Weakened Opposition

April 2001  - 20’42’’

01.23

The village of Dahan Obasid lies on the slopes 3000 meters above sea level in the middle of Afghanistan in the province Bamiyan. The people in this area are Hazaras, the third largest ethnic group in the country. It´s springtime and the villagers are preparing to celebrate Eid, but this year, like the previous year, the muslim festival is going to be meager.

01.52

Mohammad Dad, farmer
-Usually each family would slaughter one sheep for the festival, but now nine families have had to come together to be able to slaughter just one. That’s what it’s like in our village nowadays.

02.10

The people in Dahan Obasid are barely surviving the drought, now in its third year. Even though more snow fell this winter, it’s nowhere near what is needed.
 

02.26
young man showing snow level
 -Usually it is this much...

02.30

Close to half of the inhabitants have left the village, not just because of the drought. The Taliban, who have military control, pursue a repressive policy towards the Hazaras, and those who still live here, live in fear. Recently fighting between the Taliban and the Hazara party, which has joined the Opposition Alliance, took place here. The villagers fear another outbreak. The Hazaras are Shia-muslims and are considered infidels by the Sunni-muslim Taliban. Recently close to a hundred Hazaras were allegedly massacred by the Taliban not far from here.

03.04

Mazari, Hazara man
-That [massacre] forced people in Yawkowlang to join Massoud [the Opposition leader]. People here, especially Hazaras, have suffered a lot of repression, and many have fled. Those of us who still remain are in a very dangerous position.
 

03.35
On the other side of the mountains is the frontline with opposition controlled territory, and many men from here have been forcibly recruited to both armies. Today few young men remain in Dahan Obasid, and stern criticism is leveled at the lack of international efforts to stop the war.
 

03.57
Mazari, Hazara man
-The role of the UN has been limited to a few resolutions throughout these 20 years of fighting. The fighting will probably erupt again, and it is in the hands of God what will happen to us.

04.27

The men in the village gather in the mosque for prayers, which also means time to drink some tea and counsel each other about other matters arising in the area.

04.38

Rashid, man in mosque
-If the drought continues and the aid organizations don´t act fast enough, people will be forced to leave this area because they can’t feed their families.

04.58

Mullah in mosque
-Everyone should overcome their differences, and we muslims have a duty to make our position clear to the other nations in the world.

05.08

After the service we are invited to the traditional meal: the first after the muslim month of fasting. The men eat first. The village has quite often served meat in recent years. The drought has meant that most animals have had to be either sold or slaughtered, and our host Mohammad Dad only has one calf left now.

05.35

Mohammad Dad, farmer
-We could not get enough food for everyone.

05.39

Old man
-They are only gone because of the shortage of food.

05.42

Mohammad Dad, farmer
-My father and four brothers have gone with their families to Pakistan just because of the water shortage, but I am still here. They are working as labourers there, as many people do now.

06.06

Torkham, the border post on the Pakistani side, has been closed to Afghans since the end of last year. Yet up to 200.000 have crossed the mountainous border by foot to seek refuge since then.
Most have ended up here in the transit camp Jallozai. 80.000 afghans escaped drought, hunger and fighting only to find themselves in miserable circumstances in the camp, living in simple plastic tents.
Pakistan still harbours up to 3 million Afghans, the world´s largest refugee problem, but UN support has been cut back to barely nothing compared to during the Soviet war. Pakistan is no longer able to provide for even the basic upkeep of the refugees, and hence refuses to let them be registered. So those who could help have no access to the camp.
The situation is desperate, most of the people have been here for months without any support, except for simple plastic sheeting.

07.04

Wakil, refugee man
-In the day the heat kills us and at night the cold. We have no shelter and no proper drinking water. We lack medical care and medicine and we don´t have proper toilets.

07.24

Every day diseases like measles cause children to die. Stomach diseases are common and private hand-outs of food have caused riots, the situation is that desperate.
 

07.39
man
-This is how much rice we have had...

07.44

woman
-Apart from this I have received nothing.

07.51

The Afghan refugees are close to the bottom of this society, and apart from being a heavy burden for Pakistan, they have been the first to feel the impact of a local recession. Given the lack of international support many are forced into drug peddling, prostitution and crime just to survive. One of the more profitable activities is smuggling, and everything is sold at Karkhano Market outside Peshawar. It has all been carried over the border.

08.21

salesman
-It is made in Malaysia and transported to Afghanistan and then back to Pakistan. TV-sets, air-conditioners, fridges... everything comes from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

08.34

Weapons are also smuggled in large quantities into Pakistan, contributing to the growing instability. They are sold openly here in the area bordering Afghanistan. In this North Western Frontier Province, Pakistan has no authority. This is a tribal area and the different tribes here control the smuggling. By camel, donkey and finally truck, the goods are transported along mountainous routes, which are difficult to monitor.

09.19

Inside Afghanistan the fields are green, but this year the crop has changed. It used to be most profitable for farmers here to cultivate poppy.

09.29

ex. poppy farmer 
-Poppy, we used to plant poppy in on all this land last year.

09.38

Even though Islam strictly prohibits all drug use, last year Afghanistan accounted for 80% of world production of raw opium, which is used to produce heroin. Now just wheat is grown here. In July last year the Taliban unilaterally banned all poppy cultivation in the areas under their control, and everything indicates that the ban has been strictly observed by farmers.

10.05

ex. poppy farmer 
-They cannot plant poppy and if they do they will be punished. The Taliban were very tough with those who planted poppy, and even killed four or five of them.

10.28

The deeply religious and traditional Taliban movement came onto the scene around 1994. Their aim was to bring about an Islamic revolution and to enforce their own interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law.
They now control 90% of the country, including the capital Kabul, but the Taliban regime has not yet been internationally recognized, due to their alleged backing of terrorism, human rights abuses and their gender policy.

11.02

The Taliban have amongst other things forbidden women to go outside without being totally covered, and they are not allowed to work except in female hospitals. Doctor Nafeesa left Kabul for Opposition territory in the north a year ago.

11.19

Nafeesa Qaaney, Ped. Doctor, Faizabad hospital
- The living conditions in Kabul were too hard for me, so we left and came here.

11.28

Afghanistan is a deeply traditional country and even in Opposition controlled territory few women walk outside without what they consider "proper dress". Male and female roles are strictly separate. The ongoing war and the lack of development has also made it more difficult for women to work outside the home.
 

11.53
Nafeesa Qaaney, Ped. Doctor, Faizabad hospital
-There are limitations for women, few families permit their women to work outside the home, but anyway, there is not enough work for women in this area. There is just one school and one hospital where women can work, there are no other places offering work for us.

12.29

When the Taliban entered Kabul they turned the clock there back centuries, for the emancipated woman as well as for everyone else. Filming of living objects is forbidden, and has to be done covertly. The Taliban regime is now under UN sanctions for their harbouring of the alleged terrorist Osama bin Laden. Tthe ongoing destruction of Afghan cultural heritage and the Buddah statues in Bamiyan has increased their isolation.

12.59

Anders Fänge, Director, Swedish Committee. for Afghanistan (ENGLISH)
-People in the West are so negative to the Taliban, so that anything which is bad for the Taliban, that is good. But one has to ask the question, what will happen if the Taliban implodes, if the Taliban collapses. The answer to that is most presumably that it will be complete and total chaos in Afghanistan.
 

13.25
Anders Fänge is the director of The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, which has more than 20 years experience working in the country. He sees little prospect of a swift end to the war.
 

13.37
Anders Fänge, md, Swedish Comm. for Afghanistan
-The fighting will continue and of course this has not made it easier for us who are working with saving lives and working for the development of the country. Neither of the fighting factions in Afghanistan make any priorities for humanitarian needs, so their priority is the war, for both of them.

14.11

Everything here is worn out or destroyed - roads, electricity, water systems... But the civil war has not been sustainable without support from the surrounding countries. Each of them supports their faction, and Pakistan is claimed to be the main supporter of the Taliban. Pakistan State Oil is now selling gasoline along the main route to Kabul.
The old civilian structure is gone and a new one has arisen centering around the war, where local commanders press-gang people into paying taxes and sending their sons to join their forces. But others go by choice.

14.54

opposition soldier 
- I came voluntarily from my village.

15.01

The salary for a soldier is US$10 a month, no other jobs are available. The war goes on because many make money out of it, among them arms traders. The Opposition forces receive ammunition from former Soviet Union countries, but its origin is not Russian.

 15.24

From the heights in Dasht-i-Qala in northern Afghanistan there is a good view over Amu Darya river and Tadjikistan on the other side. This is the supply route to the Opposition. Not far away to the south are situated the Taliban positions.

(shooting with anti-aircraft gun)

15.47

A few rounds are fired just to show their willingness to do battle is still there.

15.53

soldier up on hill
-We enlisted in the Northern Alliance to defend our country and our homes.

16.03

The Opposition Alliance face hardships to continue fighting. In recent years the Taliban have advanced far north and few give the opposition, divided into several ethnic factions, more than five years before they have to surrender. The Opposition wants peace negotiations but the Taliban’s outspoken goal is to take military control of the whole country. But the men here, refugees themselves, are not going to give in easily.

16.35

soldier up on hill
-We will make Jihad (holy war) against the Taliban, we will kill them. We will not allow them to come into our land.

16.48

The Taliban begins to shell the village below, and people seek shelter. Almost every day the village is shelled.

17.06

man on roof 1
-One shell landed over there, one there and another one near this wall.

17.16

Everyone expects a major Taliban offensive in the summer, and people are worried.

17.24

man on roof 2
-They shell everywhere, military bases as well as the village.

17.31

This is what awaits the wounded, the operation theatre at the clinic in the neighbouring village of Hodja Baudin.

17.38

Aini Dashdi, doctor, Hodja Baudin (ENGLISH)
-It is only a simple table, it is not suitable for operations but we have to do (it) on this table because we have nothing else, and there are our emergency drugs...

17.52

The drugs are produced in Russia, but the coffins in the backyard awaiting the dead are made here.
Inside the clinic there are wounded soldiers.

18.04

Muqim, Opposition soldier
-When I get better I will go back and fight against Pakistani people

18.13

His neighbour, a Taliban soldier, hit a mine during an attack and wounded his leg. Among the men in his force many were Pakistanis. The Taliban army is said to consist of up to 40% Pakistanis.

18.26

Doost Muhammad, Taliban soldier  (in Pashtu language)
-Among them there are people from Kandahar (south Afghanistan) and Punjab (Pakistan). I don´t know their language, they are speaking in other languages. There were everything.
-Were there any Arabs?
-No Arabs, but Punjabis. I know because I can speak urdu.

18.47

Aini Dashdi, doctor, Hodja Baudin (ENGLISH)
-Most of the doctors and other workers left the country because of the fighting and we have to help our people. If you want to know about our salary, we have been paid twice in the last two and a half years, and it´s about 10-15 dollars per month.

19.13

Hodja Baudin, often haunted by dust storms, is one of the main junctions for the Opposition. Helicopters carry ammunition and supplies to the front in Central Afghanistan and return with the wounded.
Everything is paid for with what the farmers can produce and the war is funded by controlling the trade.

19.41 

But in the midst of this despair, people get married, and of course there are celebrations. But for men and women separately.

19.58

Afghanistan is not completely forgotten by the world. The UN World Food Program gives food in exchange for work, like repairing roads. And international efforts have staved off the expected hunger crisis this winter. Hence many have been able to stay here even though the situation is close to desperate, and thanks to drought and war, food is too expensive for most.

20.26

man at market
-The rich people can buy food, but the poor people, the refugees who are living in tents or somewhere else, they can´t afford it. They have to sell the goods from their homes.

20.42

Outside Hodja Baudin the need is apparent. The camp is full of displaced from the front line, but almost as many come from this area. They sit waiting in simple tents all day, in the hope of access to deliveries from aid organizations.

21.02

Deserted, destroyed houses and refugees. The war and all associated crimes have created rifts in this society and a desire for revenge which could feed itself for generations.
And serious international efforts towards peacemaking are yet nowhere to be seen.

21.22

Anders Fänge, md, Swedish Comm. for Afghanistan (ENGLISH)
-If they are putting up enough pressure to stop the foreign support for the regime and for the opposition then there would be a better possibility for a negotiated peace and for an end to the war

21.39

Opposition soldier 
-We got away from them, they set my house and everything on fire and we are homeless.

21.48

Opposition soldier 
-Yes, we will fight the Taliban, we will destroy them and retake our land.