30 August 2024 marked the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. To honour these victims and those speaking out against enforced disappearances, the UNPO provided a platform to amplifying the disappearing voices of unrepresented peoples and nations across the globe.
The UNPO held an online event to discuss the issue of enforced disappearances and transnational repression – particularly how grassroots human rights defenders and activists abroad experience enforced disappearances as a tool for repression used by autocratic regimes. The UNPO welcomed panellists and experts to raise awareness on how enforced disappearances are affecting minorities and indigenous peoples in Pakistan, Crimea, Iran and China. These representatives highlighted how grassroots activists are raising their voices and adapting their activism in the current geopolitical climate and multilateral crisis. Moreover, activists from unrepresented nations and communities are seeing the spaces for human rights defenders and civil society abroad to speak about these violations closing in.
Two young female activists, Mahraang Baloch and Sorath Lohar provided their first-hand experiences as grassroots human rights defenders in Pakistan and the challenges associated with such government repression.
Baloch, speaking as a representative of the Baluch community in Balochistan highlighted her personal experiences in peacefully protesting against state repression in Pakistan where enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are commonly used to prevent public outcry. Baloch emphasised the increase in cases over recent years and the way in which enforced disappearances have become a common tragedy and a prevalent issue in the everyday lives of the Baluch people. For Baloch, it is integral that enforced disappearances are spoken about and that awareness is raised about the ongoing situation in Pakistan.
Sorath Lohar, a member of the Sindh community in Pakistan regularly advocates for the victims of enforced disappearances having been influenced by the enforced disappearance of her own father in 2017. Lohar presented the stark reality of what the Sindhi population experience in Pakistan, with the added challenges that she experiences as a woman speaking out against government repression.
The Crimean Tatars were represented by human rights defender, Tamara Dokhnadze who illustrated the ongoing repression of Crimea – particularly under Russia’s current occupation. In these circumstances, anyone who poses a threat to the Russian regime is at risk, with activists, journalists and those speaking out against the occupation being targets of enforced disappearances. Dokhnadze further discussed the difficulty that activists often face at the international level where it is not uncommon for processes to be long and arduous and at times not yielding any results.
Shima Silavi, who represented the Ahwazi Arabs, provided her personal account of how enforced disappearances affect minorities in Iran. Silavi has been speaking out against enforced disappearances and transnational repression for many years now, following the enforced disappearance of her own father. Through her discussion, it became clear the many barriers that unrepresented nations and peoples face in realising their rights against repressive governments and in international institutions – often with little support or mechanisms available to them in locating their forcibly disappeared relatives.
Gheyyur Kurban, who works with the World Uyghur Congress in Germany, provided useful insights into the ruthless implementation of China’s assimilation policies against the Uyghur community and Tibet. Under these conditions, somewhere between 1.8 million and 3 million individuals have been detained by the Chinese government without any legal basis. Kurban illustrated the unique difficulties associated with China’s power and impunity in the international community, despite more than ten countries recognising China’s repressive policies as crimes against humanity. China’s growing influence has evidently complicated and overshadowed many international commitments and posed a significant challenge to human rights advocates, both on the ground and abroad.
The webinar was concluded by human rights analyst, Adrien Claude-Zoller who provided a brief history of enforced disappearances to demonstrate how this issue is not novel but rather has been taking place since the 1970s. However, Zoller emphasised that what is new is the discussions of enforced disappearances at the international level and the way in which cases may now gradually enter into the UN system. Similarly, at the international level, great powers (like China and Russia) have developed their own tools of repression in this moment of multilateralism and increasing autocratic practices.
While the above paints a rather bleak picture of the global problem of enforced disappearances, this webinar ended on a positive note with each representative recognising the cross community solidarity arising out of their shared experiences. These unrepresented nations and peoples demonstrated the way in which unity can be found among the diverse diasporas – as well as the ways in which they may support one another in achieving justice for their communities and others encountering enforced disappearances. The UNPO recognises the importance of creating spaces for human rights defenders and activists to safely and peacefully speak out against government repression and obtain not only equal participation but to also ensure that basic human rights are protected. In this vein, the UNPO will collaborate with the panellists and organisations to prepare a policy paper presenting and reflecting on a more in depth situation of enforced disappearances and state repression tactics in these different countries.
Watch the full recording of the webinar here and to stay informed about the UNPO’s collaborative policy paper, sign up for our newsletter.
