Silence on a crime is tantamount to complicity

By Guhram Sindhi

If you are neutral in the situation of injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor– Deshmond Tutu

War-torn countries are always big mass burial grounds whether it’s Stailn’s Soviet Union or occupied Kurdistan. Few days before three mass graves were found in Tootak area of Khuzdar in Balochistan. More than a hundred mutilated and decomposed bodies of men and women were found. Pakistan army has abducted more than 18000 Baloch from occupied Balochistan and murdered over 1000 of them in military concentrations camps.

Alarming deaths

Internet Photo

POLITICIANS, journalists and analysts may be in position to predict what can be there in future. The numbers and figures have become essential in a human’s life and career. The news report will not be valued if numbers are missing.

What is there in numbers and figures? Here I am trying to figure out the war between one group which is trying to hide the fact with numbers and figures and the other which is trying to bring out the fact with numbers and figures as well.

Mass graves greeted by mass silence

by Tarek Fatah, Toronto Sun

It would have been inconceivable that any U.S. official, let alone a Secretary of State, would host a delegation from Serbia the day after mass graves were discovered in Srebrenica in 1995.

Yet on Sunday, a day after bullet-ridden bodies were discovered in suspected mass graves in Pakistan’s military-controlled province of Balochistan, Secretary of State John Kerry was toasting a delegation of Pakistan security officials at the State Department.

Activists demand UN inquiry into Balochistan mass graves

Rights organizations have expressed shock over the discovery of mass graves in Pakistan’s insurgency-marred Balochistan province and have called on the UN to send a fact-finding mission for an inquiry.

On January 25, three mass graves were discovered in the Khuzdar district of Pakistan’s western Balochistan province. The corpses were too decomposed to be identified. As the news spread, the people gathered around the graves and started digging in the nearby area, where they unearthed two more mass graves.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) says that 169 bodies have so far been recovered from the graves. Pakistani officials, however, deny these claims, arguing that the total number of bodies amounts to only 15.

Balochistan Mass Graves: An International Inquiry Needed

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has not spoken about the mass graves found in Balochistan. Chief Minister Dr. Malik Baloch has not uttered a word either. The mainstream national media has systematically snubbed the story. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have not issued statements. Nevertheless, that does not help in keeping the world ignorant about the shocking mass mass graves of Balochistan in the age of social media. There is widespread anger among the people of Balochistan and those who believe in human rights across the world over such brutal acts as well as over the silence of the Pakistani government authorities and the media. They are trying to cover up the whole issue in an attempt to protect those involved in these crimes against humanity.

Discovery of mass graves in Balochistan is a question mark for the civilized world – BRP

Kill and dumped by Pakistani Forces on March 25, 2011 in Machi Gorani area of Sui Dera Bugti

Balochistan, for most Indians, is just another part of Pakistan about which we don’t care. However, a fact is that Balochistan region was an important region belonging to the Harrappan Civilization. From 1st century AD to 3rd century AD, the region was ruled by the Pāratarājas, believed to be the same as Pāradas mentioned in the Vayu Puraan and Mahabharat too. Present day Balochistan covers around 40% of Pakistan and some parts of Iran and Afghanistan. The region used to enjoy autonomy under British rule but after division, just like Pakistani Army invaded parts of Kashmir (now PoK), they also invaded Balochistan, which had refused to accede to Pakistan. Since then, Baloch people have been fighting for independence. There have been army operations by Pakistan, to crush the movements. Pakistani army often indulges in atrocities and human right violations in the region.

Jan 28: Sagar-e-Baloch Shaheed Mir Amir Baksh Baloch

Jan 28: Shuhada-e-Quetta

Peter Tatchell dedicates his honorary doctorate award to Balochistan

London: British human rights campaigner PeterTatchell has dedicated his receipt of an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from De Montfort University to the people of Balochistan and their struggle for freedom and self-determination.

Mr Tatchell received his award on 23 January 2014, in recognition of his 47 year of human rights campaigning, at a ceremony at The Curve in Leicester, UK.

PAKISTAN: More than 100 dead bodies from three mass graves were found in one district of Balochistan

The UN and international human rights organisations must send fact finding missions to probe the illegal disposal of Baloch people in mass graves

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) expresses shock and deep concern over the discovery of mass graves in Balochistan; it is suspected that these graves are of Baloch missing persons who were arrested and subsequently extrajudicially killed. A large number of family members gathered around the places of Tootak village, district Khuzdar to inquire about their loved ones who have been missing for many years. However, the police and other security forces refused them permission to try and identify the bodies and baton charged the people to disperse them.

From Social Media

NEWS of th over @TahirImran plz W Vsh TV 11mor #Brutalited B found n #KHUZDAR #MassGrave @BalaachMarri @FaizMBaluch pic.twitter.com/2WmSxjQxGS

— #SaveBSOAzadLeader (@shaysholan2) January 27, 2014