Human rights workers in Afghanistan on Monday blamed the government for the ongoing abuses in the country, saying that the situation was largely undermined by the government's weak response to the problem.
This year's International Day of Human Rights on December 10 passed without fanfare in Afghanistan – no ceremonies or meetings were held in the capital. But activists and observers called for the government to step up its action on the matter.
"Since most of the government officials are human rights violators, undoubtedly that undermines the efforts to improve the situation here," head of Afghanistan Civil Society Association Azizullah Rafee told TOLOnews.
Activists are concerned at the alarming increase of violence. This year's statistics recorded some 3500 cases of violence against women happened since late March – a major increase compared to the last seven years. In the past three months, there were 38 case of rape reported and 90 percent of the victims were children.
"The armed opposition groups and powerful figures within the Afghan government have been a major blow to the improvement of human rights in Afghanistan," civil society activist Ajmal Balloch said.
A researcher for an international Human Rights Watch Heather Barr, who is based in Kabul, said the lack of government support for human rights organisation is a key factor in feeding the violence in the country.
"There are many organisations which are working very hard, but there is one organisation which is most important because it's part of the government and that is the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission which is having a very difficult time to do its job properly these days because of the decision that President [Hamid] Karzai has made to not appoint talented and committed people to the commission," Barr said.
"I can say that it's very difficult – you know that there are many other countries where there is also a war going, where the people are very poor. I can't say Afghanistan is the worst, but I can say that the situation here is very difficult for all Afghans," she said.
Insecurity, crimes against humanity, increasing violence against women, appointing children as soldiers, lack of access to education, torture and killing of the innocent people are just some of the human rights violations happening in the country.