When will UN take notice of Baloch genocide?

By: Adil Baloch

Balochistan, March 21, 2017: United Nations has passed hundreds of resolutions against the only democratic state in Middle East, Israel for committing ‘brutalities’ against Palestine, it passed resolution 106 against Israel for an attack on Egyptian forces in the Gaza strip in 1955 whereas, in December 1968 UN Security Council passed resolution 262 condemning Israel for an attack on Beirut International Airport. Israel had attacked Beirut Airport in response to an attack on the Israeli Airliner El Al Flight 253 two days earlier by the Lebanon-based Palestinian militant organisation Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Similarly, the United Nations passed many resolutions against Yugoslavia and concerning the Bosnian war.  In May 1992, the in resolution 752 UN security council demanded ‘respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity’ of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Surely, there are many other conflicts and wars of liberation that have attracted the attention of United Nations and prompted the UN to take action either by passing resolutions or sending peacekeeping forces to prevent the loss of human lives and preserve the territorial integrity of independent nations. That is what UN is supposed to do anyway. Protect smaller or weaker nations from powerful neighbouring nations.

However, the Balochistan conflict continues to remain off the UN radar and UN so far has not passed a single resolution against Pakistan for committing atrocities against Baloch people that tantamount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Pakistan violated the ‘territorial integrity’ of the France-size Balochistan on 27, March 1948 when it attacked and occupied the sovereign Baloch state which it [Pakistan] recognised an independent country in August 1947. Since the illegal and forcible occupation of Balochistan, Pakistan has continuously violated all international laws and UN conventions.

The Baloch people have never accepted the illegal occupation of their country and started a resistance movement to get rid of foreign invasion. The Baloch so far made four major attempts to regain their sovereignty. These attempts were made in 1948, 1958, 1962, 1974 but Pakistan brutally suppressed these efforts of the Baloch nation by using lethal force and western military aid.

In the early 90s the resilient Baloch nation started the current phase of their liberation struggle. The credit for the ongoing phase of Baloch freedom struggle goes to Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri who spent years trying to find out the failure of previous Baloch struggle for independence and introduced new political strategies to make this ‘what Baloch call last push for independence’ more widespread and sustainable. It is alleged that traditionally Baloch struggle revolved around few Sardars was limited to few tribes but Hyrbyair Marri introduced the liberation movement to every nook and corner of Balochistan. He concentrated on empowering educated Baloch youth all over the Balochistan instead of relying on traditional style of tribal and regional oriented politics. Hyrbyair Marri is a visionary and experienced leader who draws his strength from Baloch masses.

Like the founding father of the state of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, Hyrbyair Marri trusts his nation and that belief has emboldened him to start the ongoing Baloch freedom movement. The courageous and freedom-loving people of Balochistan support the freedom struggle because for the first time in the history of Baloch liberation struggle the common Baloch feel empowered and as stakeholders in the liberation struggle. He introduced the historical Balochistan Liberation Charter to assure Baloch men, women, children and elderly that Balochistan belongs to them and they are the rightful owners of Balochistan. His vision of ‘one person one vote’ shows that everyone will have a say in free Balochistan. Balochistan will neither be a military garrison like Pakistan, a theocratic state like Iran nor a monarchy. It will be a democratic republic with true democratic institutions.

The people of Balochistan have given enormous sacrifices during these 70 years to regain their freedom. Pakistani state response to Baloch political and democratic struggle has been the use of brutal forces, disappearances, indiscriminate bombardment of Baloch houses and villages and extra-judicial killings of innocent people.  In past 15 years alone, Pakistan forces abducted and disappeared over 20,000 Baloch, dumped the dead bodies of more than 5000 of the abducted Baloch and brutally killed thousands of other during military attacks and target killings.   The victims of Pakistani state terrorism include men, women, children, and elderly from all walks and professions of life. Pakistan has been using forces and killing people of Balochistan regardless of their age, religion, gender and profession. Shepherds, farmers or educated youths, Nomads or professional journalists, the list which of enforced disappeared people includes Baloch from all regions and all walk of life.

The military campaign that Pakistan started after the occupation of Balochistan in 1948, continues till date and the world including the UN have ignored Pakistani state crimes and the Baloch genocide. As recently as of March 2017 Pakistani forces attacked several villages across Balochistan and abducted Baloch women, children, and men from Dera Bugti, Kohistan Marri, Awaran and Turbat regions of Balochistan. In one of the latest attacks, Pakistan army abducted Rahm Bibi, Lal Malik, Samo, Gulzaib, Sajida, Zobida, Darbano, Farzana, Shakra, Mahrang and Mah Ganj from Mormassi Mashkey in district Awarn Balochistan.  Baloch children Balaach, Khalil and Haris were killed during these attacks.

Apart from human rights violation Pakistan has also economically deprived the Baloch nation and has been looting the natural resources of Balochistan, such as Gold, Natural Gas, Copper and Iron since the occupation of Baloch country. Pakistan has now officially made China its partner in crime to loot Balochistan’s natural resources. China is spending more than $46 million in the name of developing Gwadar Port and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Balochistan but the real motives of China are to build a Naval base in Gwadar to have a foothold in the strategically important transit route of Central Asia – strait of Hormuz.  The Baloch nation considers CPEC as a medium of destruction of the Baloch nation as Pakistan has already started expelling, abducting, and killing Baloch people residing on CPEC route.

The situation of Balochistan is rapidly deteriorating and it worse than the situation in Palestine, Bosnia-Herzegovina and not less serious than any other conflicts that UN has taken notice of, but UN and other international communities deliberate silence on Baloch genocide is tantamount to giving a green card to murderous Pakistan Army to turn Balochistan into another Bangladesh.