This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On August 5, 2019, India's move to revoke Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, sparked widespread protests in the region. The decision, announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been met with concern from global leaders.
US Senator Robert Menendez and Representative Eliot L. Engel, both members of the foreign affairs committees, urged India to protect and promote 'equal rights, including freedom of assembly, access to information and equal protections under the law.' However, their statement stopped short of condemning India's actions.
Reactions in the British Parliament were mixed, with some lawmakers expressing support for India's decision. Debbie Abrahams, an opposition lawmaker, stated that India's move 'contravenes international law.' In contrast, Bob Blackman, a Conservative lawmaker, said Article 370 was an 'anomaly' and needed to be abolished.
On August 7, 2019, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab spoke with India's Foreign Minister, expressing concerns about the situation and calling for calm. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a collective of over 50 Muslim-majority countries, convened an 'urgent meeting' in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the issue.
China also criticized India's decision, with Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying stating that the international consensus on Kashmir was that it was 'an issue left from the past between India and Pakistan.' India's Ministry of External Affairs responded by saying that decisions made on Jammu and Kashmir were 'an internal matter concerning the territory of India.'
