In snub to Pak, Commonwealth law ministers’ resolution says terror is violation of human rights

NEW DELHI: In an embarrassment to Pakistan, the Commonwealth law ministers’ meeting, held in Nassau, the Bahamas, adopted a resolution on Thursday stating that ‘terrorism could have no justification, and the acts of terror were the most egregious violation of the human rights of the victims’.
India had successfully moved the issue of terrorism on the agenda of the Commonwealth law ministers meeting, held from October 16-19, besides other issues of cyber security, data privacy and money laundering.
The resolution adopted as part of the outcome document is significant considering that this will serve as the agenda to be discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM), scheduled in April 2018 in London.
Participating in the discussion on counter-terrorism at the meeting, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that India had long been a victim of “the most vicious terrorism unleashed from across the border”. The acts of terror were the most henious violation of the human rights of the victims, and any debate on human rights only highlights the rights of the terrorists and perpetrators of terror and not of the victims.
“The non-state terror actors thrived and flourished at the behest of state actors who promoted terrorism,” the law minister told the gathering in an oblique reference to Pakistan and urged the Commonwealth community to work together with India in developing global mechanisms to combat terrorism.
Following India’s intervention, the Commonwealth law ministers decided to call upon social media platforms to take suo-moto measures to ensure that these platforms are not misused by terrorists, the minister said.
India underlined the need for the commonwealth states to work together to address the concerns of cyber security, data privacy, concerted attempts to control money laundering and proceeds of crime as well as to prevent misuse of Internet for terrorism and hatred.
Prasad emphasised the need for using data analytics and cyber forensics for better investigation of terror attacks. He felt that there is a need for greater cooperation for discouraging the use of social media for fermenting terror, spreading hatred and for fomenting radicalization.