Discussion on Balochistan

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Discussion on Enforced Disappearances and Human
Rights Implication of CPEC Outlines Roadmap to
End Atrocities in Balochistan
19/09/2016 Geneva
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On 19 September 2016, the Unrepresented Nations
and Peoples Organization (UNPO), in cooperation
with the Nonviolent Radical Party (NRPTT),
convened a side-event to the 33rd Regular Session
of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Entitled Never to Be Seen Again Enforced
Disappearances and Pakistans Bloody Campaign to
Impose CPEC in Balochistan, the successful
international conference took place only days
after the release of the annual report of the UN
Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary
Disappearances (WGEID) and brought together
high-level international speakers to debate about
ongoing human rights abuses in Balochistan and
its structural causes. In his opening remarks,
Baloch human rights campaigner Mr Noordin Mengal
reminded the audience that, while Balochistans
economic wealth and resources are exploited by
the Pakistani state, the Baloch peoples right
to self-determination remains denied since 1948
and their most basic human rights violated on a
daily basis. In this context, it is imperative
for the international community to facilitate
genuine support for the Balochs progressive
struggle for rights, justice and equality, he
concluded.
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Ms Sabah Bandoui, representative of the
Balochistan Human Rights Group, expanded
the discussion by sharing an overview of the
suffering of Balochis on the other side of
Pakistans border, In Iran. Drawing a sad
comparison with the equally disturbing methods
used by Pakistan, Ms Bandoui remarked that,
despite gross human rights violations perpetrated
against Balochi civilians, national and
international media, as well as the international
community remain silent and fail to improve or
even just acknowledge the horrible human rights
situation in West Balochistan.
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Mr Mirza Wahajat Hassan, exiled Chairman of the
Gilgit-Baltistan Thinkers Forum and
Ex-Chairman of the All Parties National Alliance
then spoke about the largely controversial
construction of the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC). Discussing the importance of
Gilgit-Baltistan, the starting point of the
project to connect Chinas largest province,
Xinjiang, with Gwadar, Mr Hassan explained that
CPEC cuts through the territory of
Gilgit-Baltistan and is directly affecting more
than 400.000 indigenous people without their
consent.
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Ms Michelle Kissenkoetter, Director of the
Asia Bureau of FIDH, focused her
intervention on enforced disappearances, sharing
an overview of the increasing trend in this crime
over the past five years in Pakistan, and
especially Balochistan. Pointing to the fact that
in 2016 an average of 73 disappearances per
month has occurred, Ms Kissenkoetter said that
this is proof that it is a very serious crime,
based on which it is impossible to claim that
enforced disappearances are random acts by
militias.
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Closing the event, Mr Peter Tatchell, Director of
the Peter Tatchell Foundation, offered an
eight point action plan to improve the situation
in Balochistan. Among his points, a halt to
western arms sales to Pakistan a UN appointed
Special Rapporteur on Balochistan the
prosecution of military and intelligence chiefs
in Pakistan on charges of war crimes and crimes
against humanity under international
humanitarian law and making western aid to
Pakistan conditional on the ending of human
rights violations are crucial steps to ensure
justice in the region.
Bringing together high-level speakers that
offered diverse perspectives, the side-event was
another step forward in a long-term campaign to
raise awareness at the Human Rights Council of
the disappearance campaign promoted by agents
of the Pakistani state, who systematically
abduct, ill-treat, torture and kill Baloch
dissidents and human rights defenders without any
legal repercussions. Furthermore, the event
enlarged the discussion about the implications of
the CPEC for the Baloch people. At times when
independent media and civil society are
repeatedly being denied access to the region, the
debate not only informed about the situation in
Balochistan, but also offered a pragmatic roadmap
to end impunity and human rights violations. As
the event concluded, the ongoing slow-motion
genocide in Balochistan will not be stopped
unless a concerted effort by the international
community is put in practice. Source
http//unpo.org/article/19491