儘管非法又危險，開採寶石仍是許多阿富汗人無法抗拒的維生之道。
阿富汗Kunar省東邊是貴重和次貴重寶石開採和走私重地之一。不過，在Kunar省山區發現的寶石卻多半由塔利班組織控制，而非阿富汗政府。
在距離Kunar省主要城市Assadabad市50公里處的Chapa Dara山區，礦工們在山坡上辛苦的挖掘著。
一位鬍子花白、衣衫襤褸的男子說，他已經挖礦挖了十年，最近三個月才來到這裡採礦。
這位男子裝了一排燈，照亮他以手推車運載土石的路。他說已經找到了一條寶石礦脈，但還要再花上幾個星期才能挖掘出來。
這裡的礦工們多是受僱者而非獨立工人。雖然政府並未批准，該礦乃是被一群「股東」所控制，包括一位土地所有人和一位經授權在媒體前發言、名叫Ahmadullah的男子。
來自附近Nangarhar省的Ahmadullah描述了自己是如何從清理散落附近地區的地雷開始，一路當上礦場工地主管。
Kunar省山區已經發現多種半寶石，包括青金石、碧璽、海藍寶石、紫鋰輝石、黃玉、石榴石、螢石和各種石英等。其他阿富汗東部省份也已開採到祖母綠，紅寶石和藍寶石等寶石。
東阿富汗的寶石製造商協會說，大量的寶石已經越過邊境被走私進入巴基斯坦，沒留下任何記錄，也未被課稅。這樣的走私情況目前仍持續進行著。
Kunar省採礦主管機關知道Chapa Dara區非法採礦的情形，警方也說他們正在盡力阻止開採和走私寶石。
Kunar省警察局長Habibullah Saidkhil將軍說他的部下已經成功遏止非法採礦，但僅限於政府控制範圍內的地區。雖然Kunar省比起阿富汗其他省份相對較小，卻是美國和阿富汗安全部隊密度最高的省份。
與此同時，Chapa Dara區的塔利班指揮官也表明不會停止開採屬於他們的資產。
整個Kunar省幾乎全是山地或半山地地形。地勢較低的Hindu Kush山脈形成Kunar河谷，Kunar河水往流向Hindu Kush盆地。高山、深谷、陡坡和河流，在歷史上一直是讓人難以穿越Kunar省的天然屏障。
Illegal and risky it may be, but mining for gemstones is an irresistible way of earning a living for some Afghans.
The eastern province of Kunar is just one region where precious and semiprecious stones are dug up and smuggled abroad. In Kunar, the mountain areas where gems are found are mostly controlled by the Taleban rather than the Afghan government.
In the Chapa Dara district, 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Kunar’s main town Assadabad, and miners are hard at work opening up the mountainside.
One man, with gray streaks in his beard and wearing old, torn clothing, said he started here three months ago, but had been mining for the last 10 years.
He had set up a row of lights to illuminate his path as he carried away rocks and soil in a wheelbarrow. He said a seam containing precious stones had been identified, but it would take several more weeks of digging to get at it.
The miners here are employed rather than working freelance. Although unsanctioned by the government, the mine is controlled by a group of “shareholders,” one of them the owner of the land and another, a man called Ahmadullah, who spoke on the record about the mining.
Ahmadullah, from the neighboring province of Nangarhar, described how he began by organizing the clearance of landmines scattered around the area. Now he supervises the miners.
Semi-precious lapis lazuli, tourmaline, aquamarine, kunzite, topaz, garnets, fluorite and varieties of quartz have been found in the mountains of Kunar. Precious gems including emeralds, ruby and sapphires are mined in other eastern Afghan provinces.
The association of gemstone producers for eastern Afghanistan says large amounts of stones are being smuggled over the border into Pakistan, rather than being recorded and taxed.
The government department responsible for mining in Kunar is aware that illegal excavations are going on in Chapa Dara, while police say they are doing their best to stop the mining and smuggling of gemstones.
Provincial police chief General Habibullah Saidkhil said his men halted illegal mining, but only in areas under government control. Although relatively small compared to other provinces in Afghanistan, Kunar has among the highest concentrations of both U.S. and Afghan security forces.
Meanwhile, the Taleban commander in Chapa Dara said he would not stop people digging up assets that belonged to them.
Nearly all of Kunar province is mountainous or semi-mountainous terrain. The lower Hindu Kush mountains form the Kunar Valley, and the Kunar River flowing south drains the Hindu Kush basin. The mountains, narrow valleys with steep sides and the river have served as natural obstacles to travel through the province throughout history.
※ 全文及圖片詳見：ENS
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
