حزب مردم بلوچستان  Balochistan People’s Party  بلوچستانءِ اُستمانءِ گــَل

WE CONDEMN THE DETAINMENT OF SOCIAL ACTIVISTS IN BALUCHESTAN

04-05-2007

In Baluchestan, Yakub Mehr Nehad, the leader of the Youth Agency for the Voice of Justice, and its five members were detained in Zahedan by the security forces of the Islamic Republic Regime.
The Youth Agency for the Voice of Justice is an organization that carries out activities under the permission of the Islamic Republic and has so far conducted its activities within the framework of the Islamic Republic laws. The members of this agency were detained after the meeting named “The questioning youth and answering authorities”. So far, the regime has not made any statement regarding the issue.

The detainment of these people reveals once again that the Islamic Republic Regime cannot endure even a small opposition. This is a further indication that Iranian nations will not be able to reach a solution through civic activities. Baluchis, Turkmens, Turks, Arabs and others stand the practices of this regime, which does not permit any civic activities. How can a regime that response with intimidation, imprisonment, torture and execution to any opposition, and deem the most inhumane oppression proper for the nations, especially Baluchis, manage to prevent their rage and hatred?

Turkmensahra Liberation Organization condemns the detainment of the members of the Youth Agency for the Voice of Justice once again, and wants them to be released unconditionally and all human rights organizations to make a move to deal with the issue.

سازمان آزادیبخش ترکمن صحرا – تورکمن صحرا آزادلیق قوراماسی

TURKMENSAHRA AZADLYK GURAMASY

TURKMENSAHRA LIBERATION ORGANIZATION

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THE NEW CONSPIRACY OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC REGIME

THE EXPLOITATION OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE GREAT NATIONAL POET OF THE TURKMENS

10-05-2007

The Islamic Republic will hold a superficial congress on Makhdumgoli Pragi, the national poet of the Turkmens in a few days (May 17-19, 2007). Publicized by the Islamic Republic regime through a massive advertising, this congress constitutes another step aiming to further despise the Turkmen nation. The Islamic Republic has deprived this nation of her right to commemorate this national poet and rejected every request. The Islamic Republic now aims to take away the national poet of the Turkmens. For this reason, they describe him as a Muslim Iranian poet. Furthermore, by means of a highly insidious and dangerous plan, the Islamic Republic regime has been trying to use Makhdumgoli as an instrument against the Republic of Turkmenistan.

If the objective of the Islamic Republic is to respect the language, culture and works of Makhdumgoli, then why have they banned education in Makhdumgoli Pragi’s language (Turkmen language) and why have not they permitted the populist institutions of Turkmensahra to commemorate this great national poet?

According to the General Director of Islamic Guidance and Culture in the region of Golestan, the congress of commemorating Makhdumgoli Pragi will be held with the presentation of 20 articles from the Republic of Turkmenistan and 3 from the Republic of Turkey. It is interesting and surprising that the so-called Science Board of this congress does not have a single Turkmen thinker or someone who knows Makhdumgoli, but all boards have Farsi members.

How will these individuals, lacking any knowledge on the Turkmen culture and Turkmen poetry, present opinions on the scientific aspect of the articles?
All these insidious acts of the Islamic Republic regime aim at preventing the commemoration ceremonies of Makhdumgoli Pragi to be held in the provinces of Turkmensahra. Lacking any signs of Makhdumgoli’s spirit against oppression and his epic poetry, this regime is trying to put Makhdumgoli in its mental framework by means of this superficial congress.

Prior to the Islamic Republic, the Communists had tried to exploit the poetry of Makhdumgoli Pragi for their own policies. However, Turkmen people knew the combatant contents of these Turkmen poets and these policies only resulted in hatred and spite against the communists.

The Islamic Republic does not need to hold a commemoration congress for Makhdumgoli Pragi and to make the Turkmens laugh through ordered articles. The very poems of Makhdumgoli are the signs that Pan-Persians and chauvinists have been the greatest enemies of the Turkmen nation.

This superficial congress of the Department of Islamic Guidance and Culture of Golestan Region has been merely organized to fill the pockets of certain chauvinists and the enemies of the Turkmens and the Turkmen nation is aware of the aim of the regime in holding such congresses.

The Islamic Republic regime should know that it will not gain anything through these ancient tricks.

In his poetry, Makhdumgoli Pragi has an obvious message against the Islamic Republic regime: “If the Turkmens unite some day, they will dry the River Nile. If they unite, no enemy will be able to stand against the gushing flood of rage.” This message is a clear warning against the enemies of the Turkmen nation that have been trying to eradicate the Turkmen language, literature and culture for years.

The Turkmen nation is well aware of the pressures and threats of the regime against the Turkmen intellectuals and activists to urge them to participate in the congress. The Turkmen nation calls these Turkmen intellectuals not to serve the intentions of this regime against our people. Otherwise, they will encounter the reaction and rage of the Turkmen nation.

The Turkmens of Turkmenistan, Turkey and the rest of the world are expected to boycott this congress and not to become the instrument of the Islamic Republic regime against the Turkmens.

The Turkmen nation will never forgive the traitors against their nation and national culture, and some day will give a harsh answer to all traitors. That day will definitely arrive.

سازمان آزادیبخش ترکمن صحرا – تورکمن صحرا آزادلیق قوراماسی

TURKMENSAHRA AZATLYK GURAMASY

TURKMENSAHRA LIBERATION ORGANIZATION

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Iran 'is seeking N Korea's nuclear expertise'

By Con Coughlin
18/04/2007
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Iran has taken advantage of the delay to intensify attempts to negotiate a deal that would give Teheran access to the nuclear expertise North Korea acquired during last year's atom bomb test.

Iranian scientists have already been invited to Pyongyang to study data collected from the test. Beijing-based diplomats responsible for monitoring North Korea say that Iran is now keen to negotiate a deal that would deepen the level of nuclear co-operation.

Although, under the terms of the February agreement, North Korea has agreed to shut the Yongbyon reactor - which provided the fissile material for the nuclear test - the agreement puts no limits on North Korea to export the expertise it acquired from the test.

"As the agreement currently stands, there are no restrictions on the proliferation of nuclear technology North Korea acquired last year," said a well-placed diplomat. "Iran is desperate to take advantage of this loophole to buy Pyongyang's expertise on building nuclear weapons."

Despite Teheran's insistence that its nuclear programme is aimed at meeting the country's future energy needs, Iran has already admitted to buying the blueprint for Pakistan's nuclear bomb from Dr A Q Khan, the "father" of that country's atom bomb. Nuclear experts believe that Iran is now seeking to acquire North Korea's expertise to assist its own clandestine programme to develop a nuclear weapons arsenal.

The Iranian delegation handling the negotiations with North Korea report directly to Reza Aghazadeh, the country's vice president and the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, who has overall responsibility for the controversial programme.

Senior officials from Aerospace Industries Organisation of Iran, which is responsible for the development of a ballistic missile programme, have also attended the talks.

Iran's Shahab-3 missile is based on North Korea's Nodong ballistic missiles and Teheran is also keen to maintain the existing co-operation between the two countries on the development of long-range missiles.

Meetings between the two delegations have taken place at the Chinese border city of Shenyang, because the Iranians are keen not to draw attention to their increased co-operation with Pyongyang.

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Endless discrimination

By SANAULLAH BALOCH
http://nation.com.pk
10-05-2007

Pakistan’s military-led democratic dispensation dose not believe in “freely expressed will of the people to determine their own political, social, and cultural systems and full participation in all aspects of their lives”. Balochistan is far away from the power base and its real benefits. The successive military and civil governments believed in ruling by guns and cannons to enforce their own version of “development and democracy”.

Balochistan has been a source of constant conflict and instability for decades because of its geo-political position and natural wealth. Politically and economically deprived Baloch population has gone through continuous military operations since 1948 and fresh offensives were launched after the October 1999 military takeover. Overlooking the major concerns of the Baloch and neglecting the very basic idea of democracy and development Musharaf regime announced establishing military garrisons parallel with centrally controlled development projects in Balochistan. All the mega-projects launched in Balochistan including Gwadar port, Mirani Dam, Coastal highway, cantonments, extraction of copper-gold deposits, oil and gas development do not envisage any participation or benefit for the province and its people. Islamabad refuses to listen to and legislate on the concerns and fears of the Baloch who going through endless discrimination, mass arrests and disappearances.

Since the beginning of the military operation, not a single case has been brought before the courts. Detainees are kept incommunicado and those in authority are determined to uproot all political dissidents in order to establish the writ of the state. Poets, politicians, journalist and political activists are all being intimidated. Every family in Balochistan has a story to tell but fear prevents it from doing so. Plucky Salim Baloch of Karachi who filed a statement and affidavit in Sindh High Court regarding his seven-month “enforced disappearance” and suspected captors disappeared again on January 2. The killing of Nawab Bugti and Akhter Mengal’s detention for the alleged kidnapping of MI officials has raised many questions.

Since 1948, successive civil and military regimes had pursued colonial policies towards Balochistan to keep the Baloch poor and the region dependent on Islamabad. In the last 56 years, 13 alien Governors were appointed to govern Balochistan with specific agenda to crush and intimidate the Baloch. Again, Governor, IG Police, IG FC, heads of intelligence agencies and provincial secretaries have been brought from outside with assigned task.
On the contrary Baloch nationalist ruled Balochistan only for three-and-a-half years. Sardar Atahullah Mengal ruled Balochistan just for nine months (1972-73) and spent four-and-a-half years in jail and lost young son, When Federal government launched operation in Balochistan, which lasted for four years and resulted in killings of five thousand innocent people, displacement of one and half hundred thousand people. Islamabad is fully responsible for less development, social backwardness and unprecedented poverty level in province. Central government is controlling province and development policies, financial resources, selecting political agenda and “leaders”.

Islamabad’s handpicked MMA and PML coalition in Balochistan has brought this province under heavy debt and interest payment. The provincial budget 2005-06 had a deficit of Rs 13.24 billion. The Musharraf regime keeps claiming credit for empowering the Baloch and carrying out massive development in the province. But the fact remains that the State Bank of Pakistan has placed Balochistan at the top of the list of borrowers (Rs 15 billion overdraft), meaning thereby it is seen as financially mismanaged province. The provincial government run by strangers has not only ruined already shattered administrative institutions, but it also mercilessly plundered resources of the province. Land in coastal area and Gwadar worth billions of rupees has been allotted to outsiders virtually for peanuts. This land could have been properly auctioned and the revenue generated could have been on education, health, social infrastructure as well as on debt retirement.

Contracts for copper and gold deposits have been awarded to Chinese and Chilian companies without consulting provincial governments. Balochistan only gets two percent royalty out of its wealth but Islamabad and Beijing shares 48% and 50% profit respectively. Not a single human resource centre and college has been established in mineral rich and coastal areas of the province to produce future work force. The last 56 years’ of controlled development and poor governance has resulted in unspeakable socio-economic crisis in Balochistan. The province, which has been supplying natural gas to the rest of the Pakistan for industrial and domestic consumption for over five decades, doesn’t have pipeline catering gas to its own population.
According to Social policy and Development Center (SPDC) “an overview of the development scene in Balochistan is discomforting and the extent of relative deprivation in the province is appalling”. The percentage of districts that are classified as high deprivation are 92 percent in Balochistan, 62 percent in NWFP, 50 percent in Sindh and only 29 percent in the Punjab. SPDC review also revealed that the percentage of population living in a high degree of deprivation stands at 88 percent in Balochistan, 51 percent in NWFP, 49 percent in Sindh and 25 percent in the Punjab. According to poverty related reports the percentage of population living below the poverty line stands 63 percent in Balochistan, 26 percent in the Punjab, 29 percent in NWFP, 38 percent in rural and 27 percent in urban Sindh.

Balochistan has the lowest literacy rate because of “literacy control” policy of federal government, which probably believes that educated and politically conscious population will not allow the plunder of Baloch wealth. Seventy-six percent primary schools in the province are shelterless, 60 percent primary schools have only one untrained and unqualified teacher. However, 30 percent growth of religious schools has been recorded in Balochistan under the present coalition set-up. Baloch youths are kept deprived of all forms of contemporary knowledge. Few institutions have been established in Capital city of Quetta for students from the elite class. The systematic denial of basic education and education related facilities in Balochistan are reflection on those in authority who do not tire of claiming that they had done better than all previous governments to promote literacy.

Highest unemployment is recorded in province due to lack of basic infrastructure, financial bias against Baloch entrepreneurs, lack of industries and agriculture in private sector. In the government sector, Baloch youths are also denied employment and non-Baloch including those who recently migrated here from other areas have greater chances of being inducted on important positions. Even Baloch and local population are deprived of unskilled jobs in Sui gas company (SSGC). In Dera Bugti, heavily guarded compound of Pakistan petroleum Limited is virtually a no-go area for the Baloch.

Baloch nationalists unanimously presented their demand draft to Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan in November 2004. The issues raised in demand draft were of serious and urgent resolution and doomed to create confidence-building environment. However, committee refused to give any serious consideration to the demands like halting work on Gwadar port until detail feasibility reports on socio-economical and administrative implications, end to construction of new garrisons and cancellation of all illegal land allotments in Gwadar. Baloch nationalists keep on insisting that development projects should be linked with local ownership, bringing the Gwadar Port under the control of the provincial government. Then there was a demand from the members of Parliamentary committee on Balochistan that constitution’s Concurrent Legislative List and subjects related with provinces in federal Legislative List must be devolved to the provinces. Formation of the much talked about Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan and polite response from Baloch nationalist to resolve Balochistan’s longstanding issues through dialogue and discussions caused frustration and disappointment to the hardliners in Islamabad, especially those who believe that the Baloch demands for greater political autonomy need to be responded by guns and canons.

The commission proved as an eye wash and trap for the veteran Baloch leaders, particularly Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti who had a great trust and hope in committee.
Islamabad militarized approach has led to three years of violence, widespread human rights abuses, mass internal displacement and the deaths of hundreds of civilians and military personnel. Thousands of unarmed Baloch civilians, including women and children are being forcibly displaced from their hometowns and denying them any facility. Internal Displaced Monitoring Centre in its report published in October 2006 has reported that tow hundred thousand people have been displaced only from Kolu and Dera Bugti districts in 2006. Islamabad’s ill-conceived policies and uninterrupted use of force are widening the gap between Balochistan and the federation. Islamabad is required to take appropriate measures to restore the confidence of the traumatized Baloch population and also to put an end to the discrimination against moderate politicians. As mentioned in ICG September 2006 report that Government has to be aware of that it faces conflict with a broad-based movement for political, economic and social empowerment and initiate a sincere and serious dialogue with Baloch nationalist parties. Islamabad should end reliance on military solution, and give a serious thought to withdrawing army and dismantling all military and paramilitary check posts in the province. It must also ensure respect for constitutional and democratic freedoms, allowing all political parties to function freely, and express their views freely.

The writer is a BNP (Balochistan National Party) senator.
E-mail: balochbnp@gmail.com