THE OBSERVER FOR PEACE IN KASHMIR United Nations Military Observer Group United Nations in India and Pakistan Peace Operations MAGAZINE 2016 2 UNMOGIP MAGAZINE Message from Chief Military Observer and Head of Mission are the vast area of operations, for their assistance and support to high altitude, rugged terrain and UNMOGIP. extreme weather conditions. Winter in the mountains brings Our Mission has a unique position heavy snow and landslides, making as a neutral observer in the travel difficult and posing a risk to region. We will continue to make the safety of our Military Observers our contributions by reporting who are there to perform the impartially on developments along Mission’s mandate. They do their the Line of Control and Working You are holding the fourth edition outmost to handle these challenges Boundary. of The Observer in your hands. My and I appreciate their hard work predecessors and their teams did a and dedication. However, without I am thankful to both India and great job of developing the annual the well organised and effective Pakistan for their continued publication of UN Military Observer support from our civilian staff we support for UNMOGIP. The Indian Group in India and Pakistan would not be able to achieve any and Pakistan Army liaison officers (UNMOGIP). I hope this magazine of this. and drivers as well as security will remain a useful platform for units play a crucial role in helping sharing our perspective in the We are here to monitor and report us carry out our mission. coming year as well. on developments along the Line of Control and Working Boundary UNMOGIP’s staff is a community Since the last issue of The and investigate alleged ceasefire of more than 25 nations that Observer was released, there violations. In a departure from strives for a common goal. Here has been a change of leadership past practice, I have instituted we learn to accept differences at UNMOGIP; on 3 July 2016 I new guidelines, which focus on and treat each other with humility assumed command of the Mission. the fulfilment of our mandate and and respect. The diversity of our I take this opportunity to thank my operational needs. Always, when Mission is our strength because predecessor and all the Mission conducting operations, the safety we can achieve more by drawing staff for their outstanding work. and security of our personnel are out the best in one another. They created solid ground for me of utmost importance. and I wish to continue the legacy We are also part of the larger UN of peacekeeping along the Line I appreciate the solid commitment family in India and Pakistan. Our of Control and Working Boundary of our troop contributing countries aim is to sustain and develop our in Jammu and Kashmir with the -- Chile, Croatia, Finland, cooperation and collaboration for same eagerness and diligence. Philippines, South Korea, Sweden, peace and development in the Switzerland, Thailand and Uruguay region. The focus for UNMOGIP is of -- who have supported UNMOGIP course the situation along the Line over many years. I also thank the of Control and Working Boundary. UN Department on Peacekeeping Operations and Department on Some of the challenges we meet Field Support and other UN entities Major General Per Lodin UNMOGIP MAGAZINE 3 ABOUT UNMOGIP What is UNMOGIP? The Jammu and Kashmir region has been a source of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan for nearly seven decades. The UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) monitors the ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control and Working Boundary in Jammu and Kashmir. 1947 1948 1949 The Indian subcontinent was In January, the UN Security Council In January, the first team of granted full self-governance from adopted resolution 39 establishing a unarmed Military Observers arrived former British rule and partitioned United Nations Commission for India in the area to supervise a ceasefire into two independent states - India and Pakistan (UNCIP) to investigate between India and Pakistan and and Pakistan. Under the Indian and mediate the dispute in Kashmir. to assist the Military Adviser to Independence Act of 1947, the In April, by its resolution 47the Council UNCIP. On 27 July, the Karachi state of Jammu and Kashmir was decided to enlarge the membership agreement established a ceasefire free to accede to either country. of UNCIP and to recommend line to be supervised by UN Military Its accession became a matter of various measures including the use Observers. dispute between the two countries of observers to stop the fighting. and fighting broke out later that At the recommendation of UNCIP, year. the Secretary-General appointed the Military Adviser to support the Commission on military aspects and provided for a group of military observers to assist him. 4 UNMOGIP MAGAZINE ABOUT UNMOGIP UNMOGIP has six field stations in During summer months from May to the Pakistan-administered Kashmir October, UNMOGIP’s headquarters is and four field stations in the Indian- based in Srinagar, Indian-administered administered Kashmir to monitor the Kashmir, while in winter from ceasefire. Additionally, one field station November to April, the headquarters is located in Sialkot, Pakistan, along moves to Islamabad, Pakistan. In the Working Boundary. addition, a liaison office operates in New Delhi, India. TAJIKISTAN AFGHANISTAN Mintaka Pass Jammu and Khūnjerāb Darkot hūnje Pass K rāb Pass Kashmir Area n Thūi Ān Ba u tū K kh Pass r Batūra r a Shim a Mu Glacier sh Y zt āl āgh A Chumar Khān Baltit R Pass t Hisp G ilgi ar Muz tāgh Hispar Glacier A Shandūr Rak apos Pass hi R Jammu an K Mt. Godwin Chogo ge CHINA Hun Lungma Austin (K2) Ya z Biafo B 8611m rk Gilgit a a a H Glacier l n a Glacier t O d ra oro Dadarili m Bra Muztagh Indu o ldu Pass s s h Baltoro Glacier R Karakoram A a M S R st n a i Indus o g s h ac Pass r e S e r ge h h br u m R an en i Sia La M D g uztā Chilās E a gh A O r Bilafond La Siachen Nanga S S Glacier Astor A A Parbat I L M 8126m Skārdu T H M O PAKISTAN O R Bābūsar U Goma O N I and u Pass N L b NJ 980420 X R r M Sh T a ig A A A ar I N Kel A N D G us S S d S Ā h E n h y I in o ONTR L go K k F C O In O L du LIN E A s H s ā Kargil r R Y D A Tarbela Muzaffarābād Tithwāl Wular Zoji La Drās N Reservoir Sopur Lake Pass G A E Domel J h J Bāramūla e hea a Z Leh Tarbela m m Ā Dam Uri N M S Chakothi Srīnagar Kashmir K Hajī Pīr Ā O R Pass P Karu ī Campbellpore Rāwala Kot r M O Pūnch P Vale of U Islāmābād Anantnāg U a Kashmir N n N T Mendhar j A Rāwalpindi Kotli a Banihāl I ch l Pass N n T S ū R C P Rājauri a n hen Mangla g e āb Reservoir A New Nāushahra Mangla Dam Mīrpur Riāsi I Munawwarwāli Jhelum Tāwi N Bhimbar Chhamb Udhampur Akhnūr NW 605550 X S International boundary Jammu INDIA Provincial boundary b Gujrāt nā he National capital C Sāmba Major city Siālkot Town or village Kathua Major road Line of Control as promulgated in i the 1972 SIMLA Agreement Lesser road av Gujrānwāla R Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control Airport in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not been agreed 0 25 50 75 km upon by the parties. The boundaries and names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. 0 25 50 mi Lahore Amritsar Map No. 3953 Rev. 4 UNITED NATIONS Department of Field Support December 2011 Cartographic Section 1951 1971 1972 UNCIP was replaced by UNMOGIP Hostilities broke out again between In July, India and Pakistan signed under Security Council Resolution India and Pakistan at the end of the an agreement defining a Line of 91. UNMOGIP’s functions were to year. When a ceasefire came into Control in Jammu and Kashmir, observe and report, investigate effect on December 17, a number of which, with minor deviations, complaints of ceasefire violations positions on both sides of the 1949 followed the same course as the and submit its finding to each party ceasefire line had changed hands. ceasefire line established by the and to the Secretary-General. The Security Council on December Karachi Agreement in 1949. India 21 adopted resolution 307, by which took the unilateral position that the it demanded that a durable ceasefire mandate of UNMOGIP had lapsed. in all areas of conflict remain in effect until all armed forces had withdrawn to their respective territories and to positions which fully respected the ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir supervised by UNMOGIP. Present Given the disagreement between the two parties over UNMOGIP’s mandate and functions, the Secretary-General’s position has been that UNMOGIP could be terminated only by a decision of the Security Council. In the absence of such an agreement, UNMOGIP has been maintained with the same arrangements as established following the December 1971 ceasefire. UNMOGIP MAGAZINE 5 ABOUT UNMOGIP UNMOGIP leadership Major General Per Lodin Colonel Davorko Jokic Chief Military Observer-Head of Mission Deputy Chief Military Observer Major General Per Lodin of Sweden joined the United Colonel Davorko Jokic from Republic of Croatia was Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan appointed as UNMOGIP’s Deputy Chief Military Observer (UNMOGIP) as Chief Military Observer and Head of on November 1, 2015.