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.
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.
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:
1.
USSD Country Report on Human Rights
Practices, Pakistan 2007 11/03/08
2.
Amnesty International Annual report, May
2008
3.
International Crisis Group: Pakistan: The
Worsening Conflict In Balochistan 14/09/06
4.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan fact
finding mission, “Conflict in Balochistan” 2005-2006
5.
Balochistan Dossier by Balochistan
National Party June 2006
6.
Asia Pacific Human Rights Network Report
19/09/06
7.
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre,
Pakistan: Displacement ongoing in a number of regions 15th May,
2008
The
human rights violations of the Baloch by the Pakistani State Establishment are
characterized by:
1.
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.
2.
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.
3.
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.
4.
Detention without trials: hundreds of
political and social workers and civil rights activists are under detention
without trials.
5.
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.
6.
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.
7.
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.
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:
1.
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.
2.
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.
3.
The United Nations should use their
influence in asking the Pakistani establishment to immediately halt the
aggressive actions against the Baloch.
4.
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