Following the ongoing talks with the families of the victims of the PKK / PJAK crimes, the Human Rights Watch of Iran has arranged a conversation with the father of “Bahman Orami Asl”, a member of PJAK.
It seems that the PKK / PJAK do not intend to stop the death of Kurdish children and youth.
The approach of militant groups such as PJAK in the use of children in war is contrary to their commitment under the Geneva Convention not to use children under the age of 18.
Perhaps the deception and abduction of Kurdish teenagers, youth and, of course, children, and then arming and using them for the purposes and interests of the leaders of militant groups such as PJAK and the PKK, is the only ‘achievement and gift’ of those claiming to defend the rights of the Kurdish people.
In fact, this is a human rights violation that these groups are constantly insisting on.
While violence is despised around the world and issues are resolved through diplomacy and dialogue, PJAK continues to promote violence that sends Kurdish youth to imminent death.
Because children are so easily influenced, they are also easily trapped by the PKK and its sister organizations. For example, they are kidnapped or deceived on the way to school, through social media, or they are persuaded by offering a fee to their often impoverished families back home, possibilities of immigration to the West.
The PKK can easily achieve its goals by recruiting minors, because children have less perception of disaster on the battlefield than adults, in other words, they are bolder.
Sometimes they do dangerous things that adult members are not willing to do. They spy, or carry explosives when instructed to do so.
One of these children was “Bahman Orami Asl”.
Bahman is one of hundreds of victims of poverty in the border areas of the country, and exactly an easy target for PKK and PJAK elements. Young, with a lack of education, and no means to discover the world outside his mountain village, the boy was easily convinced to join a passing group.
One should note that upon recruitment, there is no ‘resignation’ available. The only way to leave the group is by escaping it, which can be dangerous.
The full text of the conversation with Bahman Orami Asl’s father is as follows:
Bahman was my only son, our financial situation was not favorable at all, and sometimes my son complained about this situation, we all had to work hard to get bread on the table. Village life is very hard here, in the mountains. Throughout the spring and summer we work hard, in the winter we get snowed in, and rest.
He was doing a lot of work, mostly as a shepherd. He had been working when he was small, and now was 16. He had just started working in a poultry farm, where he stayed the nights, but one night, Bahman’s employer called me and said that unknown people had entered the poultry farm, and taken Bahman with them.
We first thought he might have been taken hostage, as these armed groups regularly extort money from business owners in the border villages. They collect taxes, and will threaten to burn the place down if they are not paid. But Bahman did not return.
It was not clear whether he had been deceived or taken away by force! We, who did not know who those people were, looked everywhere for our son.
We even traveled to Qandil several times in the years that we stayed without any news, the first time they completely denied that our son was among them, but the next time we went there, they accepted that yes, my son was taken away by PJAK elements, but they never let us see our son.
Every time they handed over a lie to us, once they said it was in Turkey! Once they said Syria! Once they said they were training in a remote place and… each time they told us another lie, and the more we insisted, the more harsh and humiliating they became towards us.
After all, how is it possible that my son, who all his life only wanted to be able to make a relatively good life for himself, wants to become a member of a place where they have no house, no proper clothes, and no food? We were all together saving up to finally buy or build a small house, our dream!
It is not possible that my son went there of his own free will, he was either deceived or forced. During our long pursuits, we did not get anywhere and we could not see our son. The only picture we have of our son was the last day he went to work, and we saw another photo of him as killed in their news, but no more news of them.
No, they did not even answer where our son was killed. What happened to him? Was his body buried or left in the mountains? They did not explain anything, and nothing, and were not willing to answer our many questions.
What should I do now? Where can I find my only son? What should I do to his sick mother? She was healthy in every way as long as he was by her side, but what should I do without our son? Who is responsible for the suffering of this old man and this mother who is grieving and sick ?!
