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Statement of World Sindhi Congress

WSC/08/02 August 1, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HIDAYAT BHUTTO – INFORMATION SECRETARY

World Sindhi Congress participates in United Nation's Sub-Commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Geneva

Geneva, The delegation of the World Sindhi Congress, led by Dr. Rubina Shaikh, Vice Chairperson, is participating in the 52nd Session of UN Sub-Commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held in Geneva (July 31st -August 18, 2000).

During her visit to Geneva, Dr. Shaikh met various UN officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and delegates of several countries participating the session. Dr. Shaikh got an opportunity to submit statements on Item 4(b) (The realization of the right to development), Item 5 (The implementation of human rights with regard to women) and Item 12 (Restoration of Human Rights)
On this Item 4 (b) a statement was read by the Liberation on the construction of Kalabagh Dam on River Indus against the will of people of Sindh, Baluchistan and Pakhtoonkhawa. The Liberation is an Europe based non-governmental organization that has supported anti-colonial movements since last five decades. It frequently speaks in UN forums on behalf of marginalized peoples from all over the world.
On behalf of Liberation Dr. Rubina Shaikh read a statement on Item 5. In her statement Dr. Shaikh spoke about the traditional practices affecting the health of women and girls in Pakistan, Maluka Region, Kurd Region, Sri Lanka and Yemen. Following is the text of the statement.

LIBERATION
52ND SESSION
SUB COMMISSION ON PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
31st July -18th August 2000
Item 4. The realization of the right to development
KALA BAGH DAM PROJECT
Under the military regime, Pakistan is drifting aimlessly from one disaster to another. In its 9 months rule, the mediocre and inept performance of the government has greatly disappointed the people of Pakistan. The people of Sindh have had to suffer in particular, due to inefficient and callous policies of the government. Sindh has faced a record shortage of water, while Punjab harvested a record amount of wheat crop. This imbalance indicates the total breakdown of the federation and fair play.
We are deeply concerned with intentions of the federal government regarding the proposed construction of controversial Kalabagh Dam. Despite rejection of the dam project by environmental and irrigation experts and by three out of the four provinces of Pakistan--namely, Sindh, Baluchistan and Northwest Frontier Province (Pakhtunkwa)--the Government of Pakistan is planning to start this environmentally and ecologically disastrous project. It is clearly stated in EC/CN.4/SUB.2/RES/1999/21) to promote and affirm the rights of indigenous peoples to their lands and resources, in particular, the indigenous and Tribal peoples Convention, 1989 (No.169) OF THE INTERNATIONAL Labour Organisation, Agenda 21 adopted by the UN Conference on Environment and Development and World Bank Operational Directives 4.20.
The Indus River system cannot afford to have any large-scale dam such as Kalabagh Dam. The current flow of the Indus (four out of every five years) is 123.59 Million Acre Foot (MAF)--approximately 15.59 MAF less than what is required to meet the bare minimum needs of four provinces and bare survival of Indus Delta region. Building a Kalabagh Dam with the capacity of approx. 10 MAF would worsen this situation even further. There is simply not enough water to meet additional requirements of the dam. The Kalabagh Dam will create various agro-ecological problems. It will displace thousands of people. It is an unsustainably huge project, which will increase national debt, decrease the net agriculture production and will create food insecurity in the region. Kalabagh Dam will raise the water table and increase water logging in many parts of the country, especially in Sindh and NWFP. It will accelerate the deforestation process in other areas, culminating in land degradation and soil erosion. The dam will adversely affect flora and fauna of the region, leading to the extinction of many species including ‘Palau’ fish, Indus Dolphin, and so forth. It will wipe out the wetlands in Sindh, some of which are internationally protected under Ramser’s Agreement. These wetlands provide a habitat for many plants and animals, including many endangered species. The wetlands also act as a source of replenishment for ground water supplies. Migratory birds, too, will loose their breeding grounds. The Kalabagh Dam will destroy Manchar, Keenjhar, Haleji, Hadero, and Chotiari lakes as well as hundreds of smaller lakes and ponds. The dam will destroy ‘Tarayoon’ in Sindh, along with their habitat, depriving hundreds of thousands of people of their livelihood. There is a complete consensus among peoples of Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP and many parts of Punjab that the proposed Kalabagh Dam is detrimental. This project has been dead on its arrival. It is the most arrogant display of governance and a sad case of irresponsible resource allocation.
LIBERATION
52ND SESSION
SUB COMMISSION ON PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
31st July -18th August 2000

Item 5 (a) Traditional practices affecting the health of women and girls
In considering the implementation of the human rights of women, Liberation whilst concerned with the situation facing by women world wide wish today to put before the commission the situation in following countries:
Pakistan
Significant numbers of women are subjected to violence, abuse, rape, trafficking, and other forms of degradation by their spouses and members of society at large in Pakistan. There are considerable discriminations against women, and traditional social and legal constraints have kept women in a subordinate position in the society.
Female children still lag far behind boys in education, health care, and other social benefits. In many cases, women and girls are abused--sometimes to death--at the hands of their husbands, fathers and brothers, while the authorities merely pay lip service about their obligations to protect women and girls.
In many cases, a girl child goes to Madrassa to get Quranic education only before the age of puberty, whereas a boy child would go to a proper school. If a girl goes to school, her family does not allow her to pursue education after the age of puberty.
According to the medical reports, the majority of women and girls in rural Sindh are suffering from anaemia (iron deficiency). Malnutrition, in general, is a common condition among rural women. Often, due to ignorance, discrimination, and lack for medical resources, a woman's illness does not receive enough attention.
Long physical and mental abuse, polygamy, unwanted marriages, or marriage with Quran (HOLY BOOK) often cause mental sicknesses in Sindhi women. Sickness is found in an alarming number of women who get married at a very early age, in some cases even before puberty. These young women often become pregnant and, due to the lack of community hospitals, they seldom receive medical help – even in emergencies. Dais (quacks) attend of 85% of births. Early age marriage, low nutrition, and almost no gap between childbirth (use of condoms is a big taboo for Sindhi males, and abortion is illegal in Pakistan) constitute the root causes of death during pregnancy.
However closely a woman tries to conform to social norms, she still has to live under the fear of attack. It can come at any time, from men closest to her. She faces death by being shot, burnt, or slaughtered with axes - just for being suspected of having shamed her family in some way. She can be killed for supposedly having an illicit relationship, for attempting to marry a man of her choice, or for divorcing an abusive husband.
In fact, there is every sign that the number of honour killings is increasing, since the perception of what constitutes honour - and what damages it - widens, and since an increasing number of murders as being claimed as honour killings on the correct assumption that they are rarely punished. Also, the number of honour killings has risen parallel to women's increasing awareness about, and tentative assertion of, their rights.
We also condemn the Pakistani Government's negligence in punishing the buying and selling of innocent women in Thar district, Province of Sindh. There is some evidence that human trafficking takes place under the patronage of influential politicians and Government high officials. Regrettably, the current Government has failed to take serious notice of the inhumane practice, and no action has been taken so far against those vendors of humanity.
The Government of Pakistan, despite having ratified article 14 of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (E/CN.4/SUB.2/RES/1999/15), has systematically failed to prevent, investigate, and punish honour killings. The Government has taken no measures to amend the country's discriminatory laws, to remove contradictory legal regimes affecting women's rights, or to ensure gender sensitisation of police and judiciary. We urge the international community to exert pressure on the Government of Pakistan to honour their obligations to protect women under international laws.
And now more briefly we refer to four other regions:
Maluku
Since January 1999, the conflict in the Malukus, Indonesia – fomented by anti-democratic forces intent on undermining the stability of President Wahid’s government - has led to over 4,000 deaths and more than half-a-million refugees. The majority of the refugees are women and children whose homes have been destroyed and who are being forced to exist in mountainous terrain without food and shelter. Many women have been raped children are being badly traumatized by the violence inflicted on them and their families. The situation calls for the Indonesian Government to request urgent international co-operation, preferably from its ASEAN partners, to help solve the crisis, as recently proposed by Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights.

Sri Lanka
Once more we turn to that fact of rape used as a weapon of war by armed forces of Sri Lanka. It has been informed by various resources that rape cases of Tamil women in North – East of the island continue. Taken as an average over the last four years it is said a Tamil woman are raped every 16 days. Therefore, taking court cases for gang rape and murder and not gang rapes where women survive it would appear on these statistics that there have been only 24 cases over the last 4 years.
This information is not new. Liberation is concerned that despite of the fact this issue has been before the commission on numerous occasions this crime continues. Rapes and sexual assaults of Tamil women by Sri Lanka forces must be brought to an end and we urge that special Rapporteur of Violence Against Women urgently deal with these human rights violations in Sri Lanka.
Yemen
The legal status of women in the Republic of Yemen citizenship is poor. In spite of the law of Nationality 6 of 1990 is a perfect example of the voluntary infringement of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Yemini Law of Nationality states in article3 A that Yemini nationality shall be conferred upon “ Children of fathers bearing this nationality. This provision means that children of a male Yemini citizen are automatically conferred the father’s nationality regardless of their place of birth, whether in Yemen or abroad, and, regardless of the nationality of the mother. Yet, the reverse is not true. Yemini citizenship is not conferred upon the children of female Yemini citizen married foreign spouses, whether or not children are born in Yemen. The provision, in short, is blantly discriminatory on the basis of sex.
Kurd
Most of the people in the Refugee Camp in Mahmura, Northern Iraq, are women and children who are suffering serious illness. Sadly this camp belongs to the high Commission of Refugees with only 2 doctors for 8000 people. We ask the United Nations to take immediate actions to protect the health of these women and children.
Looking at this situation of women in these countries Liberation call upon UN to seriously consider weather these crimes should be brought before the international court unless the relevant Governments take adequate action to stop these violations of human rights.