Polisario call on the High Commission for Human Right to publish its report on the human rights situation in Western Sahara

The president of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, addressed on December 15, 2008 a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Navanethem Pillay, to release her organisation’s report on the Moroccan human rights violations of in Western Sahara. He also asked for a dispatch of a permanent mission in the occupied zones to monitor the human rights situation and control the Moroccan violations. Here is the complete text of the letter: --------------------------- Brussels, 15th December, 2008 H.E. Mrs. Navanethem Pillay High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Commissioner, Since October 31st, 1975, date of the occupation of Western by Morocco, which constituted a flagrant violation of international law, grave human rights violations were systematically committed by the Moroccan State against Saharawi citizens in Western Sahara, in the South of Morocco and in the Moroccan Universities. These violations have intensified in a very intolerable way, tens of Human right’s organisations have reported on deliberate acts of murder, burial of alive people, bombardments of innocent people with Phosphor and Napalm, which are internationally prohibited, systematic torture and forced disappearances. Since that date, 500 civilians and 151 combatants are still unaccounted for. Up to 40 human rights’ activists are imprisoned in the Moroccan jails at this moment, simply because they have legitimately called for the decolonization of Western Sahara and the respect of the inalienable right of the Saharawi people to independence, as proclaimed by the United Nations Charter and resolutions. Mrs. Commissioner, The visit which was undertaken by a delegation of the High commissioner for Human Rights to the occupied areas of Western Sahara and the refugee camps on May-June 2006, raised grate expectation and hope among our population. We hoped that the delegation’s report elaborated, on September of the same year, would substantially contribute to put an end to the suffering of our citizens, victims of the Moroccan State’s abuses, However, we were surprised to learn that the report was not published. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, our surprise is even greater to see that the said report is still considered “secret”. Considering that this report deals with human rights abuses in a region where a decolonisation process, supervised by the UN is taking place, we can only express our deep deception and disapproval for its non publication. Since the visit of the High Commissioner of Human Right’s delegation, the situation did not improve, it has worsened instead, and in the absence of an effective international action to end this repression, the Moroccan authorities have continued their practices and stepped-up their repressive policy, particularly since the commencement of peaceful demonstrations carried out by the Saharawi population in the occupied areas of Western Sahara for the respect of their right to self-determination. On December 1st, 2008, two Saharawi students, Baba Abdelaziz Khaya and Al Hussein Abd-Assadak Laktaif were murdered in Agadir, while participating in a student’s peaceful demonstration. The Moroccan authorities are, once again, responsible of this crime, which will add two more names to the long list of the victims of the Moroccan repression. While the people of Western Sahara is still unable to exercise their right to self-determination, the Human right’s situation continues to deteriorate and considering that the protection of those rights is the responsibility of the United Nations, we urgently call on them to do their outmost to preserve and save the life and the integrity of our defenceless civilian population. Having said that, we consider of paramount importance the following: 1. To immediately publish the report of the High Commission for Human Right of September 2006 on Western Sahara, and implement its recommendations. 2. To urgently appoint a Mission of the High Commission for Human Right to, jointly with MINURSO, monitors the respect of Human Rights in Western Sahara, bearing in mind the gravity of the situation, resulting from the systematic and brutal repression carried out by the Moroccan State against our civilian population. We can only express our hope for an urgent intervention of the High Commission of Human Rights to help our suffering population and to impose the respect of International Humanitarian Law as well as International legality in Western Sahara. Please accept, Mrs. Commissioner, our highest considerations. Mohamed Abdelaziz Secretary General of Polisario Front and President of the Sahrawi Republic