he's asia advocacy director of human rights watch he joins us tonight from new york mr sifton is good to have you on the program what does all of this this withdrawal what does it mean for the people of afghanistan. well it's important to emphasize that while a lot of mistakes were made over the last 20 years as of late the united states and nato forces in afghanistan have not been directly directly protecting people against them what they do is protect the government instance the military gains from the town and they haven't even really been doing it that well over the last decade so what's going to happen people fear is that the taliban will make further gains on the battlefield and in the areas that they control. will implement policies that are worse for afghans that's the theory but the concept that you know needs to be emphasized here is that it isn't just withdraw in the abstract there are peace negotiations going on as soon as next week and they're going to be for their peace negotiations down there so it's very important now for the international community to focus on those i

john sifton with human rights watch mr sifton as always we appreciate your time in your insights and i think you may have secretary-general u.n. stoltenberg says alliance forces will also begin withdrawing from afghanistan on may 1st alongside some 3000 u.s. soldiers there are about 7000 nato troops serving in afghanistan here's speaking a short while ago in brussels we have been closely consulting on our presence and off gone the song or the last weeks and months. in the light of the u.s. decision to withdraw all foreign and defense ministers of nato discuss the way forward today i decided that we will start that would draw all of may to receive support mission forces by may 1st. all were drilled on will be or coordinate that deliberate free plan to complete the would drop zone for all owed troops within a few months. any tall it on attacks on our troops during this period will be met with a forceful response or from want to go to our very own teri schultz she is at new headquarters in brussels good evening to you terry shortly after president biden's speech today we heard from the

earlier i spoke to john sifton, the asia advocacy director at the human rights watch.ours" and the international community has to take harder action. we have always known that the myanmar military are not ashamed to attack civilians across myanmar during civil war, insurgencies. and against the rohingya several years ago. we are now seeing them showing their true colours, as always. people arrested in the dead of night. the international community must actually take hard action that shows that this type of behaviour is intolerable.— this type of behaviour is intolerable. when you talk about hard _ intolerable. when you talk about hard action, - intolerable. when you talk about hard action, we - intolerable. when you talk| about hard action, we know intolerable. when you talk - about hard action, we know that sanctions simply don't seem to persuade the regime to stop this kind of behaviour. they feel that they have no friends in the international community anyway, so, what kind of hard actions could possibly curb their behaviour? the united states, their behaviour? the

well, let's speak to john sifton about this.tch, and joins us from washington, dc. we have been watching this situation and me in myanmarand so in myanmar and so many children have lost their lives, it is deeply distressing and what is your reaction?— distressing and what is your reaction? ~ , . ., ., , distressing and what is your reaction? . ., , ., reaction? the myanmar military have little shame — reaction? the myanmar military have little shame when _ reaction? the myanmar military have little shame when it _ reaction? the myanmar military have little shame when it comes _ reaction? the myanmar military have little shame when it comes to - little shame when it comes to civilians across myanmar during the civilians across myanmar during the civil wars it insurgencies in their crimes against humanity committed against the rohingya muslims several years ago. basically showing their true colours. killing children as young as five years old, arresting people in the dead of night, this situation is out of control and the internat