This time we have interviewed Faiz Muhammad Baluch, member of “International Voice For Baloch Missing Persons”. He explains the reality of the Baloch people under the repression of the Pakistani government, and how they are fighting to highlight their situation in front of the western media, the human rights organizations and the UN.
Balutxistan estatu gabeko nazio bat da. Iran, Afganistan eta Pakistan artean banatuta dago, eta errepresio gogorrari egin behar izaten diote aurre. Desagertutako balutxeen nazioarteko ahotsa elkarteko kidea Faiz Muhammad Baloch. Bere herrikideek bizi dutena azaldu digu. Mendebaldeko hedabide eta erakundeek euren egoerari erreparatzeko egiten ari diren protestak ere kontatu dizkigu.
by Faiz M Baluch
Qadeer Baloch and Banuk Farzana Majeed along with other protesters
Pakistan has been violating Baloch human rights including their right to life and freedom since it occupied Balochistan in March 1948. For over 60 years of occupation, the people of Balochistan have continued their resistance against the occupiers. Baloch freedom movement has had its ups and down but it has never stopped.
In 1970s when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto started offensives against the Baloch people there was almost a total media blackout. The death and destructions, expulsion of people from their homes, pillage of villages and mass disappearances went unnoticed. One of the main pillars of Pakistan is its media. The media in Pakistan, by and large, is an instrument of army and security agencies. Their role in the state imposed war on Balochistan has always been consistent. They have always followed the line of the security forces.
The new chapter of struggle, the preparation of which, started around late 1980s is undoubtedly the continuation of the war of liberation initiated by Prince Abdul Karim Baloch and those who fought against British imperial forces in the previous decades. The legacy of the liberation struggle was later pursued by Nauroz Khan, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Dr Khalid, Akbar Bugti, Mir Balach Marri and thousands of Baloch forerunners and living legends. The new Baloch national liberation dawned when the young Baloch assessed the results of our past struggles carefully and the way forward. In their assessment they realised that for an effective and successful liberation movement there had to be a strategic change of direction. Hyrbyair Marri’s role in this respect has been very significant. The movement got its national dimension for the first time. This new phase is indestructible and will eventually lead to Balochistan’s independence.
Balochistan media restricted zone
Pakistan has forcibly invaded and occupied Balochistan and has been exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources since 1948. The Baloch nation never accepted the illegal occupation of their homeland. They started resisting Pakistan’s occupation from the very first day. Pakistan carried out four major military offensives, the fifth military aggression is still on-going, to crush the Baloch liberation struggle. For a short period they succeeded in dispersing the Baloch struggle. Baloch came back to confront their occupiers with greater determination and once again restarted their freedom movement in early 90s, which still continues. This time the Baloch are more disciplined and organised as they have learned from their mistakes of past. In the past Baloch struggles failed to achieve their objectives because they were limited to certain areas of Balochistan. Hence, the initiators of the current struggle succeeded to make it a nation-wide struggle.
People from all walks of life have started to pour in and become part of the Baloch liberation movement. During the first stage of this movement the emphasis was on national awareness. Pioneers of the movement and their supporters distributed literature in Baloch masses to give them awareness about their right to be free from foreign occupation. Soon the message of Baloch liberation movement reached to every nook and corner of Balochistan and Baloch men, women and elderly belonging to all spheres of life started conversing about their freedom. Many well-educated and energetic Baloch youths mixed theory and practice. With their ideas and actions they awakened the entire Baloch nation.
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Mr Ban Ki-moon Secretary General, United Nation 1 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017 Dated: 28/07/2013
Subject: Pakistan’s crimes against humanity in Balochistan
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Dear Sir, The Baloch Social Media Activists forum would like to draw your kind attention towards the heinous crimes that the occupying Pakistani army is committing against humanity in Balochistan on daily basis. In order to contain the Baloch Freedom Movement, the Pakistani state has adopted a sinister strategy of eliminating the intellectuals and activists of Baloch society –with its systematic ‘dirty war’ which generally is called “kill and dump policy”. Pakistan’s notorious spy agencies, ISI and MI abduct Baloch political activists and subject them to untold agonizing tortures and subsequently throw their mutilated dead bodies on deserted areas across Balochistan.
Since September, 2011 more than 700 mutilated dead bodies of around 18000 abducted Baloch political activists have been gifted to Baloch nation. The fates of the rest are unknown as Pakistani Guantanamo Bays abound in Balochistan and are off-limits to Human rights organizations and local as well as international media. Despite respected internal and international human right organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reports and courts orders, Pakistani state adamantly refuses to acknowledge and own the crimes against humanity that its security apparatus have committed and are committing in Balochistan.
By Muriam Salman
The state army has created several religious proxy groups to counter the freedom struggle in Balochistan. These fanatic groups have warned Baloch women to stop taking part in protests and supporting the freedom movement
The following interview was conducted with representatives from the Women of Baluchistan and Role of Women in Revolution online group created in July, 2012. The page is run by a collective of individuals with the stated aim of raising awareness about:
1. Baloch women who are struggling for freedom and the betterment of Baloch society;
2. The role of women in revolutions around the world.
We hoped to discern information about the role of Baloch women in the nationalist movement, their thoughts on the struggle, upcoming elections, and the class and gender composition of Baloch leadership. Since the formation of Pakistan, Baloch nationalists and the Pakistani establishment have clashed with each other at least four times over issues of provincial autonomy, resource control and the right to self-determination. The most recent upsurge of the nationalist movement, sparked by the rape of Dr. Shazia Khalid, began in 2005 and, as with previous uprisings, was met with state suppression and intelligence agencies’ action. . Hundreds of Baloch villagers, professionals, students and leaders have been subjected to arbitrary abductions and ‘kill and dump’ operations led by the state. As a result of this crackdown by the state and its security establishment, tensions in the region have heightened. Moreover, the nationalist parties boycotted the general election in 2008 under President General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf and thus, had no formal representation in the political power structure of the country for the past five years.
The representatives of the group were reluctant in identifying themselves by name due to understandable fears for personal safety and security. Thus, we do not lay claim to the veracity of the answers but leave it upon the judgment of our readership. In publishing this interview we hope to broaden the discourse with regards to the perspectives of the Baloch people and ensure that the often neglected voices of Baloch women are heard and documented. Continue reading
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