IOK- psychological cost of war crimes.

Byline: Adeela Naureen and Umar Waqar

As reported by the Guardian on 23rd Oct, clinical psychologists in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir(IOJ and K) are worried about increase in patients experiencing anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and heart ailments. Several patients said they were living in fear 'of army raids, tortures and arrests'. People who had previously learned to manage their mental health conditions were now experiencing a relapse. Every day more than 170 patients visit the four-room psychiatry clinic - the only one serving the Shopian and Pulwama districts of South Kashmir. It is likely that far greater numbers need treatment, but many patients cannot reach the hospital because there is no public transport.

According to a 2015 survey by Medecins Sans Frontieres, nearly 1.8 million adults in Kashmir - 45% of the population - had shown symptoms of mental distress. More than 41% of the population showed signs of depression, 26% signs of anxiety and 19% showed probable symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The fragile situation in Kashmir has severely affected women, who have fewer opportunities to venture outside. Paranoia and phobic anxiety are some of the increasing trends in women.

Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Laws clearly prohibit following in conflict zones as well as during peace time law and order management.

(a) Summary or extrajudicial executions and the mistreatment of detained persons.

(b) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment, and torture;

(c) Abductions and taking of hostages;

(d) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;

(e) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

International human rights laws prohibit the arbitrary deprivation of life and, at all times, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment:

(a) Rape and Other Sexual Violence.

(b) Attacks on Civilians and Civilian Objects

(c) Forced Displacement

(d) Similarly prohibited is the mass relocation or displacement of civilians for the purpose of removing an ethnic group deemed friendly to an armed opposition group.

(e) Collective Punishment and Reprisals

If we look at the above list of gross Human Rights violations and code of...