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This clip shows interviews with three Afghan people living in Australia after escaping from Afghanistan when the country was ruled by the Taliban. The first interviewee, Sayed Jawad, expresses a sense of hopelessness, while the other two interviewees, Marzia and Rajab Ali, recount their experience of living under the Taliban, and explain why they fled from Afghanistan.

Educational value points

• The clip shows interviews with three Afghans seeking asylum in Australia. In 2004 the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) compiled statistics about people seeking asylum in Australia. They found that by far the largest number of people were from China (822 applicants), followed by India (242), Malaysia (210) and, in seventh place, Afghanistan (116); 92 per cent of Afghans seeking asylum in Australia are found to be genuine refugees. Prolonged and widespread political unrest and conflict in Afghanistan has resulted in thousands of displaced Afghans; however, since 2001 the number of Afghan asylum seekers worldwide has fallen by 85 per cent.

• In the clip, Sayed Jawad expresses a sense of hopelessness. Depression, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder are common among adults and children in holding camps who are seeking asylum in Australia, and self-mutilation and suicide are also reported. Serious psychological conditions are considered to be a result of persecution and trauma that was inflicted in the asylum-seekers’ country of origin. However, the stress of indefinite detention and separation from family and community life can hinder recovery.

• The experiences of two Afghans who escaped Afghanistan during Taliban rule are also described in the clip. The Taliban (the word translates as 'students’), an extremist Sunni Islamic group dominated by ethnic Pashtuns, held political power in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001. It is estimated that the refugee and internally displaced population during this time numbered 3.6 million people. Many women as well as minority groups, particularly the Shiite Hazaras, were persecuted. To escape the brutality, those who could afford it entrusted themselves and their families to people smugglers to take them across borders to safety. Many of those seeking refuge in Australia were placed in offshore detention camps in Nauru or Papua New Guinea while their protection claims were processed.

• The Taliban are reported to have committed many atrocities against civilians, particularly against the Hazara ethnic group. The Hazaras were persecuted by the Taliban because, although Muslims, they are Shiites. The clip also details some of the oppressive laws instigated under the Taliban regime. Among other restrictions and harsh punishments, television and the public airing of music were banned. Women were forced to cover themselves from head to foot, were removed from all education institutions and were ordered to stay at home unless accompanied by a male relative.

• According to the UNHCR, the number of people entering industrialised countries to seek asylum has fallen by 49 per cent in the 5 years since 2001 and it suggests that 'industrialised countries should be asking themselves whether by imposing ever tighter restrictions on asylum seekers they are not closing their doors to men, women and children fleeing persecution’ (http://www.unhcr.org, 2006). The number of applications by asylum seekers to Australia and New Zealand has fallen by 75 per cent since 2001. France is now the leading destination country for asylum seekers, followed by the USA and Britain.

• This clip is from a documentary directed by Mike Piper, the founder and managing director of Piper Films, and one of Australia’s most successful documentary filmmakers. In his 25-year career, Piper has developed a large body of work and has been the recipient of numerous awards. His directing credits include Paul Davies: The Big Questions and Paul Davies: More Big Questions (1995), Suburban Stripper (1998), Home of the Blizzard (1998), Heather Rose Goes to Cannes (1998), Red Crabs Crazy Ants (2000), Outback Stripper (2000), Year of the Locust (2002) and Opal Fever (2004).

This clip shows interviews with three Afghan people living in Australia after escaping from Afghanistan when the country was ruled by the Taliban. The first interviewee, Sayed Jawad, expresses a sense of hopelessness, while the other two interviewees, Marzia and Rajab Ali, recount their experience of living under the Taliban, and explain why they fled from Afghanistan.

Sayed Jawad I don’t care about this life, how life is. I don’t have a care about life and death for us, because if someone is not happy in their life, you know, it’s better if you can – if you – you go dead or alive. Just … nothing is there for life, you know? I never enjoy my life, I never stay with my family, you know. I’ve lost my everything.

Marzia Before Taliban come to kill a lot of children and woman and take young woman, but when come to our village and we put white flag in our house, but for – to search our house but not kill. After one month and after few month they start killing to take young men.

Rajab Ali They took the young people to – to the front of line to join the fight. To kill another nation. We don’t want to do that, because we don’t know how we can fight with them. They’re our, our friend. One of my friend killed by Taliban, he was run away from the house and the Talibans was on the way. The Talibans said to my friend to stop, and he – he don’t want to stop. He was running. And the Taliban shoot – shoot him. And after that, I was run away from my house. I went to the mountain just about five day or six day, and after that, the Taliban just gone to another village and just I come back and my home – and my mother told me, 'The Taliban took your father and they’re still searching for you, Taliban.’ And my mother told me just, 'I want to send you another country.’ And she talked with a smuggler. I say, 'Who is my smuggler?’ She said to me, 'Doesn’t matter. Just go, and maybe your life is safe there.’