On August 15th, Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, was captured by the Taliban, the country changed, and Afghanistan became the international focus.
Jalal Bazwan, a young Afghan who is studying for a Ph.D. in China and experiencing all this in Kabul, described the sudden loss of his country and identity, and feared the return of the Taliban’s extreme rule.
He once studied in China and shared his views on the political situation on Weibo, but he was vilified by "Little Pink."
He accepted an exclusive interview with "Hong Kong 01" and said that he felt sad and angry, but he would not hurt his feelings for China.
For many Chinese people who say that "the Taliban is the choice of the Afghans", he bluntly said that these remarks are "confused" and "don't understand the Afghans."
He hopes that China will help Afghanistan rebuild in the future and put pressure on Pakistan to stop interfering in Afghanistan's internal affairs and not let Afghanistan continue to be a battlefield for other countries.
The most interesting thing is that many Chinese netizens sent me messages saying, what qualifications do you have to use our Chinese Internet to post the situation and views in Afghanistan.
In fact, these people's words really make sense.
I still want to thank the Chinese social media platform for allowing me to understand the Chinese Discourse (discourse) better.
Jialan (weibo)
▼Jialan's life in China▼
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Experienced childhood and multiple coups under totalitarianism
Afghan Pashtun youth Jalal Bazwan (Jalal Bazwan), born in 1991, is now 29 years old and has experienced many coups in Afghanistan.
His father was a soldier during the Soviet occupation. After the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan in 1987, he spent his childhood in Nangarhar province in southern Afghanistan. At that time, under the extreme rule of the Taliban, his family had served the old government. Squeeze out.
It wasn't until the US military overthrew the Taliban in 2001 that the fundamentalist life finally changed. His uncle, who had fled politics and lived in the UK, returned the following year and took him to the northern Pakistani city of Peshawar (Peshawar) to study in middle school.
Jalal Bazwan, an Afghan, is studying for a PhD in Zhejiang University. He is in Kabul and is interviewed by "Hong Kong 01".
(Hong Kong 01 picture)
I went to study in China in 2012 and donated masks to Wuhan last year
In 2012, Jialan, who is planning to advance to university, hopes to learn more about China's rising neighbor, and then went to Shenzhen University to study for her undergraduate degree. After graduation, she studied for a master's degree at Nanjing University and is currently studying for a doctorate at Zhejiang University.
At the beginning of the outbreak in China last year, he returned to his home in Kabul, Afghanistan. Now, because of China's refusal to issue a visa, he cannot return to the campus of Zhejiang University and can only take online classes.
Because of this, he experienced the gradual restoration of the Taliban throughout the country in the past few years, and the moment when Kabul was captured on August 15 this year.
On August 15, the Taliban captured Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and entered the office of the president.
(Zabi Karimi/Associated Press)
There is nothing all at once
Jialan, who is fluent in Chinese and English, accepted the online interview of "Hong Kong 01" in Mandarin. He said that although he has fears, he does not need a pseudonym. He also faces the camera directly, hoping to tell the people of Hong Kong about the current situation in the country.
"It feels like there is no country, no government, no identity. All of our gains in the past 20 years are gone." Jialan said of the Taliban entering the city, full of loss and helplessness, "In the past, the Taliban had not done anything except war. What else. Intellectuals are opposed to the Taliban’s conservatism. People who have worked for the Afghan government are worried about being avenged. We are uneasy about the Taliban’s new constitution.”
▼Kabul after the Taliban entered the city▼
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Commercial suspension bank cannot withdraw money
The Taliban entered the city for half a month, the airport was chaotic, and there were no large-scale conflicts in the city, but Jialan said that most of the commercial centers did not open their doors. ."
In the past half month, Afghanistan has become the focus of the world. He also shared the latest situation in Kabul on Weibo and his views on the current situation. Unexpectedly, he exchanged for "little pink" abuse.
▼ Jialan was abused on Weibo▼
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Criticizing the Taliban being a dog of the United States
Jialan said that many netizens who attacked him believed that "the enemy of the enemy is a friend", so they should not say bad things about the Taliban.
He bluntly said that these critics did not understand the history of Afghanistan and the relationship between the United States and the Taliban, and even imposed hostile sentiments between China and the United States on the Afghans.
Having said this, he feels very wronged. In the past ten years in China, there are many friends who can be called brothers and sisters. At the beginning of last year, together with a few friends, he sent masks to Wuhan. It does not represent the whole of China. Even if I was attacked, it would not affect my feelings for the Chinese.
In February 2020, Jalal Bazwan and friends bought 20,000 masks in Afghanistan, donated them to the Chinese Embassy, and sent them to Wuhan.
Family killed in Taliban terrorist attack in hometown
Twenty years ago, the US troops sent troops to Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban regime, but they did not completely annihilate the Taliban forces.
The goal of the United States at that time was bin Laden's al-Qaeda organization.
Until last year, the Taliban had reoccupied parts of the town.
In October last year, the Taliban air raid Jialan's hometown, and his cousin and some relatives and friends were also killed.
In 2017, Jalal Bazwan returned to his hometown controlled by the Taliban and took photos with his elders.
Trump and Taliban cannot reach peace talks after signing an agreement
In February 2020, the then U.S. President Trump signed an agreement with Taliban representatives in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The U.S. promised to withdraw from Afghanistan, stop sanctions on the Taliban, and release and exchange some prisoners; the Taliban must ensure that al Qaeda and others will not be allowed The operation of the terrorist organization, according to the plan, the Taliban will negotiate with the Afghan government to determine the country's governance rights.
Trump's agreement was accused of being absurd, but the Taliban did not follow the agreement and negotiated, but stepped forward.
The Afghan government army also lost without a fight due to serious corruption and many other problems.
After the change of the US government, President Biden announced the withdrawal of troops at the end of August. He was also accused of ignoring that the Taliban had torn up the agreement first, and ultimately in exchange for the defeat of Afghanistan.
▼Wang Yi meets with the Taliban▼
Hua Chunying: The Taliban are sober and rational
On July 28 this year, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the Taliban leader in Tianjin. He described "Ata" (Afghan Taliban) as the country's "important military and political force" and called on Afghanistan to establish a broad and inclusive political structure. .
On August 16, the day after Kabul fell, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press conference: "The situation in Afghanistan has undergone major changes. We respect the wishes and choices of the Afghan people." By August 19, Hua Chun Ying once again commented on the Taliban: "The Taliban today are more sober and rational than they were when they were in power last time."
On August 19, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that "the Taliban today are more sober and rational than they were in the last time they were in power."
(Tingshu Wang/Reuters)
To say that the Taliban is the people’s choice is to disrespect the Afghans
The reporter of "Hong Kong 01" asked whether the Taliban were the choice of the Afghan people?
Jialan said excitedly: "I am against it. The Taliban is not my choice. If they say that the Taliban is the choice of the Afghans, they just disrespect the Afghans. You don't know what the Afghan people want. The great powers continue to interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. , To support the choices of the Afghans, of course not.”
He admits that the Taliban is a part of Afghan society, but he opposes the conservative thinking of the Taliban and does not want to go back to 20 years ago.
▼Kabul terrorist attack on August 26▼
Terrorist attacks continue to be unresolved
On August 26, there was a suicide terrorist attack near Kabul Airport, killing 182 people, including 62 Afghan civilians, 28 Taliban members, and 13 US troops.
The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), a branch of the terrorist organization ISIS, admits responsibility.
"Afghanistan still has more than 20 terrorist organization operations. The Taliban has taken over. There are other terrorist organizations, ISIS and al-Qaeda. Don't think that if the Taliban takes over, the problem will be solved." For terrorist attacks, good. Lan was still worried.
▼U.S. forces completely withdrew▼
The 40 Years' War became the battlefield of great powers
On August 30, the US military formally and completely withdrew from Afghanistan. Jialan said frankly that he never wanted foreign troops to occupy the country. In the past 20 years, the US and NATO have not been responsible for helping Afghanistan build a normal country.
"Afghanistan has been at war for almost 40 years. Our people are already very tired. Afghanistan has become a battlefield for a great power."
On August 31, U.S. President Biden delivered a speech on the day following the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, stating that "it is time to end this war" and that "China or Russia is in our competition. What we want to see most is that the United States gets stuck again. Afghanistan has been in a difficult situation for more than ten years.” (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)
Hope China will take action to put pressure on Pakistan
At present, the new big-power game has begun. Jialan believes that the Chinese government can do more, "China has a good relationship with Pakistan, and China can pressure Pakistan and not interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs." He said that the Taliban have been in the country for 20 years. In Pakistan for training and treatment, Taliban members also used their passports to go abroad. "If Pakistan has not interfered, no children will believe it." He also said that China can participate in Afghanistan's national construction and achieve a win-win situation.
On August 20, the Afghan Embassy in China still hung the original flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, but did not change the Taliban flag.
(Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press)
Hong Kong people can help speak internationally
Jialan said that in the past 20 years, Afghanistan has gradually modernized. Although the government has a serious corruption problem, he still hopes that the president and government can be changed through elections.
Now that the country is changing, he is worried that the reign of terror will return. He can only hope that the international community will put pressure on the Taliban to fulfill their promises and form an inclusive government.
"Reluctantly (forcing) the Taliban to protect Afghanistan's constitution, human rights, women's rights, and gains over the past 20 years." He hopes that Hong Kong people can also help Afghans to speak out in the international community.
▼Afghanistan under the lens of Jialan▼
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Won't leave-this is my home
Facing the changing political situation, many people will choose to leave, but Jialan hopes to stay in Afghanistan after finishing her studies. "Many ask me whether I will leave Afghanistan, then where can I go if I leave? This is my home. ,my country."
Jalal Bazwan, an Afghan, is studying for a PhD in Zhejiang University. He is in Kabul and is interviewed by "Hong Kong 01".
(Photo by Lao Xianliang)
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