Sangin tragedy and spiteful HRW report…!!

The asia division of the Human Right Watch Organization published a report on 30th June 2020 claiming that human rights are being violated in areas under the Taliban control. This report came a day after indiscriminate heavy artillery shelling by the Kabul administration forces caused a human tragedy in Sangin district of Helmand province as […]

The asia division of the Human Right Watch Organization published a report on 30th June 2020 claiming that human rights are being violated in areas under the Taliban control.

This report came a day after indiscriminate heavy artillery shelling by the Kabul administration forces caused a human tragedy in Sangin district of Helmand province as upwards 50 innocent civilians including elders and children lost their lives or were maimed and a large number of livestock was also killed. Images and videos from the site shows the flesh and blood of humans and animals mangled together.

However, it is very unfortunate that the humanitarian supposed human right organization ignored this tragedy and instead published a spiteful and politically motivated report under the title of human right violations – a report which can easily be understood by every prudent and reasonable person as political misinformation piece.

The aforementioned report states that they interviewed 138 people from Taliban controlled areas who claimed that there are limitations placed on the freedom of speech, education and other liberties hence the report has been pushed as violations of human rights in Taliban controlled areas.

This propaganda report based on interviews with unknown individuals and officials claims:

Residents find it difficult and dangerous to speak out about Taliban actions. Taliban seek to rule by instilling fear. The Taliban do not hold themselves accountable to the people in areas under their control.

It would have been better for this supposed human right organization to have prioritized and condemned the Sangin tragedy and published a report about it because everyone understands that the most basic right of every living being is the protection of their life, property and personal honor, a right that was ruthlessly snatched away in Helmand by the Kabul administration forces.

The said organization however adopted silence and even brushed aside other issues plaguing the country especially the daily human right violations in Kabul, kidnappings, burglary, murder, using schools as military fortifications by soldiers, poisoning of girls in schools, police brutality and shooting protestors, mysterious attacks on scholars and prayer-goers in mosques, physical harassment of women working in the Kabul administration, pedophilia in military ranks, people rights violated due to bribes and a plethora of other such abuses.

But no, they chose to give precedence to publishing a propaganda piece against the Taliban based on interviews with 137 administration officials or unknown individuals?!

This paper was released even as hundreds of reports by western media outlets have found that majority of Afghans take all their civil and other claims to the Islamic Emirate courts and other departments for resolution precisely because of their justice and anti-corrupt practices and all their rights including their freedom of speech and education are provided in line with the prevailing war-situation of Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, the latest report published by the Human Right Watch Asia division is an attempt to divert attention away from the human tragedy that unfolded in Helmand and is a clear proof of this organization’s spiteful political motives.