SRINAGAR, India � Police opened fire at demonstrators defying a rigid curfew in Indian-held Kashmir on Wednesday, killing three people and wounding 30 as leaders from nation's main political parties debated how to end months of separatist protests in the region.
The new clashes came two days after 18 protesters and a police officer were killed in street battles � the worst outbreak of violence here this year during months of anti-India unrest.
In response to those protests, which were exacerbated by reports of a Quran desecration in the United States, authorities slapped a round-the-clock curfew across the territory and threatened to shoot violators on sight.
The Quran issue resurfaced Wednesday, when thousands of protesters assembled close to a Christian school in the town of Mendhar, 115 miles (180 kilometers) southwest of Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's main city, chanting "Down with Quran desecrators" and "We want freedom."
Police fired tear gas and swung batons as the protesters tried to enter the school and used live ammunition when the crowd refused to disperse, said a police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters. At least three protesters were killed and 30 others wounded, he said.
The recent eruption of violence has left the government searching for a new strategy for dealing with the protests, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gathered the nation's top political leaders Wednesday to appeal for ideas.
Speaking at the start of the meeting, Singh accused separatist groups of orchestrating some of the violent protests. He appealed for calm in the region and said the government was willing to talk to any group that did not espouse violence.
"I have said this earlier and I say it again: The only path for lasting peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir is that of dialogue and discussion," he said.
While a violent separatist insurgency that broke out in 1989 has been largely suppressed, killing an estimated 68,000 people, public opposition to Indian rule remains deep. The region remains heavily militarized, with checkpoints along main roads, hundreds of thousands of troops stationed here and harsh emergency laws still in force, creating further friction with the restive population.
Thousands of mainly Muslim protesters have taken to the streets over the past three summers, stoning troops and demanding independence from Hindu-dominated India or a merger with Muslim-majority Pakistan. Kashmir is divided between the archrival countries and both lay claim to all of it.
This summer, the violence has claimed nearly 90 lives.
The meeting in New Delhi was expected to examine whether to withdraw partially the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, in force in Kashmir since 1990.
Under the law, army officers in India's portion of the divided Himalayan region can search homes and make arrests without warrants, can shoot at anyone suspected of being a separatist and can blow up a building or a home on suspicion insurgents are using it.
The chances of reaching a consensus over Kashmir are extremely unlikely, with political leaders deeply divided over how to proceed.
Kashmiri officials, hoping to regain some credibility with their people that has been lost amid the crackdown, have pressed for the lifting of the special powers act.
However, some Cabinet ministers and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party oppose even a partial lifting of the law, saying it would lead to even more violence.
Human rights activists accuse government forces in Kashmir of routinely misusing their power and killing civilians in staged confrontations for promotions and rewards.
In April, soldiers claimed a reward for killing three men they said were Pakistani militants who had crossed into India. After relatives of the men complained, a police investigation accused the soldiers of snatching three civilians, taking them to the border, killing them and pretending they were infiltrating militants.
The army suspended two officers in that case, a rare instance of action taken against security officials accused of abuses.
Even if the government agrees to lift the restrictions on Kashmir, it would not necessarily appease separatist leaders. Nor would it necessarily have an impact on life in Srinagar or other major towns that are patrolled by police and paramilitary forces not covered by the special powers act.
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a leader of the umbrella grouping All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has demanded India declare Kashmir an international dispute, withdraw hundreds of thousands of troops from the region and release all political prisoners as a precondition for talks.
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Associated Press Writer Nirmala George contributed to this report from New Delhi.
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