Newsweek On MEMRI's Balochistan Studies Project

Memri

2 days ago

On July 29, 2025, Newsweek published an article by senior writer and foreign policy & deputy editor Tom O'Connor describing the goals of the MEMRI Balochistan Studies Project, which is headed by Mir Yar Baloch, a well-known Baloch nationalist leader and a member of the secular Free Balochistan Movement (FBM).[1]
Newsweek also quoted the FBM leader Hyrbyair Marri, who stated that the Iranian government is neglecting basic infrastructure and services to the people of Balochistan.
The Goal Of The MEMRI Balochistan Studies Project
It is worth noting that MEMRI is the only think tank that has a Balochistan Studies Project.
The goal of the project is to give a voice the Baloch people and to expose the brutal suppression by Pakistan and Iran of 60 million Baloch people, who remain voiceless in their own land, lacking a single independent TV channel, radio station, or newspaper.
Pakistan and Iran are deeply fearful of the academic research conducted by MEMRI on Balochistan because it threatens to unveil the harsh realities of state-sponsored repression, ethnic cleansing, and resource exploitation that the Pakistani regime has long concealed from the global stage.
MEMRI as a research institute is giving a voice to the Baloch people and their own requests. Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri, the head of the Free Balochistan Movement political platform and one of the most popular leaders among Baloch youth, is promoting independence for Balochistan.
He stated: "It is crucial to clarify two key points: first, the Baloch are not a minority, but rather a nation with a unique cultural identity, language, and history. Secondly, the Baloch live in their ancestral homeland, where they have formed the majority for millennia. The comparison between the Baloch situation and that of Europe during Nazi Germany's occupation is illuminating. When Nazi forces occupied sovereign European states in the 20th century, did the French people resisting the occupation become "French minorities" within Germany? Were the Poles in occupied Poland suddenly considered a "Polish minority" in Nazi Germany? Of course not.
"Now, imagine if France, with a slightly larger population, occupied and controlled Italy. Would we call the Italian people a 'minority' simply because the occupying French state outnumbered them within newly imposed boundaries designed to benefit France? The absurdity of this hypothetical underscores the flawed logic of referring to the Baloch as a minority in their own homeland.
"An ethnic group residing in someone else's homeland could rightfully be called a minority. Similarly, a religious group practicing a different faith from the majority in a foreign country could be labelled as such. However, a historical nation like the Baloch cannot be considered a minority. The Baloch are not a minority in Iran, but rather a nation under Iranian occupation, actively struggling for the restoration of their independence."
He then added: "The Baloch are not an ethnic or religious minority within Iran – they are a nation under occupation, actively resisting to reclaim their sovereignty."
Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) leader Hyrbyair Marri
Balochistan As 'Natural Ally Of The West'
Balochistan, a nation that has been divided and is currently under Iranian and Pakistani occupation, (one part of it is under administrative of Afghanistan which was divided under Durand Line agreement) is the perfect outpost to counter and keep under control Iran, its nuclear ambitions, and its dangerous relations with Pakistan, which exported nuclear know-how to Tehran.
What do we mean by "natural ally of the West"…
Let's take the case of Iran.
In the past, the U.S. administrations feared that helping the non-Persians groups would result in splitting Iran into several Islamic states. However, this will not be the case. There is a golden opportunity that the West can seize. Secular non-Persian groups are ready to join the West and lead the fight without the U.S. sending its troops. The U.S. has been working with the Kurds in Iraq and in Syria. It is thanks to the Kurds, that the U.S. managed to defeat ISIS.
The Ahwazis, under the leadership of Dr. Aref Kaabi, are secular and would follow the tolerant path paved in the Gulf by the UAE, which embraces an Abrahamic alliance.
The Free Balochistan Movement also drafted a charter, of which Article 4 states: "The Baloch national struggle is a secular movement. It is for the separation of religion from state and politics. It is for the power of reason and in opposition to any religious and ideological dogma."
The movement also wrote a very detailed "Democratic Transitional Plan For Iran." The plan has been presented by the Free Balochistan Movement to other ethnic groups present in Iran, such as Kurds, Ahwazis, and Azeris. At the moment, this is the only plan that finds a broad consensus.
The plan states: "The current Iranian theocratic regime is facing civil resistance from both Persians and non-Persians. Armed national insurgent groups, such as those in Kurdistan and Balochistan, seek to overthrow the regime and regain their independence. But imagine if the regime were to fall today – what would happen next?
"Would the Balochs, Kurds, Arabs, and Turks engage in conflict with a post-Mullah Iran? Would a new regime use the military to suppress civilian movements for independence in Balochistan, Kurdistan, Al-Ahwaz, and Turkic Azerbaijan? Would Iran once again descend into a protracted conflict? Could Persians resort to ethnically cleansing non-Persian regions and resettling those areas with their own population? The best way to resolve this issue and avoid internal conflict in Iran is through a Democratic Transitional Plan for Iran."
These ethnic groups are ready to coordinate and fight together to end the Islamist regime. They know that this is a matter of life and death – that they will all be liberated or will all continue to be subjugated by the Iranian regime.
These ethnic groups do not need the American army to be on the ground, they can do their own fight toward liberation. In six months, they can create an army of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Yet, they need U.S. political and economic support to mobilize the masses. It would be sufficient to have a meeting in Washington with the leaders of the above-mentioned ethnic groups to have the Islamic regime shiver in fear. There is nothing that the Islamic Republic of Iran fears as much as the non-Persian ethnic groups united.
Washington needs partners in the region, and America's strategic allies are called: Kurds, Ahwazis, and Balochs. As soon as the West shows its interest, other ethnic groups will join the fight for freedom, prosperity, and liberty.
To Empower The Baloch Cause
Baloch leaders, such as Hyrbyair Marri, stand against religious radicalization in the region, against dictatorial regimes of the Islamic Republics of Pakistan and Iran, and against Chinese hegemonic ambitions. Hence, the international community should understand that Balochistan is a natural ally of the West.
To empower the Baloch cause, it is high time to allow Baloch leaders to open representative offices in the United States, Europe, India, and Israel, and to invite them to speak at universities, think tanks, and international organization-sponsored events. Baloch people must be helped using suitable means, as their struggle for self-defense matches that of the West for democracy and freedom.
It is worth noting that Chinese media also attacked our project. Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri, the head of the Free Balochistan Movement, explained why China is afraid of an independent Balochistan: "I have often described China as a foe of the Baloch people. This is not just a sentiment – it is a harsh reality shaped by China's ongoing support for Pakistan, specifically in countering the Baloch struggle for national liberation. China's role in Balochistan is not just about economics; it is about geopolitics, resource exploitation, and the suppression of a nation's right to national liberation.
"China's global strategy, fueled by its economic might, is to impose its hegemony on the free world. One of its most significant tools in this endeavor is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a project aimed at creating military bases in the name of trade routes and infrastructure that benefit China's long-term strategic interests. In Balochistan, this plan is implemented through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The agreement between Pakistan and China is a calculated plan to exploit Balochistan's rich resources while providing China with access to the strategically critical Baloch Sea. Through CPEC, China aims to build naval bases along Balochistan's coast, giving it a foothold in the Arabian Sea. Gwadar, a coastal city at the heart of this project, has been turned into a prison city. The local Baloch population is under constant surveillance and control, unable to move freely in their own homeland."