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| Yet again APDP forgets 6 foreign tourists | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 31: The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) once again forgot the abducted foreign tourists on the international Day of the Disappeared that was observed yesterday. Both factions of the APDP held functions to observe the day and both forgot to make even a passing reference of the abducted tourists. There is no denying he fact that the recently release book `Meadow' adds new dimensions to the abduction but the poor tourists continue to be disappeared by all international and local standards. The APDP, therefore, should have raised the issue but they failed yet again.
Al Faran, an outfit that abducted six foreign tourists from Aru, a health resort in the Valley of Shepherds in South Kashmir on July 4, 1995 vanished on December 4. With it vanished into thin air the surviving tourists. Nothing has heard about them till date.The abductees, Donald Hutchings (American), John Childs (American) Keith Mangan and Paul Wells (British), Dirk Hasert (German) and Hans Ostro (Norwegian) would have never imagined that their trekking trip would meet a tragic end. Hans Ostro was executed a few days after captivity and the police recovered his beheaded body. John Childs somehow managed escape and was rescued by a reconnaissance helicopter. The whereabouts of other tourists are still unknown.
The relatives of the hostages visited Kashmir several times. Match boxes with photographs of the hostages were widely distributed. They also promised cash awards but all in vain.
On August 4, 1996, wives of Keith and Don Hutchings, Julie and Jane addressed a press conference in Srinagar. The aggrieved ladies said" "We have not lost hope. We need concrete information about our husbands' condition and whereabouts.
Earlier a parliamentary delegation from Germany comprising Vera Lengsfed, Johannes Selle and brother of Dirk Hasser, Bernd Hessert addressed the media persons. They said: "We have brought with us two lakh signatures of people expressing sympathy with Kashmiris and appealing for prompt release of the hostages." Wives of Donald Hutchings and Schelly also addressed a press conference on June 26, 1996. "Holding four innocent tourists hostage serves no purpose. It is against glorious traditions of Islam", they said. |
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