The South Asia Collective is a group of research and advocacy organisations from across South Asia, which aims to contribute for the protection of minority rights in the region and for the establishment of South Asia-wide minority rights standards, instruments and mechanisms. The group has focused on galvanizing the region’s civil society around minority rights protection and promotion.

The members of the group express their deep concerns in relation to the latest hostilities between India and Pakistan, the two largest countries in the region, both nuclear powers, particularly the various acts of violence perpetrated by both countries against each other over the past weeks which had the potential to spiral into full-fledged war. The clouds of war may have receded for now, but the risks are ever present. We urge both countries to exercise restraint in the interest of the people of the whole region, who would be the foremost victims of the unimaginable death and destruction as a result of a possible nuclear conflict. We welcome all efforts made by the respective leaderships of both countries for ensuring peace and hope that they will resolve their issues in the future by engaging in dialogue instead of resorting to violence.

We urge the leaders of both countries to ensure protection of minorities from hate speech and violence. Similar targeting of minorities wherever they occur elsewhere in the region – incidents have recently been reported from Bangladesh – too must be acted upon by respective leaders.

Lastly, we want to reiterate our vision of a peaceful and progressive South Asia, free from violence, and focused on the development of its inhabitants, where the rights of all human beings, particularly those belonging to minority communities, are fully protected and respected.

For the South Asia Collective: