LASHKARGAH (SW): Young boys in various restive parts of Helmand province have been abused by the local security officials as the malicious practice of ‘Bacha Bazi’ remains unchecked.
‘Bacha Bazi’, literally "boy play" is a slang term in Afghanistan for a wide variety of activities involving sexual relations between older men and younger adolescent men, or boys that sometimes includes child sexual abuse. Mohammad Syed, a resident of the Greshk district told Salam Watandar the members of police force took away three boys from his home for ‘sexual abuse’ with them to the check posts. He said complaints against this incident at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), the police headquarters and the provincial government have yield no results.
Syed charged the district officials for being involved in ‘Bacha Bazi’. The dejected father went on to say the police officials commit this crime in civil dress so that no one can recognize them.
Fatima, a mother of another young boy also abused by policemen, finds herself hopeless. She revealed that her 14-year-old son is often picked from the street by policemen, and remained with them overnight. She said her son named Mohammad Wazir has been beaten and sexually abused at the check posts. Fatima’s son is now missing, and she says her appeals at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), the police headquarters and the provincial government in this regard have fallen on deaf ears. The gloomy mother said she was warned against complaining or her son would be killed.
Sher Mohammad, resident of Naad-e-Ali district informed that his young cousin was forcefully taken away by policemen. An in-charge of a check post in the ‘Chah Injeer’ abducted my young cousin, he said, adding all policemen and three young boys kept for ‘Bacha Bazi’ died in a Taliban attack on the check post. He lamented that the higher-ups are not taking notice of this vicious practice in the security sector.
The irony of the matter is that not many victims and their family members dare to speak against it fearing stigmatization in the conservative society. Many victims live life of complete segregation and isolation rather than being consoled and helped by the government and the society.
Documented proofs obtained by Salam Watandar indicate a number of top ranking security and civilian officials in Greshk, Naad-e-Ali, Sangin and Garmsir are involved in ‘Bacha Bazi’, and have kept young boys as ‘sex slaves’.
The provincial police head-quarters deny all such allegations. Brig. Gen. Aqa Noor Qentoz, spokesman for the Afghan National Police (ANP) in Helmand, informed Salam Watandar an investigation was carried out into all check posts across the province, and no proof was found about minor recruits, or ‘Bacha Bazi’. He strongly rejected accusations in this regard. He noted two minor students have been terminated from police when their parents complained about it.
Meanwhile, Fatima, interim chief for the AIHRC in Helmand, said not a single formal complaint has been lodged with them apart from informal talks on the subject. She expressed resolve to unearth any such incidents. The AIHRC has no data available to determine the level of ‘Bacha Bazi’ in the province as the culture of silence and shame stop the victims from reporting.
Waheedullah Hidayat, secretary for the department against human trafficking at the Ministry of Justice, discarded allegations about practice of ‘Bacha Bazi’ in the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the National Directorate of Security (NDS). He, however, acknowledged that there have been complaints against the police in this connection. He said efforts are underway to legislate stern punishments against those found guilty for ‘Bacha Bazi’.
This comes as many victims of this malicious practice have reportedly joined the ranks of the Taliban to take ‘revenge’. Helmand is one of the most insecure provinces where poverty and the ragging violence have crippled the life of the residents.
ENDS
