Ei-iE

The Third World Congress of Education International, meeting in Jomtien, Thailand, from 25 to 29 July, 2001:

1. Whereas, in 1996, after nearly 20 years of invasion, internal strife and civil war, the political and military force known as the Taliban took control of the government of Afghanistan. At the time, many Afghanis welcomed the Taliban in the hope that the new government would bring stability, security and economic relief to Afghanistan. However, in the intervening years the Taliban has failed to meet these aspirations and has established an authoritarian state that has deprived Afghans of their basic human rights;

2. Whereas, the 56th session of the year 2000 United Nations Commission on Human Rights "condemned the widespread violations and abuses of human rights and humanitarian law and the continuing grave violations of the human rights of women and girls, including all forms of discrimination against them";

3. Whereas, human rights organizations report that the Taliban has deliberately and systematically killed thousands of people. Additionally, under Taliban edicts women in Afghanistan have been made virtual prisoners in their own homes; and girls have been prohibited from attending school;

4. Whereas, on May 22, 2001 the Taliban ordered Hindu men in Afghanistan to wear yellow cloth badges pinned to their shirt pockets, and Hindu and Sikh women to veil themselves in public as Muslin women are required to do;

5. Resolved, that the Education International most stongly condemns the continuing violations of human and political rights carried out by the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. We especially note the actions by the Taliban that have virtually eliminated any rights, including the right to education, for women and girls in Afghanistan;

6. Resolved, that the Education International strongly condemns the action by the Taliban to require Hindu men to wear yellow badges. This is an extreme example of racism and human rights violation reminiscent of Nazi Germany. Historically, such actions have been part of systematic actions to expel or eliminate entire categories of national minorities;

7. Resolved, that the Education International calls on the United Nations and other appropriate governmental and non-governmental institutions and organizations to expose all continuing violations of human rights on the part of the Taliban and to take all possible actions to end these extreme violations of human rights by the Taliban against the people of Afghanistan.