Open Letter to the participants “2nd Bonn Conference”

26.11.2011

Open Letter to the participants of the

“Second Bonn Conference”

Including, The United Nations,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the

Federal Republic of Germany

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Ten years before now, in the city of Bonn, Germany a government was formed for Afghanistan without involvement of its people and participation of their true representatives; and the destiny of the people and future of the society was handed over to it. If we make a thorough analysis of the last ten years after the collapse of the Islamic Emirate of the Taliban; at a very first glance one can witness a huge difference between the commitments made by the “international community” and what have been implemented and achieved so far. While during those days complete defeat and over throwing of the backward and extremist regime of the Taliban, war against terrorism, capturing and bringing to the justice of the leaders of Al Qaeda and the Taliban were among the priorities; on the other hand bringing to the end of growing, processing and smuggling of opium and narcotics, collection of illegal armaments and creation of a new order based on democracy, law abiding state an society; rebuilding of armed and security forces particularly police and the national army and their training; commitment for the observance of basic human rights, offering social services for the people, opening the doors of the schools for the pupils specially for the girls, and recognizing complete equality of right between men and women were focussed as the main goals. Aforementioned points were the highlights of the commitments of the “First Bonn Conference”. Have the things said and committed really been implemented in deed?

Raising the above question does not mean that we close our eyes on the changes and developments that have taken place during the last ten years or ignore them efficient governing. What are the reasons behind this failure?

We believe that in addition to other factors; two main factors are badly affecting the continuation of present situation and cause the failure of the efforts being made so far. They are these:

Absence of a clear, correct and workable policy and strategy in the part of the countries involved, and their clients in the state structure of Afghanistan.

Absence of a comparatively popular, efficient and clean government which could lead the country towards the solution of the acute crisis it face.

Until thorough consideration is not been made to the above factor and those mentioned in the following lines; and solutions are not being found to the above constrains ; we will witness the outcomes and results just similar to those we witnessed during the last ten years.

Security Branch: Citizens of Afghanistan, like the citizens of any other country needs an environment and atmosphere to live in peace, security and comfort in it. Above all it is the responsibility of the government to provide safety and security for its citizens. Unfortunately, however peace and security was brought in to Afghanistan and every day countless people are being killed or wounded due to the lack of peace and security.

Economic Affairs: Three decades of war, has destroyed all infrastructures and basic foundations of Afghanistan’s economy and livelihood of its peoples. As a result, unemployment, poverty and hunger, refuge and homelessness, crimes and murder widespread. Due to continuation of this horrific condition, large groups of peoples, first and foremost the younger generation, found no other alternative except joining the ranks of the armed opposition. In order to rescue and save the society, present government and its international supporters should have focussed on rebuilding and rehabilitation of basic economic infrastructure of the country.

Unfortunately this has not been seriously considered and noticeable result has not been achieved towards this goal. Isn’t it an undeniable fact that the scope of the expansion of political crisis is directly related to the non responsiveness and weakness of the ruling body in forwarding viable economic alternatives and solutions to the economic crisis? If it is so, the present ruling circle has not implemented any visible and positive work to be mentioned, in this regard. In addition to other problems and complexities, another acute problem is the government’s carelessness and lack of understanding of the importance of act and responds to the basic and urgent needs of the citizens and creating employment opportunities for them which in part is the prerequisite to the economic progress. To this regard there has been no plan and program except some hallow demagogic claims.

In the Field of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry: One of the main and important sectors of Afghanistan’s economy is related to agriculture and animal husbandry. But, since serious attention has not been paid to these fields so for; both the agriculture and animal husbandry have remained to be in their primitive and traditional form. In addition decades of war have inflicted serious damages to these sectors of production. During the past years after the collapse of the Taliban Emirate, tangible efforts have not been made towards the development of agriculture and animal husbandry, and up to now there is no sign of modernization and mechanization of agriculture in Afghanistan. Furthermore agriculture and animal husbandry are prone to drought and flood in Afghanistan and cause tremendous loss of agricultural production and livestock which in turn result further hardship and hunger to the people. According to the figures released by international organizations ٩ million people are living under poverty line and face the dangers of hunger and death. The question is raised that, why the government of Afghanistan and international community have taken and are not taking effective preventive measures against these calamities, which endanger the lives of great number of people every year.

Human Rights Affair: Present government does not have a bright history of safeguarding and preserving the human rights and supporting the citizens of the country. Due attention to the universal human rights of women, children, war effected disabled and handicapped persons, refugees in many parts of the world and returnees to the country; and to the rights of children whom practically being imprisoned together with their convicted mothers, not being paid. Gender discrimination and unjust treatment force self burning more than 3000 women every year, their ears and noses are burnt or stoned to death, in the areas under the control of this government. In the “First Bonn Conference”, it was committed that war criminal will be brought to the court and justice will be applied on them. But as we all witnessed that only, they were brought to justice but they reached to the high ranking offices, sharing the power in the state structure and this end supported by you. Is it possible to grantee the human rights with such a double standard policy?

Social Service Sector: Wasn’t the motto of social welfare to the people of Afghanistan raised louder than anything else in the Master Plan of rebuilding of Afghanistan? Today, after ten years, if we look towards the social structure of Afghan society, we can visibly see a huge gulf between two separate classes in the society. One is rich, with tremendous amount of wealth and power and the other miserably poor with no power. Based on the report published by the World Food Program of the United Nations (WFP), ٨٥% of the people of Afghanistan live at the border line between poverty and death. More than five million of Afghan children are deprived from education due the fact most of them are the only breadwinner for their families and in most cases forced to work as hard labourers. Little work has been done on the public welfare projects such safe drinking water, power generating and electricity facilities for the citizens. The influx of refugees from Afghanistan for searching job and finding food continues into neighbouring countries and beyond. Unemployment, war and violence are the main causes of mass migration of Afghan men and women, old and young. Another problem which every year causes conflict between nomads (Kuchies) and villagers and many occasions take casualties from both side, is the problem of ١.٥ million nomads. In fact neither the government of Afghanistan nor the international community have paid are paying any attention to the problem of nomads (Kuchies), despite the fact that, there are thousands of hectares of land in Afghanistan, available for distribution at the disposal of government. Why after passing of many years, nomadic style of life and “Kuchigari” doesn’t come to the end in this land. Nomadic life, first and foremost is against the wellbeing of the nomads especially of their children and women. They are being kept isolated from the other sections of the society and deprived from education and health services.

On the Matter of encountering with the Taliban: The people of Afghanistan want peace and reconciliation. The present ruling circle and their supporter under the banner of searching for peace and against will of the majority of the people of Afghanistan; want to make deals with the black and primitive forces of the Taliban.

Despite their earlier claims, the supporter and architects of present government, who wanted to destroy Al-Qaida and the Taliban; today they are showing green light to these criminal organizations and request the Taliban to share power with the government in Kabul and by this they want the Taliban re-establish their “Emirate” under the banner of “democracy” with the support of international community. In our view and similarly in the view of the majority of our people, this “peace seeking” is nothing else than going back to the years of dark and cruel rule Taliban before the events of September 11.

On Foreign Affairs Policy and Diplomatic Relations: The government of Afghanistan and its international supporters do not have a clear and transparent policy in this direction and they act according to their short term and isolated interests. In this regard we want immediate cessation of all kind of interventions and interferences into the affairs of our country, by the countries of the region, neighbouring countries among them Pakistan. The people of Afghanistan want a good, friendly and equitable relation with all the neighbours. But neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan with its bland interferences into the internal matters of Afghanistan and by supporting the groups opposing Afghan State, especially the Taliban has caused the complexity and expansion of the aspect and scope of the conflicts in Afghanistan. Continuation of this policy Pakistan is illegal and is not on the benefit and interest of the people of Afghanistan and the peoples of the countries of the region at large.

The above mentioned points are not idealistic and imaginative demands which are not achievable. But they are basic demands of the people, and services needed by the society which by having a truly elected, democratic and sympathetic to the people government, and by adopting and implementing realistic plans can be accomplished with the help of civilized peoples of the world. As a result, we will be able to rescue one of the most suffered people of the present day world (i.e. the people of Afghanistan) from the ongoing crisis and conflicts. Historically, state structures had put their place at the top of the people and inflicted atrocities and injustice on the people. Therefore a government should be created who should count itself the servant of the people and serve the society, should recognize the rights of the citizens, and believe in democracy, freedom of press, speech and freedom of expressing opinion, and should have respect to these values, so the people should find themselves in this government and consider it as their own government. The government which has been formed from among the people based on their will and aspirations and the people themselves been its architects; it will naturally have the support of the people and this by itself create the motives for law obedience in the hearts and minds of the people. It is at this stage that an organic relation between the state and people emerges and develops and guides the society towards upheaval and progress and increases the wisdom for accepting responsibilities, give the courage to demand their lawful and legal rights, and cooperation among the people, and this by itself lay down the foundations for further progress and development of the country.

We, a number of Afghans living abroad, including activists relating to various political parties and organizations and independent political activists, believe that the present government which give its birth as an outcome of the “First Bonn conference”, have not fulfilled its commitments during the last ten years but evolved to a corrupt entity that has lost its credibility and legitimacy in the minds of the people of Afghanistan. As a result this process and its continuation by the same trend were not and are not in the interest of the people and the country.

We firmly believe that until changes have not being brought into the policies and to those who are implementing these policies; and favourable base and conditions are not created for democratic participation of people for determining their future; the result of the “Second Bonn Conference” will not be better than that of the “First Bonn Conference”, the result which the people Afghanistan have bitter experience of it.

With best regards,

Members of the Preparation Committee of the Protest Movement Bonn Conference 2

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