The Sikh Human Rights Group (SHRG) is an international NGO based on humanitarian teachings and principles of GurSikhi
It has had Special Consultative status at UN since 2015
The UN Special Rapporteur on Internally Displaced persons has been asked to consider the issue of Sikhs in Afghanistan as internally displaced persons in an oral statement by the Sikh Human Rights Group (video and text below).
Speaking at the 44th United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, the representative of SHRG, Albert Besaghyan, brought the issue to notice of the Special Rapporteur (SR) and said that due to intolerance of the insurgency groups, the once 200,000 Sikh population has been reduced to a about a mere 100. And almost all of them have left provincial towns to take refuge in a small area in Kabul. Even there they have had terrorist attacks in the form of a devastating bomb attack on 25th March 2020.
While appreciating the efforts of the Afghanistan Government, SHRG asked the special rapporteur to consider the status of this minority group as internally displaced.
This will make it possible for Afghan Sikhs to be granted refugee status in other countries.
The statement was made as part of the Interactive Dialogue following the general report on internally displaced migrants and disability by the SR on 'Internally displaced Persons'.
SHRG also requested the SR to note that Autism is often missed in the spectrum of mental disabilities in crises situations such as internal displaced. One of SHRG’s affiliates, Caudwell Children, has considerable experience in Autism and Children. SHRG offered their assistance in drafting procedures for identification and management of children with Autism in Internally Displaced communities.
An oral statement at the Human Rights Council as part of the Interactive Debate enables bringing an issue to the attention of the Special Rapporteur and to the representative of the countries present. The statement is also relayed across the world through the UN TV at WEBTV.UN.org.
The statement is available on Sikh Human Rights Group website here. You can read the statement at the bottom or view it here:
Sikh Human Rights Group will continue to pursuing the issue of Afghan Sikhs with the Special Rapporteur and with United Nations High Commission on Refugees.
What you can do:
SHRG requests Sikhs and non-Sikhs to lobby their Governments in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and UK to raise the matter with UNHCR and to offer refugee status to the remaining Sikhs in Afghanistan.
