A Global Call to Remember and Resist: The Baloch Yakjehti Committee has announced that January 25 will be observed as Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day, urging Baloch communities across the world to remember victims and highlight long-standing grievances from Balochistan. According to reports published by The Balochistan Post, the initiative seeks to draw international attention to decades of violence, enforced disappearances, and systemic repression faced by the Baloch people. The announcement reflects growing efforts by activists to frame these experiences within a broader human rights narrative and to mobilize global solidarity.
The committee has emphasized that genocide should not be understood only as large-scale killings. In its statement, the organization described genocide as a slow and systematic process that gradually erodes a people’s identity, culture, and way of life. This perspective highlights how denial of basic rights, economic marginalization, and cultural suppression can be as destructive as overt violence. By defining genocide in this broader sense, the group aims to make visible forms of suffering that often remain ignored in international discourse.
According to the statement, communities targeted because of their identity face a wide range of abuses. These include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, lack of access to healthcare, economic exploitation, and deep psychological trauma. Reports referenced by The Balochistan Post describe how these practices have created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in many parts of Balochistan. The committee argues that such conditions are not accidental but are rooted in long-term structural policies that deprive local populations of resources, representation, and dignity.
The violence against the Baloch people, as described by the committee, began when they were first targeted due to their ethnic and political identity. Over time, this targeting evolved into repeated military operations and systemic discrimination. The organization states that repression has intensified in recent years, affecting not only men but also women and children. This historical framing is intended to show continuity rather than isolated incidents, reinforcing the claim that the issue is deeply embedded in the region’s political history.
The date January 25 holds particular significance because it marks the anniversary of a grim discovery in 2014. On that day, more than one hundred mutilated bodies of forcibly disappeared Baloch youths were found in a mass grave in the Tootak area of Balochistan. The committee links Remembrance Day directly to this event, presenting it as a symbol of the wider pattern of disappearances and killings. For families of the victims, the date represents both loss and a demand for truth and accountability.
Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day was first formally declared at a gathering held in January 2024 in Quetta. The announcement marked an attempt to institutionalize remembrance within the community and to establish a recurring platform for advocacy. However, the group reported that events organized last year in Dalbandin faced restrictions, including harassment of participants, disruption of communication networks, and legal cases filed against organizers. These challenges were cited as evidence of shrinking space for peaceful expression.
The committee has described the current situation as a dark phase characterized by authoritarian practices. It claims that public leaders are being imprisoned, peaceful assemblies are restricted, and the number of killings and disappearances is rising. By using this language, the group seeks to convey urgency and to encourage international observers to pay closer attention to developments in Balochistan.
To mark January 25, the organization has called on Baloch people both inside Balochistan and in the diaspora to organize protests, seminars, cultural programs, and media campaigns. It has encouraged engagement with diplomats, human rights activists, and journalists to ensure wider visibility. The committee also stated that awareness materials would be shared through its platforms and that local units have been instructed to document cases and maintain contact with affected families.
Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day is presented not only as a moment of mourning but also as a call to collective action. By framing their experiences within global human rights language, activists hope to break isolation and build international pressure. Whether these efforts lead to tangible change remains uncertain, but the initiative underscores the determination of a community to preserve memory, assert identity, and demand justice in the face of prolonged adversity.
