Afghans remember civil war massacre and call for justice
Afghans remember civil war massacre and call for justice
Agence France Presse, Fri Feb 16,
About 200 people gathered to remember one of the worst massacres of
Speakers at the tearful ceremony in the Afshar neighbourhood in west
Hundreds of people -- up to 300, according to the United Nations – were killed when militia, including those loyal to current parliamentarian Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, attacked the village in the middle of the night.
More, including boys and girls, were raped, abducted and tortured.
Weeping villagers at the ceremony called on the authorities to try those responsible, including those in top government jobs.
"I can never forgive those people. I want them to be tried," said 55-year-old mason Mohammad Hassan, who said he had lost eight members of his extended family and most of his possessions.
Another villager, 28-year-old Hebatullah, said he had been taken hostage for several weeks at the age of 14 and was only released when his family paid a bribe.
Asked about a possible amnesty for those responsible, he told AFP: "It is not acceptable for us who have suffered. I want them to be tried and to pay for killing people."
The warlord-filled lower house of parliament late last month approved a draft bill that would rule out court action against the many men accused of rights abuses during Afghanistan' s 25 years of conflict, including the civil war.
The bill prompted widespread criticism and officials said it was unlikely to get past President Hamid Karzai, who would have to give his approval for it to become law.
Afghan and international rights groups have been calling for a South African-style truth and reconciliation process that would see perpetrators of abuse face their victims and be held accountable.
Karzai's government formally adopted in December a five-year plan on reconciliation that includes the establishment of a justice and accountability mechanism.
The civil war, which followed the Afghans defeat of Soviet occupiers, ruined once-beautiful
It ended with the 1996 takeover by the extremist Taliban, responsible for its own atrocities, who were expelled in a US-led raid in 2001 and now wage a vicious insurgency.