In a strongly worded letter, head of a Baloch armed group has asked China to immediately halt ‘exploitation of Balochistan’s mineral wealth and occupation of Baloch territory’.
In his letter Dr. Allah Nazar, the reported head of Balochistan’s most lethal group Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), directly addresses Yao Jing, the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan.
The letter dated August 15, 2018 says that no distinction will be made between the so-called soft and hard targets and all Chinese nationals in Balochistan will be treated as ‘legitimate targets’.
Dr. Nazar, a gold-medalist medical doctor turned guerrilla fighter, has penned the letter only days after BLF’s major ally BLA carried out a suicide attack on a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dalbandeen.
On 11 August 2018, BLA’s top commander Aslam Baloch’s son Rehan Baloch carried out a suicide attack on Chinese bus in Dalbandeen. According to hospital sources, at least 4 including 3 Chinese engineers died in the attack, several others were injured. Pakistan’s foreign office claims only 5 engineers were injured and no body was killed, however, China had activated a major ’emergency response mechanism’ soon after the attack.
A video of the attack has also been released in which the 22-year-old fighter is seen receiving blessings from his mother and father before blowing his vehicle near the Chinese bus. The suicide attack, that too by the son of BLA’s top commander, has widely been considered as a radical change in dynamics of Baloch resistance as the movement has traditionally not used such tactics.
Read More: Unprecedented Development – Baloch nationalist groups endorse suicide attack on Chinese engineers
In his letter, Dr. Nazar blames China that it is misusing its newfound power and wants to ‘colonize other countries’. China ‘is implementing self-serving infrastructure and mining projects in various countries at an enormous cost to indigenous people and environment’, Dr. Nazar adds.
Dr. Nazar also denounces China funded multi-billion dollar project China Pakistan Economic Corridor and states that the ‘project fails three key tests. It does not enjoy the prior approval of the Baloch people. It is not based on a sound assessment of its impact on Balochistan’s fragile ecosystems. It is not based on a sound assessment of the economic viability and environmental sustainability of projects from the Baloch perspective.’
Dr. Nazar accuses China of being involved in ‘dual colonization of Balochistan’. He says that China must realise that Balochistan is not Xinjiang or Tiananmen and Baloch have no reason to put up with Chinese oppression.
He threatens China that ‘no distinction will be made between the so-called soft and hard targets’, while warning that ‘Chinese tourists, fishermen, and laborers insofar they are an integral part of Chinese state’s overseas outreach’ will be considered ‘legitimate targets’.
Balochistan is home to a long-running insurgency, where ‘secular’ Baloch armed groups battle Pakistan for, what they claim, ‘outright independence of Balochistan’. China has huge presence in Balochistan as it has invested heavily in Saindak copper-gold project. It is also currently constructing CPEC as part of ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative.
Full text of Dr. Allah Nazar’s letter to Yao Jin, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan
To: Yao Jin
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan
Subject: Chinese involvement in Balochistan
Respected Sir,
China emerged as one of the most outstanding examples of Asian resurgence after two centuries of Western dominance. But, unfortunately, China is misusing its newfound power and wants to colonize other countries. It is implementing self-serving infrastructure and mining projects in various countries at an enormous cost to indigenous people and environment.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, your flagship infrastructure project, is being built through Baloch territory. This project fails three key tests. It does not enjoy the prior approval of the Baloch people. It is not based on a sound assessment of its impact on Balochistan’s fragile ecosystems. It is not based on a sound assessment of the economic viability and environmental sustainability of projects from the Baloch perspective.
We understand that your country needs resources for your economy and access to and through the rest of the world. However, instead of directly approaching the people concerned you try to steal their land and resources. If you need Baloch resources and land you must engage the Baloch people directly rather than their current Punjabi colonizers. You can surely claim that a democratically elected government of Pakistan signed the agreement, but you know that the Pakistani government is controlled by your lapdogs in Rawalpindi. We see Chinese presence in our territory as the dual colonization of Balochistan.
Until China stops Balochistan’s unbridled exploitation, the Baloch people reserve the right to defend their land, resources, environment and heritage by all possible means and against all possible sources of threat. We will make no distinction between the so-called soft and hard targets.
We respect the Chinese people’s choice to live under an authoritarian government as well fed puppets, but we will not tolerate their attempts to trample upon our human rights. The Baloch are a freedom loving people. And, Balochistan is not Xinjiang or Tiananmen. The Baloch have no reason to put up with Chinese oppression. All Chinese are, therefore, legitimate targets, including tourists, fishermen, and laborers insofar they are an integral part of Chinese state’s overseas outreach. We can assure that your Punjabi stooges will not be able to protect you from the wrath of the Baloch people.
Our demands are simple. China should immediately halt exploitation of Balochistan’s mineral wealth and occupation of Baloch territory.
Thanks
Regards
Dr Allah Nizar Baloch – @DrAllahNizar a Pro Independence Politician affiliated with @BLF_Online
Dated: August 15, 2018
Balochistan