The subjugation of Baloch people by China and Pakistan
Author: Nabi Bakhsh Baloch
The rights of religious and ethnic or linguistic minorities are enshrined in article 27 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which says that in those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the others members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, or to use their own language. But unfortunately, Pakistan is blatantly discriminating against minority religion and sects, which is a clear violation of article 27 of the ICCPR.
Minorities and even human rights defenders are victims of abuse of blasphemy laws and violations in the context of counter-terrorism laws and policies, which disregard human rights protections, including in the practice of enforced disappearances of terrorism suspects.
It is also crystal clear that the current United Nation framework provides no incentive for any homeland minority to identify itself as a national minority since this category provides no rights that are available to any other ethnocultural group. Instead, all homeland minorities have overwhelming incentive to (re-) define themselves as indigenous peoples. If they come as such as Baloch nation with its peculiar background to the international community under the heading of “national minority” they get nothing other than generic Article 27 ICCPR, if they come instead as “indigenous people” they have promise of rights of land, control over natural resources, political self-government, language and legal pluralism. The adaptation of the label of indigenous peoples may seem like a good thing. After all, from the point of view of theory and practice of liberal multiculturalism, the underlying moral logic should acknowledge the legitimate interests relating to historic settlement and territory share by all vulnerable homeland minority. Expending the category of ‘indigenous people’ to cover all homeland minority is one possible way to do this.
The CPEC project that is launched between Pakistan and China is strictly against the will and consent of indigenous Baloch peoples and stands against Article 1(i & ii) of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This mega-project is also against the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples 2007 and its fact sheets no. 9 rights of indigenous people (rev.1). The irony is that during the drafting of the Declaration, the representative of China itself emphasised that the declaration contains a definition of indigenous people, but also a requirement the indigenous people to be recognized as such by the state in which they reside. It is pertinent to mention here that the views of the representative of China were incorporated in the Report of the Working Group Established in Accordance with Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1995/2.E/CN.4/1998/106, para.37.
Pakistan and China are committing a crime against humanity and genocide in the name of national security and counter-terrorism, which is totally against the spirit of Limburg principle. Its article (63) says: National security cannot be invoked as a reason for imposing limitations to prevent merely local or relatively isolated threats to law and order. article(64) holds that National security cannot be used as a pretext for imposing vague or arbitrary limitations and may be invoked only when there exist adequate safeguards and effective remedies against abuse. article(65) states that the systematic violation of economic, social and cultural rights undermines true national security and may jeopardise international peace and security. A State responsible for such violation shall not invoke national security as a justification for measures aimed at suppressing opposition to such violation or at perpetrating repressive practices against its population.
Pakistan has been flagrantly abusing article 2(4) of the Charter united nations in terms of subjection of Baloch peoples as its colony, exploitation of Balochistan resources and denial of the fundamental human rights of Baloch peoples are in contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and is an impediment to the promotion of the world peace and co-operation.
Today the scenario of Baluchistan is such that an international war is emerging which could jeopardize the world peace, due to which half million of Baloch indigenous peoples have forcibly transferred from their native villages which is tantamount to a heinous international crime against humanity. Pakistan and China are grievously violating human rights fact sheet No. 9 Rights of the Indigenous Peoples (Rev).
The Baloch has been in war with Pakistan and China regarding the construction of port and CPEC, particularly road network. Baloch is severely resisting against CPEC, the reason is the fact that many villages in the vicinity of CPEC from Gwadar to Awaran have been dismantled and destroyed and hundreds of Baloch innocents have been enforced disappeared and wilfully killed. Half a million of the indigenous Baloch population were forcefully transferred and deported from their villages. Baloch are victims of increasing slaughter and their resources are being treated the same way, it is thereby appealed to UN and other responsible NGOs and organisations to put a stop to this and take necessary action.
I can now conclude my submission that Pakistan and China both are deep states they are slaughtering the Baloch indigenous peoples. It is the obligation of the United Nations and civilized countries to put an end to the atrocity and impunity of security forces of Pakistan, across Balochistan, according to the principle of R2P or new norms of international humanitarian laws.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.