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Will the S. Korean kidnappings affect aid workers' safety?
Written by: Graham Wood
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The release of the South Korean hostages in Afghanistan is clearly good news. That two have been killed is a tragedy. However, the question that has constantly been asked by the international community here in Kabul is what they were doing in the first place. Twenty three South Koreans were kidnapped on July 19. They were travelling on a bus, together, on the main Kandahar to Kabul highway, part of Afghanistan's 'ring road', through the notoriously insecure province of Ghazni. Most aid agencies here take security very seriously. We recognise that there is a duty not just to try and keep ourselves safe but also not to behave in a way which may endanger others. To do this we have to limit our movements and totally avoid especially insecure areas. The Afghan NGO security office ANSO provides us with constant updates about actual and potential incidents. No matter how much we follow the rules we all understand that there is a potential danger from kidnapping or acts of violence. The risks remain low, in Kabul anyway, but they are real. The risks countrywide are significantly higher for Afghan staff than for expatriates. The South Korean incident has dominated the international news agenda. Since they were kidnapped the hundreds of Afghans killed by acts of violence have received even less attention from the international media. Although there are many rumours, it is not really clear what the 'Christian aid workers' were doing in Afghanistan and even if they had the required permission to work in the country and the necessary documentation to undertake programme activities. In the context of Afghanistan any kind of Christian missionary work, which appears to have been at least part of the agenda, is simply foolish. What is clear is that they had not bothered to adhere to the most basic security rules. Or even worse, had no knowledge that there were rules to follow. Most aid agencies, including the one I am working for, would not allow their staff to travel on the highway through Ghazni. That 23 foreigners should do so all in one vehicle was an act of considerable folly and one that endangers the rest of us directly. Many aid workers have been discussing a central dilemma. Should ransom be paid to free hostages, as it has been in the past? On the one hand payment may free the individual, on the other it may encourage both the Taliban and criminal gangs to abduct more foreign workers. What happens if you come from a country, as I do, which will not pay ransom? It is not clear if ransom has been paid in this case. Rumours spread in Kabul a few weeks ago that a considerable sum of money had been handed over but to the wrong people. However it does appear that the negotiation process has resulted in the Koreans confirming they will pull out troops at the end of this year and agreeing not to allow their nationals to come to Afghanistan. On top of this the Taliban were yesterday able to hold a press conference in Ghazni announcing the release. I assume this was part of the deal. On each of these counts the Taliban have been handed a propaganda victory and certain appear stronger as a result. In turn this impacts on the wider political dynamics of the country as well as the general safety of aid workers, local and international. None of this would have happened had the Koreans obeyed simple rules. It may have been naivety, stupidity or simply wishful thinking. Whichever it was, all of us are less safe as a result of their activities. This was a completely avoidable incident. In the particular context it was also predictable. I am genuinely pleased at their release. However, like many here, I wish they had taken simple precautions in the first place and avoided setting themselves up as a target. As they go home, those of us who remain will be concerned that the Taliban have had a result entirely to their liking. If kidnapping is seen to work it is clear that it is more likely to happen. That means each of us faces an increased danger as a consequence of these completely avoidable events.
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5 responses to “Will the S. Korean kidnappings affect aid workers' safety?”
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30 Aug 2007 08:29:57 GMT
I am very happy that most of the Koreans have been released. But as a person who lived in Kabul during the kidnapping, I too can't help but be resentful at their reckless behavior leading up to the kidnappings. This went so beyond having lunch at a non-security-approved restaurant. This wasn't a minor security violation. Because of their reckless actions, they put many Afghans and international aid workers at risk, and handed the Taliban a major propaganda victory. Critical aid activities had to be curtailed in many parts of the country, further harming the Afghans. If money was handed over, it will pay for weapons that will further endanger people in Afghanistan. People have been getting kidnapped and killed who *are* following security recommendations, so the risks are *obvious*. Will we ever know why these people traveled the way they did, violating all sorts of standard safety practices? Will anyone ever own up to this profound misstep? And what will this continue to mean for the safety of others in Afghanistan?
30 Aug 2007 12:36:00 GMT
Thank you Graham for writing about what so many of us in Afghanistan have been thinking for weeks.
Today one media source calls them aid workers, another Christian missionaries. Regardless, I believe their actions were incredibly inappropriate and have put all of us here in Kabul and throughout the country at further risk. Many of us can barely leave our offices these days because of the hightened security, thus increasing the burden on legitimate aid workers that are already givin up enough to be in Afghanistan.02 Sep 2007 11:34:24 GMT
Kidnapping foreigners and holding them for ransom has been part of the culture of the Pushtuns and Afghans for ever, when I first went to Afghanistan in 1974 it was known and foreigners were not safe in parts of Afghanistan then, in what is now looked back on as times of peace and stability. The message is clear if you wish to work in Afghanistan you simply take the risks involved or leave if you don't like it. No one is there by force. Kidnapping is part of the culture,and many ordinary Afghans are abducted, raped or murdered and never heard of outside their own community. The Korean thing was so predictable yet made world news out of all proportion to its significance. Its ordinary powerless Afghans you should feel sorry for,who have no one to turn to when it happens to them, not aid workers, and irresponsible missionaries.
07 Sep 2007 15:17:24 GMT
I find it interesting that everyone who has posted here (including the original author) thinks that their own personal philosophy of helping Afghanistan is unassailably correct and the philosophy of the South Korean missionaries is clearly foolish. Willingness to put yourself in harms way in order to help others is a fundamental aspect of Christianity and Christian missionaries have done this for centuries. Doing so does not necessarily cause risk to others. Negotiating with kidnappers does. This discussion should be about the irresponsibility of the South Korean government, not the South Korean missionaries.
I find especially interesting this statement: "In the context of Afghanistan any kind of Christian missionary work, which appears to have been at least part of the agenda, is simply foolish." Why is providing physical aid important but taking a message which you believe to be the only hope to escape eternal punishment "simply foolish"? To what absolute standard do you appeal to make such a determination?26 Nov 2007 10:41:06 GMT
The Korean thing was so predictable yet made world news out of all proportion to its significance. Its ordinary powerless Afghans you should feel sorry for,who have no one to turn to when it happens to them, not aid workers, and irresponsible missionaries.