Dr. Mahrang Baloch, central organizer of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), has urged the international community to intervene in Balochistan, warning of a humanitarian crisis and claiming that the military has effectively taken control of the region.
In a video statement from Gwadar on Wednesday, Dr. Baloch said that Gwadar has been under siege for the past four days following the BYC’s ‘Baloch Raaji Muchi’ protest against Baloch ‘genocide’ and human rights violations. “The BYC organized the Raaji Muchi on July 28 to protest against the genocide of Baloch people and human rights violations,” she said.
She explained that participants from across Balochistan were heading to Gwadar to register their protest. “Instead of facilitating the participants and ensuring their safe arrival, the state used force to disperse them.” she added.
Dr. Baloch described the severe measures taken by security forces, including blocking highways to Gwadar and using force against protesters, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. “Over 500 people are in the custody of the security forces,” Baloch stated. She highlighted the lack of detailed information about detainees and injured individuals, including many women.
“Besides Gwadar, people are staging sit-ins at various locations across Balochistan, and the government is using force against them, with reports of detentions and violence,” she said.
Dr. Baloch emphasized the critical human rights situation in Balochistan, accusing the state and its institutions of facilitating the crackdown. “The Baloch nation is being denied the right to peaceful protest, and all their rights have been stripped away,” she asserted.
She called on international organizations and the media to raise their voices against the atrocities in Balochistan. “We urge the international community to intervene immediately to prevent further loss of innocent lives,” she said.
She announced that the sit-ins across Balochistan would continue until their demands are met. “The state will try to remove us, but we will come back every time,” she asserted, urging all of Balochistan to maintain the sit-ins.
In a separate statement, Dr. Baloch also accused the state of pretending to negotiate while using force to suppress the peaceful Raaji Muchi participants. “The state is pretending to negotiate while holding a gun over the heads of peaceful participants by cutting off the network and internet in Gwadar to mislead the media and the public,” she said.
She elaborated on the harassment and sabotage they faced from the state, despite repeatedly assuring authorities of the peaceful nature of the gathering. “We submitted an application to the DC Gwadar for an NOC and continuously assured them that the Baloch Raaji Muchi would be a peaceful one-day national gathering,” she explained.
Despite these assurances, the state repeatedly rejected the BYC’s requests, citing Gwadar as a sensitive zone, and used force to prevent the assembly. Dr. Baloch criticized the state’s actions, stating, “For you, Gwadar may be a sensitive or red zone, but for us, it is our homeland, and no one can prevent us from holding a peaceful gathering on our land.”
She condemned the state’s use of force, saying, “Using force will lead to a situation beyond both our control and yours. You cannot stop a public gathering by using force, and attempting to do so is a mistake.” She asked, “What were the results of using force and violence? Did your power, guns, and brutality stop the Baloch Raaji Muchi? On the contrary, it has united the Baloch people in protest.”
Dr. Baloch described how the use of force has turned a one-day national gathering into an ongoing sit-in across Balochistan. She noted that all of Balochistan is now in protest and has been shut down for the past five days.
She described the severe situation in the Makuran region, attributing it to the violent actions of the state. “Gwadar and the entire Makuran region are paralyzed due to the undeclared curfew, and the network and internet are shut down. Despite all this, the state continues its childish actions,” she said.
Dr. Baloch criticized the state’s lack of sincerity in negotiations, saying, “From the start of the sit-in, we have announced our demands through the media, but instead of negotiating, the state sent an MI agent at night to target the leadership of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.” She added, “This shows the state’s seriousness: on one hand, they are using extensive force and violence, and on the other, they are pretending to negotiate in the media.”
She concluded, “Our sit-in at Piddi Zir (Marine Drive) in Gwadar continues, and our demands are in front of you. If the state is serious, it should come to the ongoing sit-in at Piddi Zir and talk to us.”
Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, a government delegation arrived at the sit-in site at Piddi Zir in Gwadar to negotiate. Dr. Baloch informed the protesters about the key points of the discussions with the government.
According to her, the government agreed to stop the use of force and violence against the participants of the Baloch Raaji Muchi throughout Gwadar and Balochistan.
Additionally, all participants of the Baloch Raaji Muchi who have been arrested across Balochistan would be immediately released, and all roads in Balochistan would be reopened without delay. Furthermore, the practice of raiding and harassing people in their homes in Gwadar would be halted immediately.
Dr. Baloch stated that if any participants of the ‘Baloch Raaji Muchi’ in Gwadar or any other area in Balochistan are harassed or if force is used during the negotiations, they would immediately postpone the negotiations and continue the sit-in.