FOR PUBLIC RELEASE COMMISSION ON THE PROCEDURES FOR THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL PUNJAB REFERENDUM 2020 FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATIONS ------------------------------------------- Participation by the organizations and individuals in this Commission does not in any way constitute support for PUNJAB REFERENDUM 2020 nor does it take a position on Sikhs for Justice or any of their underlying claims or activities. September 25, 2020 CONTENTS WHAT IS PUNJAB? ....................................................................................................................... 1 WHAT IS PUNJAB REFERENDUM 2020? ....................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 5 KHALISTAN BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................... 6 COMMISSION FORMATION ..................................................................................................... 7 COMMISSION MANDATE......................................................................................................... 8 COMMISSION AREAS OF REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION ......................................................... 8 SUMMARY OF COMMISSION FINDINGS ....................................................................................... 9 COMMISSION SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................... 13 REVIEW OF ATTEMPTS BY INDIA TO LIMIT POLITICAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES ........... 13 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 13 Positive Actions ................................................................................................................ 15 Areas of Concern .............................................................................................................. 15 Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 16 REVIEW OF THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING THE BALLOT TITLE ................................................... 16 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 16 Positive Actions ................................................................................................................ 17 Areas of Concern .............................................................................................................. 18 Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 18 REVIEW OF WHO IS ALLOWED TO VOTE AND VOTER REGISTRATION PROCEDURES ............... 18 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 18 Positive Actions ................................................................................................................ 20 Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 20 REVIEW OF VOTING THRESHOLDS ......................................................................................... 20 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 20 Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 23 REVIEW OF VOTER EDUCATION AND DELIBERATION ............................................................. 24 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 24 Positive Actions ................................................................................................................ 25 Areas of Concern .............................................................................................................. 25 Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 26 REVIEW OF VOTING PROCEDURES......................................................................................... 27 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 27 Positive Actions ................................................................................................................ 27 Areas of Concern .............................................................................................................. 28 Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 28 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................ 29 SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS ................................................................................................. 33 Citizens in Charge Foundation ............................................................................................... 33 Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe ........................................................................... 34 Initiative and Referendum Institute at The University of Southern California ......................... 35 COMMISSION MEMBERS ........................................................................................................... 37 Paul Jacob ............................................................................................................................. 37 Bruno Kaufmann ................................................................................................................... 37 Professor Matt Qvortrup, PhD. .............................................................................................. 37 M. Dane Waters .................................................................................................................... 38 Dr. Yanina Welp .................................................................................................................... 39 COMMISSION CONTACT INFORMATION .................................................................................... 40 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ............................................................................................... 41 WHAT IS PUNJAB? Punjab is a state in northern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the Indian union territories of Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Chandigarh to the east, the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the north and northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, and Rajasthan to the southwest. It is bordered by Punjab, a province of Pakistan to the west. The state covers an area of 50,362 square kilometers (19,445 square miles), 1.53% of India's total geographical area. It is the 20th-largest Indian state by area. With 27,704,236 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Punjab is the 16th-largest state by population, comprising 22 districts. Punjabi, written in the Gurmukhi script, is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. The main ethnic group are the Punjabis, with Sikhs (57.7%) and Hindus (38.5%) as the dominant religious groups. The state capital is Chandigarh, a Union Territory, and the capital of the neighboring state of Haryana. The five tributary rivers of the Indus River from which the region took its name are the Sutlej, Ravi, Beas, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers: the Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas rivers flow through the Indian Punjab. 1 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab,_India 1 2 WHAT IS PUNJAB REFERENDUM 2020? The information in this section was provided to the Commission by the organization Sikhs for Justice - the proponents and primary organizers of PUNJAB REFERENDUM 2020.2 “Should the region of Punjab currently governed by the Republic of India be an independent and sovereign country on the basis of the principle of right of self- determination?”3 “PUNJAB REFERENDUM 2020 is a campaign to liberate Punjab, currently occupied by India. The campaign aims to gage the will of the Punjabi people with regards to reestablishing Punjab as a nation state. Once we establish consensus on the question of independence, we will then present the case to the United Nations for reestablishing the country of Punjab.” 4 2 All information contained on this page - descriptions, narratives, ballot question, and informational handout - were provided by Sikhs for Justice and have not been edited in any way by the Commission. Additionally, the Commission takes no position on the information – implied or otherwise – and is being included in this report for informational purposes only. 3 Question to be submitted to the voters: 4 https://yes2khalistan.org/download-files/faq-eng.jpg 3 4 INTRODUCTION Referendums have been a long-established mechanism for resolving territorial conflict5. Since the French Revolution, disputed territories could vote on whether they wished to remain part of a nation, or if they wanted independence – as was the case with Avignon, and parts of present-day Belgium. The role of the referendum is a recognized and established part of international law. But unfortunately, not all internationally recognized, and mandated referendums take place. For example, in the