BAMYAN - Residents of Bamyan in Afghanistan’s central highlands converged today at the foot of the cavern where a Giant Buddha once stood to commemorate the 11th anniversary of its destruction.

Bamyan’s two cliff-carved Giant Buddhas -- said to be one male and the other female -- were toppled by the Taliban in 2001, six years after the assassination on the same day in 1995 of Baba Abdul Ali Mazari, dubbed the “Father of the Hazara Nation”.

The commemoration in Bamyan centre was attended by around 300 representatives of the Government, civil society groups and the international community, including the United Nations.

All the speakers took turns in condemning the vandalism, with Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) Provincial Head Abdul Ahad Farzan saying that the act was a clear human rights violation. AIHRC emphasized that while the reconciliation process may be ongoing, justice over the destruction of the Buddhas should not be sacrificed, and urged that the perpetrators be brought to justice.

Most of the speakers raised their concern over the lack of measures to ensure the protection of the remaining Buddha parts. Bamyan Deputy Governor Mohammad Asef Mubaligh called on the international community, UNESCO in particular, to help the Government of Afghanistan in reconstructing the toppled Buddha statues. The shattered Buddha parts are kept in buildings at the foot of the cliff waiting to be put back together again.

“The targets were symbols of culture, of a developed society and of art of this region,” said Michael Lackner of UNAMA Rule of Law. “Let’s take these very visible symbols of vandalism and terror as reminders that we want peace and reconciliation. Let’s turn these symbols into positive symbols, reminding us that the entire country must follow a way of peace, reconciliation and justice,” added Mr Lackner.

By UNAMA Central Highlands Region