The prestigious Geuzenpenning award from the Geuzen Resistance 1940-1945 Foundation is being given jointly this year to Afghan human rights activist Sima Samar and the Dutch military.

It is the first time in its 25-year history that the medal has been awarded to a military institution. The award is given annually to people or organisations striving to improve human rights and democratic governance.

Ms Samar fits in well in the line of previous winners, which have included Amnesty International and Vaclav Havel. Ms Samar chairs the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, and has served as a human rights rapporteur for the UN in Sudan since 2005. Throughout her career, Ms Samar has fought for women’s rights in Afghanistan, serving for a time as Deputy President and Minister for Woman’s Affairs in Hamid Karzai’s newly founded transitional government.

Unusual choice
The Dutch military, on the other hand, is an unusual – perhaps even controversial – choice for the Geuzenpenning. It signals recognition of the new role of the military as peacekeepers and nation builders, and in particular the “Dutch approach” of development, defence and diplomacy used in Afghanistan. But this approach also has its critics, in part for militarising development work, and for the inevitable civilian casualties.

How does Ms Samar feel about sharing the award with Dutch troops?

“I think that they really deserve the medal because they are the people who sacrifice their lives for people who are not closely related to them. We are far from your country, but they are doing a great job. They are trying to improve the lives of the Afghan people, and trying to protect the Afghan civilians from violence and discrimination, and from human rights violations.”

Unavoidable deaths?
Ms Samar’s organization is not always so positive about the work of foreign soldiers in Afghanistan. The AIHRC regularly criticizes pro-government military forces for killing civilians – in this press release from February 2010, for instance.

But she refers to civilian casualties as ‘collateral damage’, and clearly lays the blame for these deaths on the forces fighting to overthrow President Hamid Karzai’s government.

She says this is true even for the most serious incident involving Dutch soldiers and civilian deaths. In June 2007, during a five-day battle for the village of Chora, Dutch forces bombed the village from a great distance. At least 100 civilians died during the battle, but it is unclear how many of those deaths were the result of the Dutch bombing.

Ms Samar says the Dutch forces did what they had to do, and were given little choice because the Taliban forces in Chora were using civilians as human shields.

“But they are facing people who don’t believe in any law. The opposition to the government is really trying to use civilians as human shields. They are trying, they should try, to protect civilians. But in some cases, it’s not possible.”

Sacrifices
General Peter van Uhm, the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army, will receive the prize later on Monday on behalf of the Dutch military. He does not see any contradiction in a human rights prize being awarded to military forces, which are more often seen as the cause of human rights violations than the solution.

“It’s not a contradiction to me. I’m happy that it was awarded to our armed forces. The reason for that is the way we did our 3D concept; that is defence, diplomacy and development. And of course there is a difference with the past. My soldiers are full professionals that have to deliver all these aspects of their job, and then it’s great to hear that someone wants to give them the Geuzenpenning.” 

When Ms Samar said she admired Dutch troops for their sacrifices for a cause so far from home, she was looking directly at General van Uhm. His son was killed by a roadside bomb while serving in Afghanistan.

This year’s winners of the Geuzenpenning make an odd couple. But no one can question the commitment on both sides.  

• Geuzen Resistance 1940-1945 Foundation

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