The UN president has objected to the use of pellet guns against children in Jammu and Kashmir

New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2020

UN President Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the deaths of children in Jammu and Kashmir and appealed to the Indian government to take steps for child protection. Guterres has also called for an end to the use of pellet guns against children in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

On the issue of terrorism in India, Guterres also said that due to the efforts of the Indian government, the number of children recruited, killed and maimed in terrorist organizations has decreased.

The United Nations has confirmed that there were 25,000 serious criminal incidents involving children worldwide between January and December 2019, according to a United Nations report on children and armed conflict.

In the report, the United Nations said the agency had confirmed the killing of eight children between the ages of 1 and 17 in India and seven seriously injured and maimed.

The incident took place during a joint operation by the Central Reserve Police Force, Indian Army and State Police, Lashkar-e-Taiba, other unidentified armed groups during the violence or firing on the border. The United Nations also confirmed the attack on nine schools in Jammu and Kashmir by unknown elements.

Guterres mentioned in his report that about 10 children in Jharkhand were rescued by Indian police from the Naxals. He called on the Government of India to take appropriate action against the abduction and use of children in combat by Naxalites and terrorist organizations in India.

India reacted with disappointment to the UN President's report on the issue in 2019, saying that guessing by the chosen method in certain situations like this only gives the subject a political color.