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26 security officers were killed in Baluchistan

Reza Hossein Borr - 2/5/2009

26 security officers were killed in Baluchistan in two separate incidents, Iranian officials sites reported. The first incidents was organised by People's Resistance Movement of Iran, Jondollah, in Sarawan on 20th of January. Jondollah reported in a statement that this operation was conducted to prevent supplies of arms and ammunitions to a military base near the border of Pakistan. This base is used for operations against Baluch fighters in the area between Sarawan and Zahedan. Jondollah claimed that they have used two roadside bombs to explode two cars which were loaded by ammunitions and arms. 14 security guards were killed in this operation.

The second incidents happened near Zahedan, the capital of Baluchistan on 25th Jan 09 in which 12 members of security forces died. The incidents happened when a group of Baluch guerrilla fighters ambushed several cars that were carrying logistics to their headquarters near the border between Iran and Pakistan. The Baluchistan Branch of the Organization of Iranian Fighters took the responsibility for this event.

This organization is also stated that these operations were intended to prevent further daily executions of Baluch people in different provinces of country. The Islamic Republic of Iran usually transfers the Baluch prisoners into other provinces and executes them for fabricated charges of drug trafficking.

No Baluch fighters was reported to be killed in these incidents while human rights organizations reported that the Iranians regime hanged 30 Iranians in five days. Most of the political prisoners that were executed or hanged were from Baluchistan or Kurdistan. The hanging of Kurdish and Baluch political activists and human rights organisers has been increased recently in Iran.

At the same time Iranian media reported that 24000 Shia missionaries have been dispatched to the Sunni areas of Baluchistan to convert Sunni people into Shia. This act has infuriated the Baluch and Sunni people all over Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran designed the policy of Sunni conversions into Shia since the beginning of the revolution. So far they have not been successful in converting a large number of Sunnis. A handful of poor people have been bribed to become Shia. They have been given accommodation, some money and jobs. While 70 percent of the people in the province of Zanjan which is inhibited by Shias are living under poverty line, the government of Iran is spending a lot of money to bribe the Sunnis into Shiism. The newly converted Shias would be given some privileges for a short time and then they would be recruited by the Iranians security forces to spy on their community. Few of the newly Shia converts were killed as a result of their spying for the government.

As the confrontation between Baluch armed forces and Iranian security forces continue, the social environment in Baluchistan has become tenser. The Iranian government is also dismissing the Baluch workers from their jobs. They are not employing any educated Baluch people. The government is not creating any jobs; at that the same time they are closing the Borders to prevent border trading between Iran and Pakistan. As the Baluch people are completely deprived of governmental and bureaucratic jobs in Iran they have no any alternative but seeking border trading which is usually the exchange of foodstuff.

According to the official statistics of Iran, 76 percent of the Baluch people live under poverty line. Increasing unemployment and poverty motivate a large number of Baluch young people to fight for justice and equality opportunities. Since civil campaigning is not permitted in Baluchistan, most of these young men turn to armed groups to seek justice.

The Baluch people have chosen to get killed in the battlefield honorably with the Iranian security forces rather than surrendering to death by starvation; a policy the Iranian government has been implementing in Baluchistan. There is a saying in Baluchi which means living in poverty and misery is not worth living if you are pushed in it. What is worth, is the living of your choice with pride in freedom.