UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of

Minorities-Working Group on Indigenous Peoples

Fourteenth session -29 July - 2 August 1996

Statement by Dr. Munawar A. Halepota, Secretary General, World Sindhi

Congress.

Madam Chairperson,

It is a great pleasure to meet the indigenous brothers and sisters, during

this annual pilgrimage, and I extend greetings to all from the people of

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

civilization i.e. Indus Civilization, considered to be about ten thousand

years old, and still surviving in the villages and towns of Sindh.

Now, the worlds oldest surviving civilization is under threat of extinction

from terrorism, cultural dilution, settlement of illegal immigrants,

persecution by the establishment and continuation of military operation

"Operation Blue Fox" 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, Amnesty International Report AI INDEX: ASA 33/05/93, AI

INDEX: ASA 33/01/95, AI INDEX: ISBN 0-86210-245-6, News Statement of 23 May

1996, and Human Rights International Report HRI/SR/05/96.

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, Khadim and Sobho Indhar, Gulloo Machee, Photo Khaskhelli, Niaz

Jatoi. Even the highest court in the family has failed to provide the

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 tan 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.

Rt. Hon Syed Imdad Mohammed Shah, s/o His Excellency G M Syed and former

Leader of Opposition Sindh Assembly, was recently prevented from coming to

Geneva to participate in this session of the Working Group of Indigenous

peoples, as leader of our delegation. He was take off the plane by the

security forces, and told that his name is in the Exit Control List. e

suffers from severe heart condition and was recently admitted to hospital

in Karachi. Even the high court has failed to provide him any relief, and

permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Recently on 29th June 1996, security forces raided the family home of His

Excellency G M Syed in Sann district Dadu Sindh. Opening fire and injuring

many innocent civilians including women and children. Syed Jalal Shah,

grandson of His Excellency G M Syed was also wounded by the bullet and

later treated in a hospital. According to the reports entire town was

sealed off by the security forces and the water supply was also cut off.

Thousands of people, including women and children carrying the holy book,

pleaded with the security forces to stop the raid and lift the blockade.

The security forces responded y opening fire and shelling tear gas on the

peaceful procession, inuring ninety six people and arresting more than 100

innocent civilians, some of whom are still detained without trial.

Madam Chairperson, on my recent 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.

Rape and torture of women, by the security forces and police is common in

Sindh. Last year, a 16 year old girl kuki was raped by two army soldiers in

broad day light in Hyderabad, the second largest city of Sindh. The girl

was admitted to hospital in unconscious state, so far no action has been

taken against the culprits and the family is denied any legal relief.

Recently nine young girls, aged 13 to 16 of Baluch tribe, were kidnapped by

the police in Dadu. Their whereabouts are not known and the families have

tried in vain to achieve their release. We are extremely concerned about

their safety and security and appeal to the Government of Pakistan to

ensure their safety and immediate release.

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.

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 defense 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 continuos 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.

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.

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 numerical 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 the discontent among the people of

Sindh and other areas. This discontent is further enhanced by the lack of

any system which ensures the basic rights to all the people, and the

absence of constitutional protection is evidenced by the Emergency Rule in

Sindh and the continuation of Military Operation, resulting in the blatant

violation of human rights and massacre of innocent people of Sindh.

The people of Sindh have lost faith in the present political system of

Pakistan, as evidenced by the lack of participation in the last elections.

According to the official figures only 16% voted for the ruling party and

only 11% voted for the opposition, whereas 73% 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

indigenous 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.

Immediate measures must be taken to ensure that Sindh & Sindhis continue to

participate in the peace, progress and stability of the region. Anything

less puts the world's oldest surviving civilization at risk of extinction.

I appeal to the Indigenous brothers and sisters for their support in our

peaceful struggle against the neo-colonisation and occupation of our land

and massacre of our people.

Thank you again, Madam Chairperson.