Missing
Missing children
A couple of weeks ago Andy put on his Facebook page a link to a poster … two boys had gone missing, one six years old and another as years old.
He called me and asked me to put a link to it on my page as well, so that as many people as possible could see it … I did so and during the morning I saw that several other people had also put links to the same poster.
It wasn’t clear to me if the two cases were related in any way or were simply two boys that had gone missing at the same time.
Anyway, when I saw a news report later in the day about a body, thought to be that of the older boy, being discovered in the BChK, (the Bolshoi Chuiskiy Canal), it brought a profound sense of sadness.
It was the half term break and the two boys were seen walking near their school … and there is a suggestio0n that they were seen being led off by a man, “of European appearance” …
At first, it was not clear how he met his fate. If, for example, it was a simple accident – after all, the canal like many significant bodies of water around the world has taken it’s toll of children over the years.
On the other hand, was it something more something more sinister? (There has, after all, been a lot of attention in the press and in parliament to the question of pedophiles and how they should be treated.)
So that seems to have answered that question.
There was no news about the second boy and, for a while there were lots of posters to be seen over the internet appealing for help. Unfortunately, after being missing for a week, some fisherman also found his body in the Canal – in more or less the same place as the older boy had been found. Apparently it had been covered with algae and submerged which was why the search of the area had not been able to find him earlier; that particular point where the bodies were found is near a power station and the canal is quite deep.
It seems that there were no signs of violence on the body and the theory is that they lost their footing on concrete slabs, and fell into the water …
Unfortunately, these are not the only cases we’ve seen recently of a child going missing.
Perhaps the saddest was the case of a newborn baby being taken from a maternity home … and she remained missing for over a week … fortunately she was found unharmed. Although early suspects actually included members of the family from out of town … it soon emerged that some one on the medical staff may well have been involved and eventually a hospital nurse was arrested – although, at the moment, the motivation for the theft is unclear.
All this is surprising … in general, the attitude towards children is very protective.
On the other hand, there has been some good news …
In another case. a brother and sister, (11 and 14 years old), were reported missing in Djalal Abad earlier in the month. It seems that there had been an argument with their mother and they taken some money and gone in search of their father’s relatives. Fortunately, they were discovered a week later in Osh. Apparently not not having come to any harm … but having spent most of the money.
There was also a four year old who was found after he had simply wandered off and got himself lost.
As it happens, today is Universal Children’s Day.
Now that’s a bit surprising … here in Kyrgyzstan Children’s Day is usually marked on 1st June.
In fact, Children’s Day was first proclaimed by the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in 1925 but then, in 1954, it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly which five years later, (also on 20th November), adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Thirty years later, (also on 20th November), it adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Convention is an international treaty recognizing the human rights of children, defined as persons up to the age of 18 years – unless the relevant local laws recognize an earlier age of majority. It establishes in international law that States must ensure that all children, without discrimination in any form:
- benefit from special protective measures and assistance;
- have access to services such as education and health care;
- can develop their personalities, abilities and talents to the fullest potential;
- grow up in an environment of happiness, love and understanding; and
- are informed about and participate in achieving their rights in an accessible and active manner.
Under Article 49, the declaration came into force when the twentieth ratification was lodged – the first of which, (from Ghana), came in February 1990 … there were three vying for the twentieth place, (Bangladesh, Benin and Sudan), in September that year. Kyrgyzstan acceded to the Convention in October, 1994. It has now been ratified by all societies in the world – and even by some which are not states, (such as the Sudan People’s Liberation Army).
Oddly enough, although the United States signed the Convention in 1995, it has yet to ratify it …
Although 20th November has special significance … back in 1954 the UN decision included a provision to encourage member nations to each establish a commemorative Children’s Day to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and to initiate action to benefit and promote children’s welfare – a day devoted to promoting the ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world. As a result, there are well over 40 different Children’s Days celebrated around the world – the most popular of which is 1st June with 40 different countries commemorating it – including Kyrgyzstan.
Bishkek