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Matthew Krain studies revolutions, civil wars, ethnic conflict, genocide, international intervention, democratization, state building, globalization, and international political economy. He specializes more broadly in comparative politics, international relations, and political sociology. An assistant professor of political science at The College of Wooster since 1998, Krain received his bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his Ph.D. from Indiana University. Krain is the author of Repression and Accommodation in Post-Revolutionary States, which was published in June 2000. He also edited Globalization and the Challenges of a New Century, a collection of major articles and position papers on the concept of globalization, and has contributed articles to a number of scholarly journals. In addition, Krain has served as a consultant evaluating early warning systems to help prevent genocides and politicides. Alphine Jefferson David Miller Mark Wilson Ishwar Harris Michael Casey Jim Burnell Rich Danch Ken Plusquellec Greg Wiles Linda Hanna |
Warning Signs of a Coming Human Rights Disaster
in Afghanistan? On May 22, Taliban leaders in Afghanistan announced a plan
to force Hindus living in that country to wear yellow identity labels on
their clothing. Such policies serve as a chilling reminder of similar campaigns
throughout history, many of which ultimately led to genocide. Matthew Krain,
assistant professor of political science at The College of Wooster, looks
at the situation in Afghanistan and warns about its potentially ominous
implications.
What is the significance of the Taliban leaders' plan to mark Hindus living in Afghanistan by placing identity labels on their clothing? The announcement resonated with the chilling echoes of the past. It suggests that, in a country already plagued by preconditions for genocide - large scale civil conflict, a history of human rights abuses, leaders with an exclusionary ideology, and a devastated economy - the chances of a humanitarian disaster on the scale of genocide are more likely than ever. What is the rationale for policies that single out and identify particular minority groups in this way? In some cases the forced identification of a minority group is a terror tactic. These policies make targeted groups feel singled out, obvious, isolated, and at risk. Forced public identification makes it difficult for members of the targeted groups to move about, gather, or act with relative anonymity, which makes resistance movements less likely to form or to succeed. Aren't there other more efficient ways to track the movements of minority groups? States use these tactics because they make it easier to monitor groups, and because they are effective at limiting the actions of minorities. These markers serve as bureaucratic identifiers that facilitate more efficient efforts at keeping track of, repressing, rounding up, and even exterminating minority groups. What does history tell us about such tactics? There are too many eerie parallels throughout history. The Nazis forced Jews throughout Europe to wear yellow Stars of David, and made homosexuals don pink triangles. Also during the Second World War, the fascist Croatian regime forced Serbs to wear blue armbands. In the 1970s, targeted Cambodians living near the Cambodia-Vietnam border were made to wear blue and white checkered scarves, as opposed to the red and white checkered scarves of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime. In the 1990s, in some Serb-controlled portions of Bosnia, Muslims were forced to wear white armbands. And, using a different kind of identification tactic, Rwandan Hutu extremists used hate radio broadcasts to publicly identify individuals as Tutsi or Tutsi sympathizers, and to call for their extermination. What might we expect to see in the coming months in Afghanistan? Given the Taliban's history, and the history of state-sponsored repression and slaughter in the 20th century, the forced marking of religious minorities within Afghanistan may be a warning sign of unspeakable things to come. Many around the world expressed outrage in March when the Taliban regime destroyed two statues of Buddha in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. The regime has also come under fire for its severe restrictions on women, and for its support of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. Yet these actions pale in comparison with the potential implications of this most recent announcement. We can only hope that concerned members of the global community also raise their voices to decry what could be a step toward the first preventable major human rights disaster of the new century. |
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| Last updated: January 10, 2006 · For more information, contact John Finn | ||
