The National Directorate of Security (NDS), the intelligence agency of Afghanistan, has detained civil activists who had divulged male sexual abuse in schools in Logar province. In a statement on Tuesday, the spy agency said the individuals had concocted the claims of sexual harassment of schoolboys to seek asylum in a foreign country, insisting that they have been shifted to a safe place due to security threats posed to them by virtue of the revelations. According to NDS, initial investigations suggest that their findings lacked evidence, and they had unprofessionally prepared the report to stage a publicity stunt and then seek asylum for his family in a country.
The detention of the civil society activists is a matter of grave concern. Instead of inquiring into the allegations of sexual abuse, and bringing those involved in the male sexual scandal to justice, the security agencies have incarcerated the whistleblowers. The government in general and the security apparatus in particular must not forget that problems cannot be resolved by whitewashing. Molestation in Afghan schools is a challenge that the government should tackle using rational ways than cover.
The imprisonment of civil activists not only cannot help solve the problem but also deters others from exposing wrongdoings in the future. The first step towards dealing with problems is to acknowledge them. If the government is really after creating a safe, sound learning environment, it needs to admit the existence of challenges currently facing the country’s education sector. Once problems are identified, then logical solutions can be found to them. Afghanistan will not achieve good governance responsive to the needs and demands of people so long as the government and relevant institutions are trying to sweep problems and flaws in their affairs under the rug due to fears of embarrassment and disgrace or any other considerations. The responsibility of the government is not to apprehend whistleblowers but to seek rational solutions to the existing challenges and prosecute the culprits.
