Category Archives: Resistance

Human rights defender Tep Vanny was convicted

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Phnom Penh,Cambodia:

On 23 February 2017, human rights defender Tep Vanny was convicted and sentenced to two and a half years in prison by Phnom Penh Municipal Court for ‘intentional violence with aggravating circumstances’.

Tep Vanny is a land rights activist and human rights defender who works to combat corruption in Cambodia. She played a prominent role in mobilising communities in Boeung Kak Lake to fight against an eviction order agreed between the Government and a private corporation to carry out development plans which would include filling 90% of the lake for domestic and foreign tourists. Tep Vanny is one of the 13 women human rights defenders (the Boeng Kak 13) who were charged and sentenced to 2.5 years imprisonment on 24 May 2012 as a result of their work resisting these development plans.

On 23 February 2017, Tep Vanny was convicted by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for ‘intentional violence with aggravating circumstances’  under Article 218 of the Cambodian Criminal Code and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment. She was found guilty of assaulting security guards during a protest outside the house of Prime Minister Hun Sen in 2013. Her sentence also includes a fine of five million riels (approximately €1,178), and compensation payments to two members of the Daun Penh para-police; four million riels (approximately €942) to the first plaintiff and five million riels (approximately €1,178) to the second plaintiff. During the trial, no credible evidence was presented to justify the charges brought against Tep Vanny. At 8:30 a.m., around sixty supporters of Tep Vanny gathered outside the court. At 9:30 a.m., seven Makara district para-police violently dispersed about thirty-five women and children who were sitting peacefully outside the court. The women and children were forcibly dragged from the area, resulting in three of the women sustaining injuries, two of whom are from the Boeung Kak Lake community.

Tep Vanny had been in pre-trial detention in Prey Sar prison, Phnom Penh since August 2016. On 22 August 2016, she was charged with ‘intentional violence with aggravating circumstances”, regarding her role in a protest outside the house of Prime Minister Hun Sen where she demanded the release of human rights defender Yorm Bopha in 2013.

Front Line Defenders condemns the conviction of Tep Vanny, and the violent dispersal of the peaceful protestors. Front Line Defenders urges the Cambodian authorities to drop all charges against her as it is believed they are solely motivated by her peaceful and legitimate work in defense of human rights in Cambodia, in particular her struggle against forced eviction in Boeng Kak Lake.

LHC issues notices to federal govt over unconstitutional legislature

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The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the federal and Punjab governments in writ petitions challenging the Seed (Amendment) Act, 2015 and the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act, 2016.

The petitions, filed by a Multan-based NGO Sojhla for Social Change through environmental lawyer Ahmad Rafay Alam, were presented before Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.

The petitions contend that the Seed (Amendment) Act, 2015, and the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act, 2016, are unconstitutional, violate fundamental rights, and completely ignore farmers’ rights recognised by Pakistan under various international agreements.

The petitioners contend that Pakistan is a signatory to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Convention on Biological Diversity, both of which recognise and protect farmers’ rights.

Farmers’ rights are traditional rights farmers have on the seeds or the propagating material of plant varieties. This right arises out of the important role farmers around the world have been playing for thousands of years by selecting and conserving varieties of different crop plants that are cultivated for food and/or as cash-crops. During the process of selection, conservation and cultivation, farmers have gained extensive knowledge of each variety and provided the world with invaluable genetic resources which are the foundation of all hybrid and genetically modified varieties being introduced in the market under stringent intellectual property rights held by agrochemical corporations.

In addition, this knowledge base of each variety available with farmers is highly valuable to modern scientific improvement. It makes the contribution of farmers to plant genetic diversity as important as the contribution scientists make by developing modern plant varieties.

Farmers’ rights are therefore recognised and protected under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

The Seed (Amendment) Act, 2015, and Plant Breeders’ Rights Act, 2016, prohibit the handling of seed or registered varieties without licences obtained by the federal government and criminalise contraventions thereof.

The petitions filed by Sojlha for Social Change contend such provisions violate the principles of farmer’s rights and that parliament could not legislate on the subject of seeds or plant breeders’ rights as these were provincial subjects after the 18th Amendment, meaning thereby that only provincial assemblies could legislate on the subject.

“When the first opportunity to protect farmer’s rights recognised under an international treaty presented itself, the parliament chose to make a law totally ignoring farmers in preference for seed companies”, said Ahmad Rafay Alam, counsel for Sojlha for Social Change.

A major force behind this petition is the activism undertaken by the leadership of a national small and landless farmers’ platform, the Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT).

Only a few weeks ago, the Lahore High Court issued notices on similar writ petitions filed by Advocate Sheraz Zaka challenging the same two acts.

The court will now hear the connected petitions together on November 17, 2017.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/01/10/lhc-issues-notices-to-federal-govt-over-unconstitutional-legislature/

 

SAVE OUR HOMES! PROTESTERS DECRY LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD DUE TO DAM CONSTRUCTION

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The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2016.

KARACHI: The Sindh government and Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company’s (SECMC) plan to construct a dam on agricultural land drove residents of Ghorani village in Islamkot Tehsil to tears on Monday.

Protesters such as Sita Bai pleaded to the government not to take away their livelihoods during a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club. She said that she and her fellow villagers had been on the road, fighting for their rights for 17 consecutive days.

Leela Ram and Ravi Shankar, who have been leading the protest in Islamkot and Karachi, told The Express Tribune, “We don’t have any political agenda, rather it’s a question of our children and that our coming generations are going to be affected by this toxic water dam.”

Ram explained that the toxic water from the Thar coalfields will be amassed in the dam being built by the government on private and cultivable landholdings rather than on deserted ones in the same area.

The resident alleged that the proposed 2,700-acre dam will harm their pattern of living and damage the local ecosystem of the area.

According to other protesters, who were shouting slogans, the toxic water dam being constructed in Thar Block-II by SECMC is a grave injustice to the people of the area.

Fifteen villages with a population of 15,000 people will be affected by the construction of the dam, as the area of some of the villages will be submerged once the dam is constructed while others will have to deal with seepage, claimed the villagers. Agricultural land and around 20,000 livestock will also suffer.

They asserted that unlike most villages in Tharparkar desert, theirs is rich, with about 200,000 trees, 20 potable water wells, natural ponds and five historical graveyards – all of which will be affected by the dam.

Junaid Kumar said that their elected representatives do not care about their plight or their future. “This is the first time we celebrated Diwali while protesting on the road,” he lamented.

Another protester, Lakho Bheel, said they do not want to halt construction of the damn but they are demanding the authorities change the location of the dam to an area where there is no cultivatable land or population.

“We are patriotic and must not be considered to be against the development of our area by coal exploration,” maintained Shankar. He added that his people were certainly not against the prosperity of the area.

He demanded the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the chief minister of Sindh and the chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party to take notice of the dam. Otherwise, he warned, they will continue to protest indefinitely.

The SECMC, a joint venture of the Sindh government and Engro Powergen Limited, plans to produce 3,960 megawatts (MW) of electricity through four 330MW and four 660MW plants.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1223702/save-homes-protesters-decry-loss-livelihood-due-dam-construction/

Farmers Reject GM Cotton/BT Cotton

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Press Release

August 31, 2016

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Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) and Roots for Equity had organized a protest rejecting the promotion of Bt/GM in Punjab, Pakistan in front of Lahore Press Club. Farmers from various districts from Punjab participated in the protest.

Addressing to the protest PKMT secretary Wali Haider told that government is pursuing policies that advocate the production of genetically-engineered cotton; a policy which would ultimately allow hegemonic transnational seed companies such as Monsanto to take control and dictate the total agricultural cotton policy and production in the province, which surely will also spread to other provinces. The Amended Seed Act, 2015 has already been passed that was the first step in aggressively promoting hybrid and GM cotton; the next step is the passing of the Plant Breeders Rights Act, which is already in the final stage of approval in the National Assembly. All of these initiative are there to protect intellectual property rights of the TNCs in result Bt cotton business will have a legal cover.

PKMT firmly reasserts farmers collective right to seed, its free exchange among farmers; it is the farmers who have bred, preserved and passed on the genetic material of seed over many millennia and we will not allow profit-hungry corporations to control the most basic agricultural input – critical for maintaining life on our planet. The agro-chemical mega-corporations that thrive on ‘selling’ lies about higher yields has gained super profits while leaving farmers reeling under multi-pronged crises from suicidal debt, to ever-increasing cost of production, pests and super bugs infestation, falling yields, and destroyed lands and lives. Bt-cotton cultivation is a diabolical attack that will replace/reduce wheat production, the most critical food crop that ensures food security of the small and landless farmers.

According to PKMT National Coordinator Raja Mujeeb, Bt-cotton was initially illegally imported to Pakistan, has time and again wrecked havoc in the cotton fields of the country – last year’s very low cotton yields is testament. According to a research study by International Research on Cancer, Glysophate can probably cause cancer in human. This chemical is used extensively in Monsanto’s herbicide “Round-up Ready.”

PKMT Punjab coordinator, Zahoor Joya emphases that GM technology is being resisted by a vast number of countries across the World, including in very advanced countries such as France and Germany; in such an environment, where Pakistan does not have enough expertise to evaluate this technology, promotion of GM crops can result in many disasters impacting our environment, biodiversity, health and food security. The certified Monsanto seeds in India have already faced a failure creating havoc in the lives of farmers there. In this scenario, the Government must step back and put its efforts in promoting agroecological practices in the production of cotton which would yield high quality cotton. This has a vast market abroad and in the country and would ensure not only a livelihood for farmers but improve the health of the people and our agricultural land.

PKMT demands that instead of promoting TNCs interest and GM crops, the government must put a moratorium on GM technology so that national genetic resources, environment, biodiversity and most importantly right to seed for farmers can be protected.

Released by: Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT)

Urdu Press Release

BT Cotton Press Release Lahore 31-08-2016 copy

BT Cotton Dawn

BT Cotton Jurat News copy BT Cotton Pakistan Newspdf copy

Hungarians Just Destroyed All Monsanto GMO Corn Fields

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hungarians-just-destroyed-all-monsanto-gmo-corn-fields

Hungary has taken a bold stand against biotech giant Monsanto and genetic modification by destroying 1000’s of acres of corn found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds, according to Hungary deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar.

Unlike many European Union countries, Hungary is a nation where genetically modified (GM) seeds are banned. In a similar stance against GM ingredients, Peru has also passed a 10 year ban on GM foods.

“Almost 1000 acres of maize found to have been planted with genetically modified seeds have been destroyed throughout Hungary, deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar said.

The GMO corn has been ploughed under, said Lajos Bognar, but pollen has not spread, he added.

Unlike several other EU members, GMO seeds are banned in Hungary. The inspections will continue despite the fact that traders are obliged to make sure that their products are GMO free, Bognar said.

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During the invesigation, controllers have found Monsanto products among the seeds planted.

The free movement of goods within the EU means that authorities will not investigate how the seeds arrived in Hungary, but they will check where the goods can be found, Bognar said. Regional public radio reported that the two biggest international seed producing companies are affected in the matter and GMO seeds could have been sown on up to the thousands of hectares in the country.

“Most of the local farmers have complained since they just discovered they were using GMO seeds.” said globalresearch.ca

As of May 2015, Hungary had not responded to the new EU legislation making GMOs legal in all countries unless they specifically opt out. Germany looks like they may opt out. Scotland has opted out within the UK.

GMO seeds are not considered worrisome and dangerous simply because they are modified, but it is that they are modified to handle massive doses of glyphosate (Roundup), and not die.  They are made to take baths in the chemical herbicide that is so dangerous for human consumption, and it is the fear that the buildup of glyphosate within crops is a potential cause for the recent rapid increase in autism, cancers, and other long-term developing illnesses.  The company Monsanto has been so aggressive legally to cover up any public ill, believed to be hushing farmers, buying off segments of the government and paying off scientists in the U.S. that it is hard for anyone to know what logistical data has been soured, and what truths to believe.  It has become easier for countries like Hungary to plow under the crop than to try to disseminate between what is fact and what is farse with Monsanto’s disastrous reputation and communication failures.

There is also the factor that when Monsanto seeds are found to be present on land, they fight for ownership of those seeds, and consider them as patent infringement, theft, or whatever you want to call it.  Rather than fight the giant in court every time their seeds blow into a field, it’s easier to wipe them off the map.

Source: www.offgridquest.com | Original Post Date: August 30, 2015

Plants Breeders Right Bill: Farmer Shackling Law

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Press Release

IMG-20160812-WA0008

During the press conference PKMT national coordinator Raja Mujeeb, provincial coordinator sindh Ali Nawaz Jalbani, national core group member Hakim Gul and district coordinator ghotki Ali Gohar speaking to the media.

August 12, 2016

The Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) on August 9, 2016 approved the ‘Plant Breeders Bill 2016’ which had earlier in the year already been approved by the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Division; the draft bill will be now be presented before the National Assembly for approval.

Implementation of the Plant Breeders Rights Bill, like the Amended Seed Act, 2015 is dictated by the World Trade Organization (WTO) under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual property rights (TRIPS) Agreement.  The TRIPs agreement makes it mandatory for the government to provide intellectual property rights (IPRs) on new varieties of plants and seeds. In essence, the Plant Breeders Right’s Act provides monopolistic control to IPR holders of the new varieties of plants or seed prohibiting their use and sale to all others without permission.

The Plant Breeders Act’s is delivered through an ‘effective’ sui generis system or through patents or a combination of both and thus provides mechanisms for plant variety owner to seek IPRs over their plant varieties in each country where they want commercial use of the variety.

The Plant Breeder Right Act basically takes away a centuries old right of farmers to saving and exchanging seed. With gigantic seed corporations such as Monsanto and Syngenta holding intellectual property rights over seeds, the country will on one hand, face serious food insecurity and on the other, loose its sovereignty allowing transnational corporations to dictate food and agricultural production in the country. The royalties paid for IPRs will result in massive seed prices, and farmers already reeling under the steeply rising production costs will face further impoverishment. There is no doubt that the approval of this Bill is equivalent to pushing farmers out of the agricultural sector, reducing them to the status of beggars, a life of misery and humiliation.

Genetically modified seeds (GMOs) are based on genetic engineering (GE) of living organisms including seed and animals and is against evolution of life in nature; the commodification of nature, environmental pollution and further destruction of biodiversity through GMOs is a threat to the entire humanity and goes far beyond ethical dictates of society. It is due to the above reasons and potential health risks associated to GMOs that many countries across the globe have banned GM seed and crops.

Some members of the Standing Committee on NFS&R have shown strong reservations against the bill. According to them, the while the Bio Safety Committee under the Ministry of Climate Change has been given the responsibility for issuing certification on GMOs but lacks expertise on this matter. Pakistan has not undertaken any research and analysis on GE crops and their impacts, which is absolutely against international law on this issue.

Based on the above, Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek, an alliance of small and landless farmers and Roots for Equity strongly reject the Plant Breeders Rights Bill demanding first, a complete elimination of the role of foreign seed companies in agricultural production and second, any further decision making in this context to be based on inclusion and decision making role of farmers’ organizations.

Released by Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT)

Urdu Press Release

Plant Breeder Right Act 12 aug 16 copy

PROTESTERS WARN OF CLOSURE AS PQA SEES $9.6M ROYALTY COMING

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Business Recorder, April 19, 2016

Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Monday marked the 15th day of a protest demonstration hundreds of dock workers are carrying out at Port Qasim against the privatisation of two berths at the port’s Marginal Wharf.

While authorities at the ministry and port concerned appear to be completely indifferent to the potentially serious law and order situation, the “so-far-peaceful” agitation, the dockers warn, may anytime lead to (forced) closure of the country’s second largest seaport.

PQA Chairman Agha Jan Akhtar doubts accuracy of the “exaggerated” figure, as labor leader Hussain Badshah claims to have been leading about 1,757 dockers protesting, since April 3, the privatization and ultimate conversion of berths number 3 and 4 into a coal terminal.

“This is the matter of life and death for us as our families, about 15000 souls, depend on these berths for their sustenance,” Badshah, general secretary of Collective Bargaining Agent of Workers Union of Port Qasim, told Business Recorder.

From April 3 to 10, he said, the labourers had protested at Karachi Press Club and had then been staging a sit-in at National Highway near Port Qasim. “Hunger strike is the next step which we, the leaders of a seven-union coalition, would decide upon soon,” the worker said.

Claiming to have the backing of politicians from PML-N and PPP, the labourer said while 9.5 meter draught at berths number 1 and 2 had practically rendered the two facilities worthless in terms of ship handling, the remaining 3 and 4 were being rented out by the PQA.

“Even at 3 and 4 ships of 45,000MT can be handled. They may like to dredge the berths or privatize 1 and 2,” he suggested. Badshah claimed that Dock Worker Registration of Employment Act 1974 provided the employment of dock workers at the country’s seaports. “Be it at Karachi or Port Qasim”.

“All the 1757 labourers have PQA-issued identity cards that we call Worthy Cards,” he said.

What seems alarming is the fact that PQA chief Agha Jan Akhtar tends to treat the issue with an “iron hand” and uses words like “Bhatta” (extortion) while referring to Karachi Dock Labour Board at Karachi Port. “I have been handling things here with an iron hand for last four years,” he told Business Recorder.

“At PQA we don’t have any KDLB or any law legalizing it. We are a landlord port having no labour,” the chairman maintained.

The retired civil serviceman, recently been contracted to stay on PQA’s helm for two more years, thinks more in financial than humanitarian terms while dealing with the matter, which certainly would lead to joblessness in the poverty-stricken country.

“The privatization of berths number 5, 6 and 7 to QICT fetches us Rs1.5 billion only on account of royalty. Other heads added, it is going to stand at Rs 5 billion this year,” Agha said.

Similarly, he said, PQA’s annual average income during last five years from the two controversial berths ranged between Rs 90 and Rs 110 million.

“Since port’s inception in 1970s these seven berths are there. The said four berths are so old that these would collapse if we dredged them,” he explained.

However, when rented out to, what Agha said, a power generation firm, the two berths are estimated to generate for PQA $9.6 million or Rs 1 billion yearly.

“Like $ 2.29 per ton at PIBT (Pakistan International Bulk Terminal), they would pay us $ 2.40,” he said adding the proposed coal terminal, apart from PIBT, would cater to at least four million metric tons of imported coal for at least 3620 megawatts coal-fired power generation plants: 1320MW of Sahiwal, 1200MW of Jamshoro, 660MW of Lucky Cement, 110MW of Fauji Foundation and 330MW of Siddique Sons.

“Now tell me, what is better for us, the 1700 workers generating Rs 110 million only or at least Rs 1 billion these two berths would fetch us post privatization,” the chairman asked.

Tuesday is likely to see some breakthrough in the weeklong standoff between dockers and port authorities as Badshah said he was scheduled to meet the tough-talking PQA chief.

http://epaper.brecorder.com/2016/04/19/21-page/752451-news.html

OVER 4,000 OKARA TENANTS BOOKED FOR ‘INJURING POLICE’

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Dawn, April 19th, 2016

Aslam Pracha

OKARA: The Saddar and Cantt police on Monday registered separate cases against more than 4,000 tenants, including 155 nominated.

On the report of Saddar Station House Officer Inspector Abdullah Yousuf, a first information report was registered against more than 2,000 unidentified tenants of military farms with 96 of them nominated, including Abdul Jabbar, Asghar Ali, Muhammad Munir, Nadeem Abbas, Ghulam Ali, Muhammad Siddique and Muhammad Ashraf.

The case was registered under sections 324, 353, 436, 186, 337L2, F2, 290, 291, 148, 149 of the PPC, 16 MPO and 7 ATA.

It was alleged the tenants tried to block GT Road and spread panic in the area by firing indiscriminately that injured lady constables Malka Zahra, Aliya, sub-inspectors Akbar Javed and Saeed Khan and constables Arshad and Tauseef.

Similarly, on the report of Cantt Station House Officer Ashraf Qureshi, a case was registered against 2,000 unidentified tenants of whom 59 were nominated, including Abdus Sattar Chaman, Ghulam Ali, Asghar, Hasnain Ahmad, Yousuf, Ashraf, Haji Latif and Siddiq.

The case was registered under sections 427, 324, 155, 154, 353, 186, 504, 426, 148 and 149 of the PPC, 16 MPO, Arms Ordinance 13/20/65 and 7 ATA.

They were alleged to have damaged police vehicles, displayed weapons and fired indiscriminately and set crops on fire.

Meanwhile, the Anjumn Mazareen Punjab (AMP) withdrew their protest call given over the arrest of their General Secretary Mehr Abdul Sattar.

This was announced by AMP Media Adviser Noor Nabi while talking to this correspondent by phone on Monday evening.

He said during a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Monday, AMP activists along with human rights activists had decided they would protest against the arrest of Sattar the schedule of which was to be chalked out soon. He said they would not be protesting now in Okara and the call had been withdrawn.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1253058/over-4000-okara-tenants-booked-for-injuring-police

March 29 Day of the Landless

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Press Release:

 NO TO LAND GRAB!

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) and Roots for Equity along with Asian Peasant Coalition and other Asian organizations has celebrated the Global Day of the Landless under the theme “Heighten the struggle against global land grabbing! Resist Imperialist Plunder on Land and Resources!” This day marks the struggles of millions of farmers across the globe who have been evicted forcefully. A vast majority of these evicted farmers are those who lived in these lands for many generations.

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To mark the Day of the Landless, PKMT held a protest in front of the Lahore Press Club on March 29, 2016. At the protest, Raja Mujeeb, National Coordinator, PKMT stated that thousands of farmers across Pakistan were facing forceful evictions faced because of the ongoing land grab prompted by the Pakistani government for promoting corporate agriculture, free trade zones and so called development projects. Farmers from many districts of Punjab participated in the protest including farmers from Rakh Azmat Wala, Rajanpur who face forcefully eviction from lands they have tilled for nearly a century.  Tariq Mehmood, Khyber Pakhtunkwa (KPK) Provincial Coordinator, PKMT stated that the KPK government has issued notifications in Hattar, Haripur to evict farmers from 1,000 acres of land for the development of Hattar Economic Zone. These farmers had been tilling this land for many decades and the notification will result in at least a thousand families to be evicted forcefully. According to Hakim Gul, Sindh PKMT member, the Sindh government had also embarked on similar imperialist land grab policies –huge chunks of land is being allotted to foreign corporations for corporate agriculture and building energy power plants.

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Zahoor Joya, Punjab Provincial Coordiantor PKMT stated that the Punjab government and their touts were forcefully evicting the farmers of Rakh Azmat Wala in Rajanpur. These farmers since March 2015 have not been allowed to sow any crops; it is tragic that instead of giving state land to the landless, the state is deliberately taking away land from settled farming communities. Kabir Khan a member of the Committee Rakh Azmat, representing the farmers from Rakh Azmat Wala, stated: “We have not been able to grow wheat, our food crop for two seasons and cash crops such as cotton and tobacco which are our only means of livelihood. At the same time, our livestock is also dying from hunger and thirst. All because the state is not allowing us to grow crops and fodder on our own lands.” Other Committee Rakh Azmat members elaborated that the British in the 1920s had promised them land entitlements to this land which their ancestors had converted to tillable land; false promises that were continued over the decades – even the current government officials had promised land entitlement in lieu of votes. But after their government was formed they have actually conspired to snatch 3581 acres of land from Rakh Azmat Wala community to give to foreign corporations and powerful political families.

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Today, due to land grab, thousands of evicted farmers in Pakistan are facing loss of livelihood, hunger and misery. Land, instead of being provided to the landless is being handed over to corporations and foreign investments. PKMT and Committee Rakh Azmat demands that the Punjab Government should immediately put a stop to steps being taken for evicting the Rakh Azmat farmers. In addition, the act of land evictions from the entire country should be stopped and instead equitable land distribution should be carried out in order to attain food sovereignty and national sovereignty.

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Released by Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek and Committee Rakh Azmat Wala;

Urdu Press Release

29 March Landless Day Urdu Press Release

News Paper Coverage Links

http://e.thenews.com.pk/lahore/3-30-2016/page14.asp

http://e.jang.com.pk/03-30-2016/lahore/pic.asp?picname=02_01.jpg

http://e.dunya.com.pk/index.php?e_name=LHR&edate=2016-03-30&page=9

http://lahore.ausaf.pk/?p=14285

http://dailypakistan.com.pk/E-Paper/Lahore/2016-03-30/page-9/detail-4

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Tragedy of Infant mortality from drought in Thar

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Press Release

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) while addressing a protest on the issue of malnutrition and child mortality in Thar due to lack of food. The protestors expressed serious concern over the dreadful situation of Thar. Leaders of PKMT said that New Year comes with the promises of happiness in the world but in Thar, a district of Sindh, comes with reports of hunger, poverty, malnutrition and death which added difficulties in the life of Thar residents.

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Estimation of infant mortality is calculated from the records of public hospitals while there is no record of deaths from remote areas. It should be clarify that the so called nominal aid is only able to reach just around Mithi and other tehseel’s headquarters while waiting children of suburbs died without getting assistance. Much of the deaths are accounted for the reasons of food shortage.

It is clear that drought and lack of food are neither spontaneous nor impossible to solve. As in previous years, this year government again claimed that the crisis in Thar is not related to malnutrition and lack of food but the children deaths due to pneumonia and other diseases while facts told quite another story. National Federation Survey showed 70 percent of mothers are suffering from vitamin A deficiency in Sindh, almost half of children failed to develop their mental and physical stability and 40% of children weighs less than their age. According to the World Food Program most of Tharparker’s population suffers from food insecurity that has been living on food shortage. Nutritional deficiencies among women and children reduced immunity then they are easily prone to disease. These facts clearly show that poverty, unemployment and food scarcity are the main causes of Thar issue, leading child mortality and other complexities.

‘Some NGOs have started various activities to address nutritional deficiencies in children’ for PKMT ‘this is not the permanent and sustainable solution of this issue’. According to locals, once 50kg of wheat’s sack in three or five months provided by the provincial government doesn’t solve of their hunger, poverty, starvation and many other problems. They want that decent jobs to fulfill their nutritional needs. Drought has caused the extinction of animal fodder and many lost their cattle & livestock which were the main sources of getting food.

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Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) believes that the foundations of this crisis due to unfair distribution of wealth in society where the weakest class is deprived of employment because of not having access to productive resources. Majority of farmers do not have their own land which is the major cause and needs permanent solution. PKMT demands permanent transfer of power to the country’s poor majority through just and equitable distribution of land because this is the only durable solution to food insecurity and livelihood.

PKMT strongly demands comprehensive, genuine and practical steps to tackle the crises of food and unemployment in Tharparkar as soon as possible.

23 march 16 press releas sukkur urdu2 copy 23 march 2016 pr sindhi1 copy