Bombardment of Balochistan, Iran, on 11, 12, 13 October 08 by Iranian forces

Reza Hossein Borr

After visiting his uncle, Nader Baloch began walking towards his home. He saw a huge smoke and fire was coming from the neighborhood where he lived with his parents. As he moved closer he realised that the smoke was coming from his own home. A large number of people gathered in the neighborhood. The Iranian security forces had surrounded his home to arrest his brother but since they found the iron door locked, the security forces climbed over the roof and poured few gallons of oil from the chimney in the main room and set fire on it. His parents, sisters and brothers were there when it was set on fire. All of them were burned to death as if they were in hell.

Some of the people, who knew the family, took Nader away to comfort him. He was 17 years old at that time. He took the death of his parents and sisters and brothers with considerable grace and dignity. While he was shaking quietly he watched his home and his family burning. When it was all over, one of his relatives took him to his own home and kept him there for few nights. Everything he had was gone. Nothing left except a burnt home and a burning desire to take revenge.

He left after a few days to find the People's Resistance Movement of Iran . He joined them without hesitation. He participated in as many military training as he could get. What he had seen when his family was burnt and when he watched several members of his tribe who were hanged in the main streets of the city, made him a person of Iron will.

His older brother was a university student. His parents worked very hard to pay for his tuition and expenses. One day he was summoned to university security department. He was accused of participating in printing and distributing a statement which revealed discrimination against Baloch students. He asserted that there were institutionalized discrimination against Baloch students and then referred to the official statistics of universities which demonstrated that there were less than 2000 Baloch students in the province of Baluchistan while there were 73,000 students in its universities. He said the majority of the Baloch children were not allowed to go to universities and the government deliberately brought students from other provinces into Baluchistan. This statement was enough to fire him from the university.

He protested against his dismissal. He wrote letters of complaint to the governor and all other high officials of the country. He believed that he can get back his university seat by civil campaign. His letters to high officials were referred to the security forces for examination. The security forces forged some accusations against him that he was a member of armed groups. They attacked his home to arrest him. This was how Nader's brother was burnt to death.

Nader's case is a typical case of thousands of Baloch people . They get discriminated against and when they protest they will be accused of being members of gangs of drug traffickers or armed groups. Whoever has raised his voice against any government official in Baluchistan has been accused of being a member of a rebel group or drug trafficking gang.

Yaqoub Mehrnehad who was the first weblog writer in Iran that was executed by the Islamic Republic of Iran was the leader of a civil society association in Balochistan. He was a great supporter of civil and peaceful campaigning. He encouraged armed groups to throw away their weapons and join the Iranian civil society. He was arrested and executed few months ago. The dissidents in Baluchistan have been executed after being falsely accused of drug trafficking or armed robbery . All of them have showed symptoms of severe torture.

It was in such circumstances that the People's Resistance Movement of Iran, Jondollah, began its armed struggle few years ago. The relatives of the most of the members were victimized by the Islamic Republic of Iran on fabricated charges and executed in public. Now this organization is the leading rebel group in Baluchistan seeking the rights of the Baloch and all Iranians in a democratic system. It is well organised and extremely disciplined. It has carried out successfully several armed attack on the Iranian security forces. Its attacks have been 100% successful. There is no another guerilla group with such high level of success. There has never been.

One group of its military wing was on their way to a mission when they suddenly came face-to-face with a large number of security forces on 11 October 08. As Nowrouzi, the spokesman of the Iranian security forces, announced a full war began between the two sides which continued for three days. The security forces who realised they were fighting very skilful fighters demanded support and hundreds of revolutionary guards were sent to the conflict zone between Zahedan and Kerman . Kobra helicopters of revolutionary guards were immediately summoned to bombard the area. Dozens of villages were destroyed. Thousands of sheep, cows, camels and goats were killed. A large number of people who lived in the area left their homes and escaped. Dozens of them were killed.

The war between the two sides ended after three days. People's Resistance Movement of Iran claimed that 100 members of the security forces have been killed. They also claimed that they shot down one helicopter. The following picture indicates the credibility of their claim.

This helicopter was shot down on 12 October, 08 in the North-West of Balochistan.

They also announced that four members of their group have been keen killed. The security forces tried to black out the news about the event. After a few days they announced that there was a major armed clash with Baloch forces and released the pictures of four members of the PRMI, Jondollah, that were killed. They are believed to be among top military commanders. The pictures clearly showed that they have been ruthlessly killed. There were ropes around their necks and it was clear that they have been drugged around by cars. It was not clear whether they were drugged before or after they were killed.

There have been many cases in the past where the security forces tied up Baloch young men at the back of their cars and drugged them in the main roads and streets of different cities to create maximum fear among the public. One such case created a huge revolt in Sarawan few years ago in which dozens of people were killed and dozens disappeared.

The bombardment of the area was conducted so ruthlessly that a large part of the region was burned completely. These pictures clearly show the fire of bombardment has destroyed everything in its vicinity.

Bombardment of Balochistan, Iran, on 11, 12, 13 October 08 by Iranian security forces.

The great minds of Baloch people will never be subdued, but rise over even such events.

Reza Hossein Borr is an NLP Master Trainer and a leadership consultant and the creator of 150 CDs and 14 Change management models. He is also the author of Manual Success, Manual of Coaching and Mentoring, Motivational Stories that Can Change Your Life, and a New Vision for the Islamic World. He can be contacted by email: sarawani@aol.com www.rezaaa.com