has become the norm. India has imposed an unprecedented military siege restricting fundamental hu- man rights of the Kashmiri people. The manifestation of an exclusionary “Hindutva” driven ideology by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is conspicuous in the Indian government’s each and every move.

Every freedom movement that has organically surfaced in IndianOccupied Kashmir has also been made controversial by India through its propaganda machinery as an excuse to not demilitarize the region by increasing its military presence in the Kashmir Valley, of dividing the people of three regions of the Indian-Occupied Kashmir (the Valley of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu) on increasingly religio-political lines, so as to make space for state-sponsored oppression, torture and genocide, of building a narrative on the basis of a deceitful and bogus Instrument of Accession (the date and manner of signing of which should reveal India as the first aggressor to any reader), and of labeling any freedom movement as an extremist ideology, has all finally facilitated the Indian government to launch a full-fledged invasion of the disputed region of Kashmir where hundreds of thousands have died, tens of thousands of children have been taken captive or killed, and thousands of women have been raped.

Even with such a regime being present with the backing of an international community, the people of Kashmir have been left to suffer at the hands of Indian fascists governmental policies. India has systematically waged a low-intensity conflict in IIOJ&K, cut it off from the region, and escalated against an unarmed population in an area where the international politicaleconomic calculus dictates silence, except of those handful states who have been willing to stand with Pakistan to defend the rights of the oppressed in IIOJ&K.

It is high time for the United Nations, plus international bodies such as the European Union and Human Rights Watch, to mobilize themselves on the issue and help Kashmiris as India’s unilateral illegal actions involving military siege and curfews in major cities moves into its fifth year. This takes special meaning in the light of EU DisinfoLab latest report: “Indian Chronicles-Subsequent Investigations: Deep dive into a 15-year operation targeting EU and UN to serve Indian interest,” which revealed a vast network of fake media outlets, think-tanks and nongovernment organizations involved in abuse of international organizations.

RESPONDING immediately to the urgent humanitarian needs caused by Supertyphoon “Egay” (international name Doksuri), the Delegation of the European Union (EU) is allocating an initial €500,000 (approximately P30.3 million) in humanitarian funding to support relief efforts in the Philippines.

The funding will provide life-saving assistance that includes emergency shelter and shelter repair, clean water and sanitation to those most affected by the disaster. Such assistance will be provided in Luzon’s most affected areas, with focus on Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region, and Cordillera Administrative Region.

“[We express our swift and unwavering support to the Filipinos in] the aftermath of Typhoon Doksuri, which resulted in extensive devastation and tragic loss of lives in the Philippines,” said Commissioner for

Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič of the EU. “Without delay, we have [started emergency-relief efforts in close links] with…humanitarian partners to aid those affected during this challenging period. These efforts will complement, and be done in coordination with ongoing national and localrelief efforts.”

According to the delegation, humanitarian partners deployed on the ground assessed needs and provided initial assistance. The funding, it said, will enable them to significantly step-up their assistance to affected populations.

Since 1996, the EU has provided more than €158 million in humanitarian aid and disaster-preparedness funding in the Philippines. Through the grant, the bloc has worked in reducing the impact of natural hazards and strengthening communities’ capacities to prepare for future events.

WeChat blocked me 5 times!

(And my ego is bruised…)

DIPLOMATIC DISPATCH

Malou Talosig-Bartolome

India’s Hindutuva government has staged sham elections with military presence on ground in IIOJ&K and which can never be a substitute for the UN-demanded plebiscite. Not a single one of these elections has been found fair, impartial and free by regional and international observers.

L astly, Indian actions on August 5, 2019 have also been a contravention of the bilateral agreement between Pakistan and India (the Simla Agreement of 1972). In effect, the latter has negated all solutions through peaceful means, and has chosen military invasion and annexation of IIOJ&K. The basic right of self-determination that has been the edifice of the international order designed via the Atlantic Charter must be upheld by the international community at all costs.

Pakistan observes every fifth of August as “Youm e Istehsal” for the rights of its Kashmiri brethren who have been sentenced to live in an open prison by the Indian government that is slowly picking away the Kashmiri identity and removing any signs of movement of self-determination in the region— a right which has been given to the people by the UN and its countless resolutions.

IF your ego is fragile, I’d definitely advise you against downloading WeChat from the Philippines, using a Philippine SIM card…

Last month, my editor-in-chief Chuchay Molina-Fernandez asked if I could join the media delegation to China. I didn’t hesitate, of course, having been to Beijing in 1999 and Shanghai in 2018, as they were all wonderful experiences.

The recent one was the first time a Philippine media delegation visited the said country after the pandemic, so this should be interesting, I thought.

Michael Li, press officer of the Chinese Embassy, created a list of reminders for us, and one of them was to download a WeChat app. “No problem,” I said to myself. “I already have one, and I just needed to reactivate it…”

But on my first attempt with a Globe SIM, I was denied.

“This account has been blocked for violations such as harassment, malicious marketing, or fraud. To continue using this account, tap ‘OK,’ and request to move the restriction,” the WeChat notice said.

Ouch! Harassment? Really? Malicious marketing? Fraud? Me…a journalist?

And so I advised the Chinese Embassy about my status. Unfortunately, the staff member in-charge of media had already reached the limit of the number of verifications she can do for a year, so she couldn’t clear my account anymore.

I tried messaging people I know who are based in China. Of course, it took them a while to respond. They don’t normally open their Facebook Messenger, or other “IMs.” (Facebook, Google, Viber and other messaging apps are blocked in China. People need to use a virtual proxy network (VPN) to be able to access “Western” apps.)

So I posted on “FB” if I have friends who use WeChat. Two responded kindly but when they checked their mobile, they too, had deleted their WeChat app. They said they can reinstall, but I told them it would be of no use, as it only allows those who have used WeChat for at least one year to be able to verify suspended accounts.

And so the Chinese Embassy helped me with one of their contacts, and who was able to verify my number. But I was still denied.

So I tried again using my Smart number. And again, I got denied.

Another contact of the embassy tried to vouch for my number. Denied anew.

“That's it! I’m done! WeChat doesn’t want me. I guess I’m a certified enemy of the state,” I teased Michael. He laughed, and immediately quashed it.

“No! That’s not true, madame,” he assured. “You really need WeChat for communication in China.”

So due to persistent proddings from Michael, I tried again. That instance, I bought another SIM, and created another account. Yet again, denied.

Michael gave me one contact and verified my account. I was able to get in. And so he added me to our Philippine media delegation group chat.

In less than three minutes, WeChat cut the line and repeated the very insulting notification: “This account has been blocked for violations such as harassment, malicious marketing, or fraud…”

With/without WeChat

AND so I flew to Beijing, without a WeChat account. No problem, I thought. I have activated my VPN and my data roaming. On our second day, I realized I was burning so much money with my roaming service, and my VPN—which was reliable in 2018—was unavailable most of the time. I joined the group who went to China Telecom and bought a new SIM. (If you are a foreigner, you need to present your passport to be able to buy one.)

After registration, I tried creating another WeChat account using my China Telecom SIM. It worked! (Chinese nationals I spoke with said it is really easier to register to WeChat using a Chinabased SIM card, and while in China.) It turned out Michael was right. It is really a MUST to use WeChat. People don’t pay using cash anymore. They do it via WeChat Pay (or Alipay), even in department stores and taxis. When we were in very crowded tourist attractions like the Great Wall of China and Terracotta Warriors, it’s likely you can get lost, and it’s convenient to just call via WeChat for coordination. Also, high ranking people we met sometimes no longer use business cards. We just exchanged WeChat QR Codes.

However, when a foreign-affairs official from Shaanxi Province scanned my WeChat QR on the way to Everbright City, my WeChat account was again blocked. I was afraid I would get lost in a crowd that night, so I really stuck with my media-friends and the tour guide who walked ahead of us.

Chinese Foreign Ministry counselor Zhou Li, who was with us during the entire 11-day trip, verified my account. And there’s where I witnessed the tedious verification process for WeChat.

(It also requested for my newly acquainted diplomat-friend’s bank details. I wondered how many Chinese Embassy “contacts” had to endure with me during the three SIM attempts in Manila.

To them: I’m really, really, sorry.)

So, the rest of the trip went on smoothly. On my way home, inside the airport, I knew I wouldn’t be able to use my old mobile phone that I borrowed from my son. So I downloaded WeChat on my other phone, and registered using my China SIM account. Voila! Blocked anew!

“Michael, guess what? I got blocked again!” I whispered to him inside the plane. But he just smiled and shrugged:

“At least, you are coming home!”

Envoy was no exception

A WEEK after our trip, I mentioned to Ambassador Huang Xilian during dinner my WeChat adventure. He said he also experienced the same predicament.

“Yeah, when I came here in Manila and I registered my WeChat, I was blocked too,” Huang said. “You know why? Because there’s so much telecom fraud in the Philippines. So WeChat had to protect the integrity of WeChat users from [such].”

“Oh well,” I told the ambassador. “I think the Philippine government needs to stop the telco fraud, and POGO [Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations] once and for all.” He agreed.

I guess if there is a modern-day Great Wall of China, I would argue it’s WeChat. That, and of course, the West Philippine Sea dispute.