Hotline Asia Urgent Appeals -- SUA030512(4)

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Summary

At the command of their officers, law enforcers baton-charged and allegedly fired on, hundreds of Okara military farm tenants who arranged a sit-in protest on 5 May against the arrest of nine colleagues. At least six people, including five women, were injured. According to a local newspaper, on the next day, the Okara police registered cases against more than 80 tenants of the Okara farms in Punjab province, under various laws including the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 for allegedly disrupting peace, shooting of the personnel of law enforcing agencies, and inciting people against the government.

Earlier on the night of 1 May 2003, law enforcement agencies had raided the houses of tenants at Chak (village) # 9-4/L and took five people away by force. They were kept in prison for six days without any reasons being given before being released. The next day, four other tenants from Chak # 4-4/L were arrested when they came to the vegetable market n the town. It was reported that they were charged after a few days and therefore not released. After the sit-in protest, many more have continued to be arrested.

It is believed that these are efforts to pressure tenants into accepting the status of their leases instead of fighting for their land right.

Action Requested

Please write polite letters to express your concern about these continuous arrests and harassment of tenants and urge the authorities to:

1. Immediately release the four tenants arrested on 2 May and all subsequent related arrests;

2. Stop harassing the tenants through raids, arrests and laying false charges against them; and

3. Ensure that an investigation is conducted into the arrests and injuries caused by violence against peaceful assemblies of tenants.

Sample Letter

Background

Okara military farms in Punjab province of Pakistan are state owned lands operated under the administration of the military. These farms have been tilled by landless farmers for more than a century. In 1999, the Pakistan government promised to allot lands to the landless tenant farmers, who began to work for their legal rights in 2000. However they were met with brutal repression including an attempt to alter their tenure arrangement on their farms, further affecting their already difficult livelihood. Various conflicts, violence and arrests have occurred as the tenants refuse to give up their struggle for land ownership, while the administration continues to try to persuade them to accept the new arrangement.

May Day Arrests

In Okara Chak # 9-4/L, on the night of International Labour Day, 1 May, rangers and police raided a house and took five people away by force. These people were tenants and were sleeping in their house. The police have also reportedly used foul language with women at home. The names of the people detained are Shamaoon Masih, Siddique, Shingharah, Binyamin, Emmanuel.

The next day, on 2 May, four other tenants from Chak # 4-4/L were detained when they went to the vegetable market in town. Their names are Muhammad Akram, Abdul Jabbar, Muhammad Sajad, and Hanif Masih.

Tenants' Response

Hundreds of tenants arranged a sit-in on the southern and northern sides of the GT Road from 4 to 5 May, to protest against the recent arrests of their colleagues and members of their families. Most of the protestors spent the whole night between Sunday and Monday on GT road.

At about 12.30pm on 5 May, the law enforcers baton-charged the protestors, and used tear gas. The Rangers allegedly opened fire on the orders of their commanding officer who was identified as colonel Saleem. As a result of the teargas shelling, baton charge and firing, at least five women and a man were injured.

Recent Development

On 6 May, the five tenants detained on 1 May were released, after being kept in prison for six days without charges being laid. The four tenants arrested on 2 May have been charged.

Although none of the law enforcers were injured, the police registered cases against as many as 47 tenants, including charges under the anti-terrorism act, for allegedly shooting at the personnel of law enforcing agencies and inciting people against the government. Charges were also registered against some 16 nominated and 30 unidentified tenants. According to a local source, among the accused are Anjuman Muzareen Punjab (Tenants Association Punjab or AMP) leaders who were in Lahore (another city in Punjab) on Monday, 5 May, to appear before an anti-terrorism court. One leader addressed a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on the same day.

Further Arrests

The law-enforcement authorities arrested three teachers of a boy's primary school, sources said. They are Bin Yamin Masih, Anwar Masih and Nazeer Ahmed. The authorities also rounded up Babar Masih and Kala Masih, resident of Chak 9/4L (same village as those detained on 1 May), who were returning to their villages on Monday night after a sit-in had been called off on the assurance that the arrested nine would be released on Tuesday. However, the authorities spent the whole Tuesday in negotiations with the tenants, and the dialogue remained inconclusive and was put off until Wednesday.

According to reports on 10 May, the Okara police have further arrested nine more military farm's tenants during the last 24 hours. 1) Manzoor, 2) his son Imran, 3) Zafar Iqbal Janjua, and 4) Abdul Razzaq, residents of Chak 44/3-R, were taken into custody by the police at a picket they had set up near these farm villages. 5) Naeem Pal of Chak 11/4-L, 6) Hidayat Jat and 7) Shahbaz of Chak 10/4-L, and 8) Muhammad Sarwar and 9) Ahmad Ali Hajjam of Chak 15/4-L, were arrested at a stop near near Khyber (Tabrook) dairy farm.

The AMP leaders denied the official claim that that the protesting tenants were trying to uproot the railway track. They claimed that the tenants were passing by when track when the police and the rangers baton charged and opened fire on them.

According to the tenants' leaders, two more tenants Muhammad Hussain of Chak 11/4-L and Muhammad Shabbir of Chak 15/4-L were arrested on 10 May.

Local Human Rights Activists believe that the tenants have been falsely charged, and that these are new efforts to harass the tenants. For further information on the struggle of the tenant farmers of Punjab for land rights, as well as their conflicts with the farm administration, please refer to the previous UA030505(3) and SUA020830(9) and UA020806(8).

Sources: Daily Dawn, Daily News, and Hotline-Pakistan

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