20 March 2009
Mr. Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi
President of the United Nations Human Rights
Council Geneva Switzerland
Subject:
The International Community Must Act Now to Save
the Baloch from Extinction
Dear Mr. President
The representatives of the
international human rights organisations and Baloch and Sindhi human
rights activists have gathered here today to request the urgent help
of the UN and the international community to stop the atrocities
committed by Pakistan army against Baloch people.
Mr President, a ruthless
military operation has been going on in the Pakistani controlled
Balochistan for the last five years in which thousands of innocent
men, women and children have been mercilessly killed, hundreds of
thousands have been displaced and thousands are missing. As the
international community is busy in dealing with “far important
matters” a whole nation is systematically being wiped out by the
Pakistani state through cultural, economic, political and military
aggression.
The Baloch and
Balochistan
Balochistan is divided and
occupied by Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, a legacy of colonialism
in that part of the world. In the wake of the British withdrawal
from India, the ruler of the Baloch state of Kalat declared
Balochistan independent on 12th
August 1947, two days before the independence of Pakistan and
India. The independence of Balochistan was a short-lived affair as
it was invaded by the Pakistani troops with the blessing of the
British colonial administration of the time on 27th March 1948 and
Balochistan was annexed by Pakistan. The Baloch resistance for
national sovereignty and several military operations to quell the
Baloch national uprisings by Pakistan have widened the gulf between
the Pakistani State and the Baloch people.
The Baloch
Pakistan Conflict
Mr. President, the history
of relationship between the Baloch and the Pakistani state is the
history of violent conflicts. The Baloch national resistance is the
response of the Baloch masses to cultural and economical domination
and political subjugation by Pakistan. Crude military power has been
the only way adopted by almost every Pakistani Government in dealing
with the Baloch discontent. The ongoing military campaign is the
bloodiest one causing internal dislocation of thousands of the
Balochs. The brutal murder of one of the towering figures of the
Baloch national movement, Nawab Akber Bugti and the murder of the
revered resistance fighter Nawabzada Mir Balaach Marri by Pakistani
army are the most important happenings of the present conflict.
Recently, the most prominent of the nationalist scholars and
intellectuals, Mir Jan Mohammad Dashti was ambushed and critically
wounded by the death squad of a front organization of the Pakistani
State security agency (ISI). In addition, kidnapping of hundreds of
the Baloch by security agencies is another unprecedented hallmark of
the 5 years long, low intensity war of resistance and political
mobilization inBalochistan.
The primary aspect of the conflict between the Baloch and Pakistan
has been the dispute over the legitimacy of accession of the Baloch
State of Kalat with Pakistan. The annexation of their land by
Pakistan was against the will of the Baloch people expressed by both
Houses of their parliament. It was the illegal occupation of their
land without their consent.
The second aspect of Baloch-Pakistan conflict is the irrational
rather politically perverse doctrine of ‘Islamic brother-hood’. The
concepts of Islamic brother-hood, and Pakistani Islamic Nation
doctrine adopted by the state were used as tools for subjugating the
Baloch and other nationalities and for undermining their cultural,
linguistic and social traditions.
Coercive military presence has been the permanent feature of the
Baloch and the state conflict. The Pakistani army, perceiving the
Baloch nationalism as a grave threat to the state, launched major
military offensives in Balochistan during 1948, 1958, 1962, and
1973. Extra judicial killings of the Baloch by the army,
paramilitary and state intelligence agencies, harassment, kidnapping
and inhuman torture of the Baloch political activists and
intellectuals during the sustained military campaigns have been
permanent features of the state and Baloch conflict. The recent
military aggression in Balochistan is the continuation of that
policy; nevertheless, it surpasses all previous military operations
in its intensity and ruthlessness.
Cultural exploitation of the Baloch is another characteristic of the
Baloch and the state conflict. Alien cultural traditions and
language are being imposed at the expense of traditional Baloch
social values, the Baloch socio-cultural and political systems are
being destroyed or corrupted in a systematic and organized way.
Organized attempts are being made by state establishment to bring
religion into a prominent position in a secular Baloch society. In
this regard, large numbers of religious schools are being patronized
by the state in every corner of Balochistan to convert the 'ignorant
Baloch' and save them from ‘eternal damnation’. This 'colonisation
of the mind' has important implications. Replacing a traditional
belief and social system of a people by an alternative frame of
reference often amounts to changing the entire identity of a people.
The forceful destruction of a culture inflicts real harm not only on
the group or the nationality but also devastates and hurt the
individual human beings. One culture cannot simply be removed and
another transplanted without committing a violation of the dignity
and integrity of that group, nationality or individual.
Witness to the Violation
of Basic Human Rights
Respected Mr. President,
violation of basic human rights of the Baloch is the most painful
aspect of the Baloch-Pakistan conflict. Extra judicial killings,
harassment, kidnapping and inhuman torture of the Baloch leaders;
political activists and intellectuals are the normal state responses
to the Baloch political mobilization and expression of Baloch
national aspirations.
The graphic details of
human rights violation in Balochistan have been published by
different non-governmental organizations and international
humanitarian’s institutions. Some of the reports are mentioned
below:
USSD Country Report
on Human Rights Practices, Pakistan 2007 11/03/08
Amnesty
International Annual report, May 2008
International
Crisis Group: Pakistan: The Worsening Conflict In
Balochistan 14/09/06
Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan fact finding mission, “Conflict in
Balochistan” 2005-2006
Balochistan Dossier
by Balochistan National Party June 2006
Asia Pacific Human
Rights Network Report 19/09/06
Internal
Displacement Monitoring Centre, Pakistan: Displacement
ongoing in a number of regions 15 th
May, 2008
The Tale of
Brutalities in Balochistan
The human rights violations
of the Baloch by the Pakistani State Establishment are characterized
by:
Humiliation of the
Baloch socio-political leaders and personalities: in 2001,
the respected Baloch nationalist personality and cheif of
the Marri Tribe Nawab Khair Bux Marri was insulted, arrested
and kept in solitary confinement for more than a year. In
2006, the house of Nawab Akber Bugti a prominent nationalist
leader and president of Jamhoori Watan Pary was bombarded by
the armed forces of Pakistan killing and injuring more than
70 people including women and children. 2007, the house of
Sardar Attaullah Mengal, prominent nationalist leader and
cheif of Mengal Tribe was targeted with rocket fire by the
security forces. In 2006, president of the Balochistan
National Party Sardar Akhtar Mengal was abducted, tortured
and presented in a court held in a small cage. He was kept
in solitary confinement for more than a year.
Abduction of
political activists and human rights workers by the state
security agencies: it is a routine by the security forces to
abduct political, human right and student activists. They
are usually held for many months tortured and later dumped
in a remote area. Dr. Allanazar, Dr. Imdad Baloch and their
friends were kidnapped and tortured and released after many
months. Journalist Muneer Mengal was abducted from Karachi
airport, tortured and kept in solitary imprisonment for many
years. Some of the other names are Dr. Haneef Shareef,
Professor Hassan Janan, Professor Misri Khan Mari and
Abdulnabi Bungulzai.
Extra-judicial
killings of political and social leaders and activists:
Nawab Akber Bugti and hundreds of his followers were
massacred in August, 2006 by the Pakistani army. His dead
body was desecrated. Dr. Khalid a human right activist and
his friends were murdered by the security forces in 2007.
Detention without
trials: hundreds of political and social workers and civil
rights activists are under detention without trials.
Abduction of the
Baloch women by the Pakistani security forces: one hundred
and forty three Baloch women are missing and believed to be
abducted by the security forces.
Burning and
bombardment of the Baloch villages: 54 villages and
settlements in Balochistan have been burnt either by aerial
bombardment or ground actions of the armed forces.
Forced
Displacements of hundreds of thousands Baloch from their
settlement: two hundred thousand Baloch have been forcefully
dislocated by the armed forces and are living in miserable
conditions throughout Balochistan.
The
violation of human rights in Iranian Balochistan
Mr. President, the Baloch
people in western Balochistan under Iranian control are facing the
gross violation of their basic fundamental human rights. The Islamic
regime of Iran resorts to most cruel approaches to suppress Baloch
national aspirations in Balochistan. Arbitrary arrest, torture and
other ill-treatment, as well as the use of the death penalty remain
prevalent. Impunity for human rights abuses is widespread. Cultural
and civic activities are banned or vigorously controlled by the
regime. Publication of Balochi literature is not allowed, and
Balochi are denied the right to educate their children in their own
language. Systematic discrimination is exercised throughout
Balochistan by the institutions. Non-governmental organizations,
newspapers, magazines and websites have been forcibly closed by the
authorities, which also regularly blocks internet access to a wide
range of internet sites, including some relating to human rights.
The Amnesty International in its recent report on the 30th
anniversary of Islamic Republic of Iran (5th Feb 2009) has cited
some graphic details on the state of affairs in Balochistan under
the Iranian regime.
Hundreds of Baloch
people have been executed and killed by the regime in past
few years. In 2008 a prominent civic activist Yahqob
Mehrnehad who also was Secretary General of Justice
Association was executed after many months of torture and
imprisonment in Zahidan. Two prominent Baloch religious
scholars, Molavi Abdul-Qodos Molazai and Molavi Yusuf
Sohrabi with another 3 Baloch were executed under such
fabricated allegations.
On March 11, 2009
four Baloch, Normohd Ismailzai, Mojibulrahman Kurd, Babak
Kurd and Mohd HassanKhan Hassani were executed in Zahidan.
On March 3, 2009 two Baloch religious clergies, Molavi
Khalilulla Zarahi and Salahudin Gwahramzahi were executed in
Zahidan after being imprisoned and tortured for 9 months.
Several religious
leaders are under arrest and their whereabouts are not known
to their relatives. Ibrahim Mehrnehad, the Younger brother
of Yaqob Mehrnehad is still in prison and he is under mental
tortures.
The Baloch
Needs the Help of International Community
Mr. President, In the face
of heinous crimes being committed by the Pakistani security forces
in Balochistan and the unchecked violations of the basic human
rights of the Baloch both in Pakistan and Iran, the silence of the
international community is incomprehensible. The Baloch are facing a
systematic genocide operation by an internationally recognised rogue
state. The Baloch expectations and demands from the international
community are genuine and simple. They are justified in demanding
that:
The UN should
establish a fact finding mission to investigate the acts of
brutalities and violation of human rights by the state
security forces of Pakistan in Balochistan.
The perpetrators of
the heinous crimes against humanity should be brought to
justice by initiating cases against them in the
international court of justice in The Hague.
The United Nations
should use their influence in asking the Pakistani
establishment to immediately halt the aggressive actions
against the Baloch.
The Baloch have
never accepted the partition and incorporation of their land
into different countries of the region. Right of self
determination is the inalienable right of the Baloch people.
The Baloch national question should be negotiated between
the Baloch and the countries occupying the Baloch land under
the auspices of the UN giving the universal right of self
determination to the Baloch.
We believe that
Baloch people need an urgent help from the UN and the international
community. This is high time for the international community to rise
and act before it is too late for Baloch people.
Yours faithfully,
(On the behalf of)
Interfaith International
P.O. (c.p.) Box 32,
1246 Corsier,
Geneva
Switzerland
UNPO Secretariat
PO Box 85878
2508 CN The Hague
The Netherlands
Baloch Human Rights Council
59 Forsyth Gardens
London SE17- 3NE
UK
Sindhi Baloch
Forum
38 Barbican Road
Greenford
Middlesex UB6 9DH
UK
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