I have seen the pictures of the regime brutality throughout many years in the south of Iran, in West Balochistan.
Since last year we have seen on our television and read in our newspapers of the uprising and awakening of the Iranian society, young as well as old men and women have stood firm in their belief in justice.
I have been filled with pride as the youth of Iran have demonstrated in a non-violent manner against the armed Basij solders.
The numbers of executions, the number of innocent people in jail has not come as a surprise to me.
I have seen the pictures of the regime brutality throughout many years in the south of Iran, in West Balochistan. In reality the lives of Baloch people have been a constant struggle, a battlefield without media coverage.
The current situation of Balochistan could best be described as an apartheid structure due to the institutionalization of discriminatory and assimilatory polices.
The social and economic situation is fragile in Balochistan, as it is the poorest and most underdeveloped region of Iran. Balochistan has the worst indicators for life expectancy, adult literacy, primary school enrolment and access to improve water and sanitation and infant and child mortality in all of Iran.
Of Iran's more than 75 million people, Baloch make up only four million. Baloch are over represented when it concerns the number of executions and other incidents which result in the death of civilians by Iranian security forces
Just a week before the election in Iran , 150 people were jail in Zahedan the capital city of west Balochistan, for demonstrating against the organized criminal attacks from the military
- on the 2 June 2009 three young Baloch men were hanged in Rajai Prison
- on the 20 of June two person were hanged in the central jail of Zahedan
- Along side the escalation of the demonstrations in Tehran the intimidation tactic from the regime was to executed 19 Baloch prisoners in Zahedan, after short trials in closed courts without having access to defence lawyers,
- On the 14th of July 13 young men were hanged in a prison in Zahedan
- on the 11-13 of August 29 school teachers were arrested in the cities of Sarawan and Zahedan. They were transferred to unknown locations leaving their families with no information of their whereabouts or the reasons behind their arrest
- On 22 of January 2010 a 26 year-old young Baloch, Alah Nezar Shohlibor
- On 23 of January 2010 in Zahedan a 35 year-old man
- on the 20 of February 2010 A tribal chief, Mr Haji Dadulah Muradzahi, was executed
These might just be numbers and unknown names for us, but they were someone's son, someone's friend and companion. The acts of the regime go against international conventions of human rights as the trials of were held behind closed doors and in absences of defence lawyers.
Constant suppression and exploitation of Baloch identity
Not allowing the civil society to bloom is a way to kill the Baloch identity, Baloch language and Baloch future.
Baloch cultural activities are considered to be acts of terrorism, as in the case of Yacub Mehrnehad a blogger and the head of the youth organization the Voice of Justice Young People's Society (VJYPS), which organized events such as concerts and educational courses for young Baloch people, and raised funds to help the poor. The members were arrested in 2007 and a year after hanged on the 4th of august
Why did I refer to Balochistan as a Battlefield. Because since July 2009 last year control of Balochistan's security and governance have been given to the Revolutionary Guards.
The revolutionary Guard control more than 60 illegal unregistered ports in Iran. Most of these ports are on Balochistans coastline, in Arabian sea and Persian golf.
So the Revolutionary Guards' economic interest makes it very important for them to increase their presence and control over Balochistan.
This leaves the region that is rich in natural resources, has an abundance of rich minerals, fertile land and has a strategic coastline on the Oman Sea that stretches 1000 kilometres, without clean water and sanitation, high nr of illiteracy and the lowest socio-economic indicators in the whole of Iran.
Finally I would like to shed light over the wall that was started to be build 2007, 3 feet wide and ten feet high and 700 m long wall along the Iran and Pakistan border, dividing Baloch families, destroying homes and controlling the Baloch society. A dare to refer to it as a present-day Berlin wall.
Thank you
هیچ نظری موجود نیست:
ارسال یک نظر