Slave jockeys

This past Friday, a cable sports show in the United States revealed the awful truth about camel racing in the UAE. Ansar Burney, a Pakistani human rights activist, took hidden cameras to the 'slave' camps. The children are either kidnapped or sold by their parents for under $500. The children were from Pakistan and Bangladesh. In the shadow of the palaces of the royal family, these children are kept behind barbed wire. They are starved to keep their weight down. If they make mistakes, they are beaten and hung from the ceiling by chains. They are also sexually abused. The younger children are tied to the camel because they are too young to ride. The children often fall off and get trampled by the camels. On the other hand, the camels enjoy the wealth of their owners. They have their own swimming pools and they are afforded the most modern health care.

I am not sure whether the Pakistan or Bangladesh government can do anything about this. Due to the economic disparity between the countries, and the fact that Pakistan and Bangladesh depend on the UAE and the Middle East for foreign exchange, I am not sure how effective the Pakistan and Bangladesh governments can be. They can, however, enforce their laws so that it becomes more difficult for the traffickers.

I feel, as human beings, it is our responsibility to 'internationalise' this issue. This will hopefully bring an end to this horrific crime. I feel we should write letters to newspapers and leaders around the world.