An article published by the Internationalist Commune says that the youth of North-East Syria have declared their unwavering solidarity with the people of Balochistan as they commemorate “Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day“ on January 25. It stated that this date marks the horrific discovery of over 100 mutilated bodies in Tootak, Balochistan, in 2014—victims of enforced disappearances attributed to Pakistani intelligence agencies, paramilitary forces, and affiliated death squads. The mass graves have become a haunting symbol of the Baloch struggle for justice, identity, and survival.
Representatives of the Democratic Youth Council of Syria, Nadiya Yousef and Nasser Nasero, expressed their support through a video message, highlighting the shared pain and struggle of the Baloch and Kurdish peoples against oppression, colonialism, and imperialist agendas.
Shared Histories of Struggle
The statement from the youth of North-East Syria sheds light on the historical parallels between Balochistan and Kurdistan, both of which were divided and suppressed by imperialist powers. Following the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, Kurdistan was split among Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. Similarly, Balochistan was divided among Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan with the establishment of Pakistan in 1948. These divisions deprived the Baloch and Kurdish peoples of their cultural heritage, language, and political autonomy while exploiting their resources for the benefit of ruling elites, the statement says.
It further stated the rise of imperialist-backed religious fundamentalism further exacerbated their plight, targeting women’s freedom and deepening societal divisions. Despite these challenges, both peoples have built robust resistance movements rooted in democratic self-determination and equality.
A Call for Solidarity and Resistance
In their message, Nadiya Yousef and Nasser Nasero condemned the oppression faced by the Baloch people, including land dispossession, youth abductions, and cultural erasure. Drawing from their own experiences as Kurds, they affirmed the shared struggle for the right to language, identity, and self-determination.
“Our pain is one,” the youth leaders declared, underscoring the common bonds between Baloch and Kurdish resistance movements.
Quoting Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan (Rêber Apo), they reiterated the fundamental right of all societies to their identity, culture, and existence, calling on the youth of both regions to continue their fight for freedom and dignity.
Building a Future of Solidarity
The youth of North-East Syria emphasized their commitment to the broader struggle for a democratic and peaceful Middle East, where oppressed peoples can live freely in harmony. The slogan “Jin Jiyan Azadî” (Women, Life, Freedom) has become a rallying cry for women’s liberation across the region, challenging the patriarchal and hierarchical systems imposed by imperialist and fundamentalist forces.
In order to build this future together, the youth see themselves as having a particular responsibility to build the brotherhood of peoples and a Middle East of democratic nations. In this spirit, members of the Syrian Democratic Youth Council have formulated a message of greeting to the fighting people of Balochistan:
Nasser Nasero (Co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Youth Council) and
Nadiya Yousef (Spokesperson for the young women’s office at the Syrian Democratic Youth Council) expressed their solidarity with the following words:
This is in solidarity for the youth and people of Balochistan.
We see today that in the whole world a lot of oppressed people, face the same problems.
One of those are the people of Balochistan.
It’s a people that saw a lot of pain just as the people of Kurdistan.
We, as Syrian youth, as the Syrian people,
as the people of Rojava Kurdistan in particular,
with all our components, support the Baloch people.
We say: The right of the Baloch people is a genuine right,
the right of all genuine peoples of the region to live with their own language,
their own identity, their own existence, their own culture.
The people of Balochistan face oppression by Pakistan and
at the same time the state of Pakistan sells out their land,
abducting their youth and
commits all kind of atrocities on the people and especially the youth of Balochistan.
As youth of Rojava (West Kurdistan) we condemn these attacks,
because we also face the same pain.
As Kurdish people our rights were taken from us, our identity was denied,
our language was denied. Because of this we can say that our pain is one.
On this basis we stand in solidarity with the people of Balochistan and
their legitimate protests for claiming their culture,
their language, to defend their land and stand up against this system.
Indeed, as Rêber APO (Abdullah Öcalan) says:
The rights of every society have their original rights to exist,
they have the right to identity,
they have the right to culture,
just as we see that our struggle at the level of Kurdistan
is ensured by the thoughts and ideas of Rêber Apo,
we see that if the people of Balochistan
rely on the thoughts and ideas of the Democratic Nation
that lived together, a free cohabitation,
a genuine cohabitation that takes its rights in general,
it will be a great step towards victory
We are with you and we support your legitimate protests and
we remember all the martyrs that fell for the sake of their homeland,
to defend their rights and their land and gave their life.
We say the Kurdish people and the Baloch people are brothers and
until both of our nations gain their rights,
we will never stop to struggle and to resist and
we as Kurdish people and Baloch people will be in solidarity with each other.