US lawmaker Rashida Tlaib slams India for aggression in Occupied Kashmir

US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who is of Palestinian origin, has condemned the Indian annexation of occupied Kashmir that heightened tensions in the disputed region.

The lawmaker urged the Trump administration to support a UN-backed peaceful resolution of the crisis that ensures self-determination of the Kashmiri people.

In a detailed statement issued in Detroit, Michigan, she called out India to immediately lift the communications blockade and all curfew restrictions imposed more than a month ago to "shed light on what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir."

"India must afford due process to the thousands of people it has detained without charge, and ensure hospitals have the necessary access to life-saving medicine," she said.

"Multiple reports indicate that over 3,000 people have been indefinitely detained without charges by the Indian government under the Public Safety Act, including children, lawyers, doctors, religious leaders, and opposition political leaders," she continued. 

"I urge the Indian government to accept responsibility for the human rights violations being carried out in Jammu and Kashmir and hold the responsible parties accountable," it was further added.

"These unacceptable actions strip Kashmiris of their human dignity, put millions of people in danger, and seriously undermine democracy in India and Kashmir. People should not have to fear unjust detention, rape, or torture because of who they are and what they believe," she added.

Earlier, her fellow congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who is of Somali origin, had also spoken out on the deteriorating situation in the region.

She had called for the immediate restoration of communication, respect for human rights, democratic norms, and religious freedom and de-escalation in Kashmir.

In addition, three key US senators -- Chris Van Hollen, Todd Young, Ben Cardin and Lindsay Graham -- expressed concern over the human rights situation in Kashmir as well, and urged President Donald Trump to play a role in helping resolve the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan.