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Appeal to United Nations, United States of
America, European Union, Japan, China, Russia and International Community
as a whole
5th July 2005
Deplorably, the Iranian authorities unlawfully razed to ground hundreds of
shacks and homes of very poor and innocent Baloch people on Thursday June
30th 2005 in Chabar city of Balochistan.
The victims lost their nominal livelihoods and their only roofs. The
inconsiderate and cruel authorities of Iran used extensive force to evict
Baloch people from their shacks and homes and showed no compassion to
their plight. The victims resisted to teeth the destruction of their
shacks and homes. In the resistance several people were seriously injured
by the ‘security forces’ of the regime, and a number of them were taken to
prison and detained. There is no information on whereabouts and safety of
these detainees and the authorities are denying access or information to
their relatives.
It is reported in official media of regime, IRNA that the razed area is
designated for ‘security forces’ by the Department of Housing & Urban
Planning.
The regime has an undeclared policy of discrimination and ethnic cleansing
in Balochistan. The surrounding areas of all cities in Balochistan as in
Chabar are set aside to accommodate security forces and Non-Baloch from
other provinces. The regime has been pursuing this policy for a long time
and succeeded to some extent to implement ethnic cleansing by providing
financial incentives and other preferential treatment to Non-Baloch in
Balochistan. In recent years noticeably a large number of people from
other parts of Iran led by this policy to reside in Chabar and other
cities of Balochistan.
The native Baloch people have been denied any assistance in relation to
entrepreneurial and job opportunities in their own homeland in a
systematic wicked plan of discrimination and ethnic cleansing by the
regime in Iran. Balochistan is full of potentials and resources, but the
Baloch people are deliberately being impoverished in order to maintain the
chauvinistic supremacy of regime in Balochistan. There are hardly any
facilities for Baloch people in Balochistan, whereas regime has been
providing every facility such as clean water (a rare and very precious
commodity for Baloch people), proper housing, jobs etc to Non-Baloch in
the very Balochistan.
Baloch are technically barred from any decision making process and
institutions not only in Iran, but in their homeland Balochistan. In state
affairs Baloch are not represented at all. Baloch people from all-walk of
life are being suppressed by unjust measures of the regime. Baloch culture
and identity are under direct attack by policy of assimilation in Iran.
The Baloch victims are now without any shelter and suffering from
homelessness in boiling temperature of Balochistan summer. The temperature
is above 45°C in Chabar and victim’s children and elderly dependants are
suffering dehydration and lack of peace and security. They have no means
of seeking justice from the oppressive regime in Iran. It is alleged by
the regime that the victims had no ownership document over the lands. The
people in Balochistan in general lack such documentation due to
non-existence of Iran’s sovereignty in Balochistan. Land-ownership in
Balochistan has its own customary methods; hence people without paperwork
are the legal and the only holder of lands in Balochistan. The
ownership-papers must be provided to Baloch people, not denied.
We urge you all to exert sufficient pressure on the regime to abandon
eviction of innocent Baloch people in Chabar and seek assurances for
unconditional release of all the detainees, allocation of lands and
re-housing of the victims in Chabar. More importantly, the regime must be
required to discard its wicked ethnic cleansing policy in Balochistan as
it undoubtedly seeds hatred and unnecessary ethnic conflicts.
Your actions are vital to the plight of hundreds of poor homeless women,
children and elderly peoples in Chabar, Balochistan. Please be passionate
and involved to safeguard Baloch peoples’ democratic rights.
Regards,
Balochistan Rights Watch
balochwatch@yahoo.com
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