Pakistan terror protest at Downing Street

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Free innocent Baluch detainees.

Tatchell says: “Stop Pakistan’s state terrorism in Baluchistan”.

London – 16 December 2007

Fifty Baluchistan human rights campaigners, and their British and Pakistani supporters, demonstrated today (Sunday 16 December) outside the British Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street.

A delegation from the protest handed in an appeal to Prime Minister, Gordon Brown (see details below).

They were demanding the dropping of terrorism charges against two Baluch human rights campaigners in the UK and an end to Pakistan’s latest military attacks on the people of occupied Baluchistan.

Baluchistan was an independent nation that was invaded and annexed by Pakistan in 1948.

Photos of the protest – free use, no credit required:

http://picasaweb.google.com/s7ahuja/Demo_WSC__BAC_16December_2007

The London protest was supported by the Baluchistan Action Committee UK, the

World Sindhi Congress, the Sindhi Baluch Forum and the Baluchistan Rights Movement.

The main speakers were Mir Gulam Hussain (Baluch Action Committee UK), Jamsad Amiri (Baluchistan United Front), Haleem Bhatti (World Sindhi Congress), Rahim Bahndowi (Baluchistan Peoples Party), and Peter Tatchell (UK human rights campaigner).

“We are protesting against the arrest by the British police on terror charges of the former Baluchistan MP and Government Minister, Mr. Hyrbyair Marri, and his fellow Baluch nationalist and human rights campaigner, Mr. Faiz Baluch,” said protester Ambreen Hisbani, who is coordinator of the Sindhi Baluch Forum.

“These terror charges follow the killing by the Pakistani military of Mr Marri’s brother, Mir Balach Marri, on 21 November”, she added.

“The men’s detention in London coincides with pressure by President Musharraf’s regime for the arrest and extradition of Baluch exiles in London. Pakistan wants to silence all of us who are campaigning against its occupation and repression of Baluchistan.

“This protest is also against Pakistan’s new military offensive in Baluchistan, which has resulted in many civilian casualties. Its aim is to crush the Baluchistan people, assassinate the nationalist leaders and suppress our aspiration to restore Baluchistan as a free and independent nation,” said Ms Hisbani.

Her view is echoed by Mehran Baluch, the Baluch representative to the UN Human Rights Council, Chair of the Baluchistan Rights Movement and brother of the murdered nationalist leader, Mir Balach Marri:

“The arrests of Hyrbyair Marri and Faiz Baluch are likely to have been based on false information supplied to the UK by Pakistan,” said Mehran Baluch.

“At the very least, Pakistan wants these two Baluch nationalists locked away by the British authorities, in order to halt their campaigning on behalf of the Baluch nation. More likely, Musharraf’s regime wants them extradited to Pakistan. We believe that if these men are extradited they will never get a fair trial. They would be tortured and they could face a death sentence.

“For many months the Pakistan government has been demanding that the British government agree to a prisoner swap deal, whereby alleged terrorists held in Pakistan and wanted by the UK police would be exchanged for Baluch human rights activists exiled in the UK,” said Mehran Baluch.

“Since 6 December, civilian areas in the Kahan and Dera Bugti regions of Baluchistan have been carpet bombed by the Pakistan air force,” according to Haleem Bhatti, Chair of World Sindhi Congress, which supported the London protest.

“In these recent attacks more than 200 houses and other buildings, such as schools and clinics, have been destroyed and at least 500 people, mostly women and children, have been kidnapped and incarcerated in detention camps, where they are being tortured and ill-treated. Over 100 civilians have been killed and many hundreds more wounded,” said Mr Bhatti.

“Thousands of democratic, secular Baluch and Sindhi political activists, including women and children, have been either kidnapped or illegally detained. Many have been severely tortured by Pakistan’s military agencies, including Dr Safdar Sarki, the ex-Chair of the World Sindhi Congress,” added Mr Bhatti.

Addressing the protesters, Baluch Action Committee member, Samad Baloch, said:

“Baluchistan is under siege because of it strategic geo-political status. Baluchistan is a gateway to oil-rich Central Asia and a corridor to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Baluchistan is a front-line state and its air and sea space is in constant use by NATO forces and their allies. Pakistan is taking advantage of this situation by labeling secular Baluch leaders, who are fighting for the rights of their nation, as terrorists.”

“Baluch leaders are being detained, tortured and killed by the Pakistan army because they are demanding the right to self determination and the right to control their own resources. The Pakistan army has abducted more than 8,000 Baluch political activists students, and intellectuals” said Mr. Samad.

Today’s protest was also addressed by human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, who has worked on human rights campaigns with both detained men, Mr Hyrbyair Marri and Mr Faiz Baluch. He supports the Baluchistan independence struggle:

“I urge the Foreign Secretary to protest to the Pakistan Ambassador and President Musharraf against Pakistan’s indiscriminate military attacks on civilian areas, and its detention without trial, torture and extra-judicial murder of Baluch citizens,” said Mr Tatchell.

“Pakistan is guilty of state terrorism in Baluchistan The British government should initiate EU and UN declarations censuring Pakistan’s breach of international humanitarian law and affirming Baluchistan’s right to self-determination,” he said.

A delegation from the protest handed in an appeal to Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street, urging him and his government to take the following action:

“Not to cave in to pressure from the Pakistani military to extradite Mr. Hyrbyair Marri and Mr. Faiz Baluch, which would result in their torture, imprisonment and possible execution.

“Press Pakistan to immediately cease its military operation against the Baluch people, and to release Baluch and Sindhi human rights activists.

“Immediately stop military, economic and moral support to the brutal military regime in Pakistan until it reforms its behaviour.

“Initiate and organise efforts for international observers to visit the affected areas to establish the facts about the atrocities committed by Pakistan’s military in Baluchistan.”

For further information:

Photos of the 16 December protest – free use, no credit required:

http://picasaweb.google.com/s7ahuja/Demo_WSC__BAC_16December_2007

Current news on the Baluch freedom struggle: www.balochvoice.com and www.balochwarna.org

Background briefing

Read this Guardian article by Peter Tatchell about Pakistan’s occupation of Baluchistan:

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/peter_tatchell/2007/08/pakistan_celebrates_baluchista.html

Watch this internet TV interview with Mehran Baluch, the Baluch representative at the UN Human Rights Council:

http://doughty.gdbtv.com/player.php?h=6047f4ff19c2da48b68fed7e067a3a5f