UN should not be silent on any form of injustice anywhere in the world: Hyrbyair Marri

LONDON: The pro-freedom Baloch leader and head of Free Balochistan Movement in a statement to media on Thursday said that the president of The UN General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa, during her Asia Pacific visit has ignored Balochistan even though Pakistan is involved in grave Human Rights violations, including the bombardment of Baloch civilian populations, enforced-disappearances, kill and dump policy and target killing of Baloch pro-freedom activists and leaders.

He said that the United Nations has long been ignoring Baloch demands and protests against Pakistani and Iranian state atrocities in Balochistan. Pakistan and Iran, are committing crimes against humanity and are both member states of U.N.

“We were hoping that Espinosa would visit Balochistan and meet with families of Baloch missing persons, hear their stories, and then take steps for the safe release of other victims in Pakistani torture cells.

“However, so far, there has been no report that she has taken up the issue of enforced disappearances and other human rights violations against the Baloch, Pashtun and Sindhi people during her meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan and other officials of the occupying state.

“We have repeatedly pointed out that because of the silence of the UN and other International Human Rights groups, Pakistan is encouraged to continue with crimes in Balochistan (with international immunity).

“Pakistan is committing the worst forms of crimes in Balochistan. In January 2014, three mass graves containing more than a hundred bodies were discovered in Tootak, Khuzar. Another mass grave was discovered in Panjgur in July 2018. In 2019, at least ten dead bodies were discovered near Quetta and hurriedly buried in Dasht Tera Mill area of Quetta without ascertaining their identity,” Hyrbyair Marri said.

The Baloch leader said that the Irony was that during her visit she has been promoting the slogan of ‘UN FOR ALL #UN4ALL’ while ignoring Balochistan’s alarming situation. “If UN officials even slightly believed ‘UN4ALL’ then they would have visited Balochistan and the protest camp of the families of Baloch missing persons in Quetta.”

Mr Marri in his statement highlighted the current ongoing protest of the families of Baloch missing persons and added, “Many Baloch including women and children continue to protest in the cold weather, in hope of the recovery and release of their loved ones. Some of the abducted Baloch were seized as early as 2001. Yet, their families still don’t know whether they have been killed in custody or are still alive. They have a right to be informed about the condition and well-being of their abducted relatives but Pakistan has no respect for UN charter and International Conventions.”

He said that Pakistan has been committing gross human rights violations in Balochistan since it occupied the sovereign Baloch state in 1948. Soon after joining the United Nations, Pakistan violated UN’s charters’ article one, which restrains member states from breach of peace and the use of force against other states. The United Nations was silent then when Balochistan was occupied and it is silent now while Pakistan is committing genocide of the Baloch people.

“We have been warning the UN, and rest of the International community, about Pakistan and Iran’s state atrocities against the Baloch people, but the UN seems to have given legal immunity to its member states, allowing them to continue their crimes. The United Nations closed its eyes when the Pakistani Army used rape as a war tool against the Bengali people in the 1970s, and it continues to ignore Pakistan’s’ dirty war in Balochistan.”

He also urged that UN should not be silent on any form of injustice being committed anywhere in the world, it will only encourage and serve those who are committing it.

It is pertinent to mention that the UN GA spoke about Kashmir issue with Pakistani authorities and said that the issue should be resolved peacefully. She also met with the Chief of Army, General Bajwa, during her visit to Pakistan.

While she was visiting Pakistan, the Baloch social media users run a four-day campaign in their efforts to draw UN’s attention to the plight of the Baloch nation and highlight the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.

The Free Balochistan Movement had announced #UNVisitBalochistan hashtag and had urged Baloch and other human rights activists including Pashtun and Sindhis to support the Baloch campaign on social media.

However, the president of UN General Assembly has not visited Balochistan despite all the effort of Baloch activists which created a sense of disappointment and anger against UN for not taking Balochistan issue seriously.