A declaration & petition for action regarding the invasion of the Taliban under cover of the Kochies against the national interest in Hazarajat, Afghanistan

Caitlin Quigley — 2008-09-24T06:43:19Z

editorial assistance by Caitlin Quigley

In the past two years, Hazarajat has been invaded by armed Taliban under the veil of the Kochies (Nomads) and other radical, heavily armed forces. Especially in Behsood and Daimeerdad-Kajab, these forces were armed, organized, planned, and coordinated with officials in the current Afghan administration. The forces crossed the Afghan border in caravans and murdered innocent indigenous Hazara people. They destroyed homes, stores, livestock and crops.

The Taliban are following the genocidal policies of medieval tyrants under the guise of Kochie nomads with the support of foreign intelligence agencies. Once again, they are bringing turmoil into this peaceful central region of Afghanistan. Under the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) program, all Afghanistan citizens have been disarmed and no one should have illegal weapons.

How were these armed groups able to cross the southern borders and travel hundreds of kilometers without being checked and stopped even while armed with RPGs, DShKs, and machine guns? It's obvious that these kinds of activities will unravel the nation's integrity and unity. Furthermore, these events fan conflict and antagonism among Pashtoon, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek who are trying to preserve their cultural heritage.

We hereby thus respectfully request from all ethnic groups settled in Afghanistan; all United Nations Agencies; all Global social and civic institutions; International Security Assistance Force (ISAF); and related countries in connection to Afghan issues, to press the Afghan government to focus their attentions and efforts on the main issues of the country. The officials should respect and apply law, order and social justice uniformly. Otherwise, global humanitarian efforts to help the oppressed people of Afghanistan will fail.

So, the Metropolitan area (Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia) Afghans, after studying and evaluating the recent events in Hazarajat, reached the following conclusions. With this Declaration it is our intent to focus the attention of high level officials, government, the United Nations, the ISAF, and related countries with consideration to the international laws and conventions, human rights, and Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRA) charter on the following points:

1. According to the IRA charter, all citizens have equal rights, and the government is obliged to follow and practice this principle and should avoid any kind of discrimination.

2. According to the IRA charter, the government is obliged to provide security and protection to all citizens and their properties. Those armed elements that crossed the borders and entered the peaceful central region of Hazarajat and committed murder of innocent indigenous people, looted properties, destroyed farms, houses and shopping centers should be brought to justice.

3. With the enlightenment of the IRA charter and its promise of equal rights for all citizens, those cruel and discriminatory policies, practices, and decrees of past regimes, parties and military groups and individuals that only served self interest and profit for themselves, should be declared illegitimate and the government should not value, practice, participate or recognize them in any manner.

4. The government should compensate all losses and damages caused by the Taliban invasion (in the name of Kochies) in Hazarajat.

5. According to the IRA charter, the government is obliged to the settlement of Afghan citizen Kochies (nomads), returnees, and internally displaced people and should provide them decent living conditions and accommodations upon their return.

6. The government should prevent the occurrence of this kind of tragedy from ever happening again, and must take serious precautions to prevent repetition of these kinds of atrocities among our nation's ethnic groups in the future.
7. The government must apply the disarmament program to the whole nation honestly, and should not let armed Taliban and other military groups retain military-style weapons for any .

8. We cordially request that the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) establish an independent and impartial investigation/ evaluation commission regarding the recent invasion of Hazarajat. This should study both sides in the conflict (real Kochies and Hazaras) and coordinate necessary assistance for reparation and re-settlement of all citizens affected by this invasion with the government of Afghanistan.

Hoping Peace and Decent Life for All Afghanistan Citizens

Washington DC Metropolitan Afghans

Virginia, USA

September, 2008

A TV Report

کابل پرس

A declaration & petition for action regarding the invasion of the Taliban under cover of the Kochies against the national interest in Hazarajat, Afghanistan