AFGHANISTAN:Human rights workers in Afghanistan live in fear despite the international presence and billions in investment, writes Andrew Anderson
"I have told my driver that if anything happens he is to kill me, I don't want them to take me alive."
I was taken aback by the words of the woman I was meeting in Kabul, but impressed by the gleam of defiant determination in her eyes as she said it.
We were discussing the risks faced by women human rights defenders in Afghanistan. She had explained that she was worried every time a motorcyclist pulled up near her car in traffic. But there was also a steely resolve about her commitment to continue working for the rights of her fellow Afghan women no matter what.
We had spoken of Shokiba Sanga Amaaj and Zakia Zaki, two outspoken women journalists killed in early June. But it was clear she was not going to be intimidated. "If we want change we must continue to work. They cannot kill us all."
I was relieved to learn that her driver had no weapon, but of course this also meant he was no bodyguard. She said that sometimes he worried about cars that were following them but she told him to ignore them and just drive fast.
In spite of the huge international presence in Afghanistan and the billions that have been invested, the risks for those who work for human rights remain very high. And even if the defenders I met in Kabul had all faced threats they also insisted that the situation was much worse in the provinces.
The organisations which are able to work in rural areas mostly do so in careful negotiation with local community elders and religious leaders. One Afghan community peacebuilding organisation recently had a fieldworker kidnapped. It explained that kidnapping is now a business and sometimes it is criminal elements who then pass the victim on to the Taliban.
In Kabul I met Kamran Mir Hazar in the office of Internews, an international media development organisation, where he has been confined since being twice arbitrarily detained and interrogated by the NDS, the Afghan intelligence service. He was released on both occasions following protests by Afghan journalists, but he has been banned from publishing any report of corruption and does not feel it is safe for him to leave the compound.
Kamran's passion for freedom of expression, and for finding new ways for Afghans to share information and discuss issues freely, shines through as he discusses how he set up and ran kabulpress.org which has exposed government corruption and war crimes. In addition to his journalism he is a keen poet and spoke of his various inspirations, including the work of Seamus Heaney. Sadly he has decided to cease publication of kabulpress.org until the censorship imposed upon him is removed.
Several human rights defenders spoke of their fears that the government would increase repressive measures as they lose popular credibility as a result of mismanagement and corruption. During my stay in Kabul the parliament was discussing measures to try to bring the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission under government control, as well as abolishing the ministry for women's affairs.
Although Afghan human rights defenders spoke of the positive impact of the international community in terms of creating some space to work for human rights and women's rights, they were also often critical of the co-ordination and effectiveness of much international assistance. There is considerable frustration at the huge sums which are perceived as being wasted, whether it is through the corruption of the local authorities, the huge profits made by non-Afghan contractors, or the excessive salaries of international staff.
One of the most inspiring moments of the week was seeing the joy of a team from the Afghan Women's Skills Development Centre when they returned from a three-day workshop on women's rights with religious leaders and tribal elders in Bagram. In spite of the huge challenges of overcoming traditional attitudes, whereby women are treated as commodities, they believe they are making progress.
The skills centre also runs a shelter for women victims of violence. This is a hugely valuable resource but it also brings regular death threats from families and community leaders who want the women to be returned to them. Centre director Mary Akrami said many of those making threats have powerful connections with warlords in parliament.
In spite of the many problems faced by Afghanistan it is impossible not to be inspired by the courageous women and men who are working for human rights and a better future for their country.
It is clear that maintaining and developing the space for Afghan civil society to operate independently will be crucial to building peace and sustainable progress.
Unfortunately, the Afghan government has not been consistently supporting this, and the role of the international community has been mixed. As Afghan human rights defenders continue their work they deserve better support and protection.
• Andrew Anderson, deputy director of Front Line: The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (www.frontlinedefenders.org), has just returned from a visit to Kabul.