Allow me to congratulate you on your election and thank you for giving me the floor to speak about The right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation

In a recent seminar on the 'Right to Self Determination' organised by Human Rights International in London, it was resolved that Self Determination is an inherent and inalienable right of all peoples. The people who have resolved to determine their future, can not be subjugated against their wishes. Historically this has resulted in revolution against the tyranny, however in our times the tyranny has been replaced by neo-colonialism, domination of one group of people over the others, and occupation by foreign or local military forces. But the right to self determination remains an inherent and inalienable right of people, and when denied results in uprising and violence as in Palestine, Chechniya, Kashmir and Sindh.

Sindh a land of peace and harmony covers an area of about 58,000 square miles, extending northwards from the Indian Ocean and straddling the Indo-Pak border. Watered by mighty Indus river, Sindh is rich with agriculture and natural resources including oil, gas, coal, diamonds gold and uranium. Inhabited by approx. 45 million Sindhis, descendants of the original inhabitants Dravidians, with their distinct culture language and civilisation i.e. Indus Civilisation, considered to be about ten thousand years old, and still surviving in the villages and towns of Sindh.

Now, one of the worlds oldest surviving civilisation is under threat of extinction from terrorism, deliberate cultural dilution, settlement of illegal immigrants, persecution by the establishment and continuation of military operation which has resulted in the blatant violation of human rights including Rape, Torture and Death in Custody by the security forces. This has been reported by Mr. Bacre Wally Ndiave, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Summary or Arbitrary Executions E/CN.4/1994/7, E/CN.4/1995/61, Mr. Nigel S. Rodley, Special Rapporteur, E/CN.4/1997/7/Add.2, Amnesty International Report AI INDEX: ASA 33/05/93, AI INDEX: ASA 33/01/95, AI INDEX: ISBN 0-86210-245-6, AI Index: ASA 33/01/96, News Statement of 23 May 1996, and Human Rights International Report HRI/SR/05/96.

Mr. Nigel S. Rodley's report shows that a large number of individuals had died in custody under suspicious circumstances during 1995-96. In the province of Sindh, excluding Karachi, there had been 62 suspicious deaths of persons held in custody. They included deaths in police custody after allegations of torture, deaths after release or transfer to hospital of which torture was suspected as the cause, death in fabricated police encounters, deaths in prison as a result of torture and deaths in prison due to lack of proper medical care. Ref. E/CN.4/1997/7/Add .2

The most notable among them being the torture and death in custody of Shaheed Mohammed Yousuf Jakhrani, Senior Vice Chairman of World Sindhi Congress, cold blooded murder by the security forces of ten innocent villagers from Tando Bahawal, and others including Mujeeb Haider Jatoi, Ali Hyder Shah. Even the highest court in the country has failed to provide relief to the families and the culprits are at large, as the security forces are granted legal immunity from prosecution for any crime committed in good faith as per the Presidential Ordinance promulgated on 19th July 1992.

His Excellency G M Syed, 92 years old father of Sindhi nation, died in custody on 25th April 1995. G M Syed was detained for more than 30 years since the creation of Pakistan until his death for demanding the Right of Self Determination for Sindhi people as per International Law, and was declared 'Prisoner of Conscience' by Amnesty International and Human Rights International.

Mr. President, on my last visit to Sindh to meet my family and friends, I was arrested by the security forces and detained incommunicado at various places including CIA Torture Center Hyderabad, FIA Safehouse Islamabad and Death Cell in Rawalpindi Jail for more than a month in subhuman conditions. During this period I was denied any medical and legal aid or visits from the lawyers, family or friends. It was only after the increasing pressure for my release by the international community and internally by the people of Sindh, that I was forcibly deported to UK on 4th January 1996. Now, I am told that I can not go back to my land to meet my family and my people.

There is widespread violation of civil, political, cultural, social and economic rights as highlighted in the UN document E/CN.4/1994/NGO/56. Emergency rule has been declared in Sindh since more than 20 years, denying all constitutional and basic human rights. In the absence of any constitutional protection, Sindhis feel that their cultural, social economic, civil and political rights are being violated. Hence, Sindhis the indigenous people of Sindh, demand the Right of Self Determination, as per International Covenants and conventions.

a) More than eight million acres of land has been forcibly taken from local Sindhis and allocated to Military Generals and other outside settlers, forcing native Sindhis to abandon their centuries old ancestral homes and villages. Recently more than 200 miles of coastal land has been taken over by the defence forces, evicting local fishermen and depriving more than 2000 families of their livelihood.

b) The natural resources of Sindh, including oil, gas and coal are being indiscriminately exploited and taken away without due compensation to the local people.

c) Sindh is being deprived of its share of water from Indus River vital for agriculture, by construction of dams upstream, severely affecting the agrarian rural economy and resulting in the ecological disaster.

d) Widespread deforestation has further worsened the situation, as evidenced by the recurrent flooding, extinction of many endangered species and damage to the wild life.

e) Sindhi medium schools are being closed down, so much so that their is not a single Sindhi medium government school in Karachi, the capitol of Sindh.

f) The continuous settlement of outsiders has resulted in the disproportionate imbalance of the population resulting in the increasing tension between the native Sindhi people and the immigrants. The immigrants have further destroyed the native culture by bringing heroin and illegal weapons.

Sindh, throughout its ten thousand years history, has remained independent, before it was conquered by English rulers in 1843. In 1947, when British rulers decided to leave India, instead of restoring the independent status of Sindh, as per the English traditions and International law, instead Sindhis were told to join India or Pakistan. Having no other choice i.e. Independence, Sindhis decided to join the newly created state of Pakistan, on the basis of Pakistan Resolution of 1940, which states that: "... areas in which Muslims are numerically in majority, as in the north-western and eastern zones of India, should be grouped to constitute 'Independent states' in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign". However, these promises of autonomy and sovereignty were never fulfilled by any Pakistani Government, resulting in discontent among the people of Sindh and other areas

Sindhis have lost faith in the present political system of Pakistan, as evidenced by the lack of participation in the recent elections. According to the official figures less than 15.53% population bothered to get registered and only 4.82% population bothered to vote, whereas 95% Sindhis expressed their disappointment by not voting at all.

Peace and stability in the region, which is strategically vital for the world peace, can not be ensured unless the violations of human rights of Sindhis are stopped. It has been proposed to the Government of Pakistan to stop the military operation, release all political prisoners and restore the historic national rights of Sindhis, including the Right of Self Determination.

In view of the continuing violation of human rights in Sindh, an impartial United Nations fact-finding mission is essential and will be welcomed by the indigenous people of Sindh.