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From various reports, including the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, National Public Radio (NPR), Orlando Sentinel syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker (“Sold” documentary), news feeds from the United Arab Emirates. “Pakistani boys as young as 3 are being sold into service as camel jockeys in the United Arab Emirates. … Many are sold by their impoverished parents, who were promised that their children would have better lives. The reality is different.” “Little boys … spend 12 or more hours a day strapped onto the backs of camels (and) are shocked with metal prods and fed saltwater to prevent their gaining weight.” One source said that the boys are often attached by velcro to their saddles. He explained that trainers not only prefer young boys for their small size, but also because during an actual race, their screams of terror help excite the camels into running faster. |
The Ansar Burney Trust, dedicated to “working for the better treatment of children” and against worldwide human trafficking claims there are more than 20,000 children working as camel jockeys all over the Middle East — the majority of whom had been smuggled from South Asia and Africa. Ansar Burney has been working for 16 years to stop the use of children in camel racing, and is beginning to see some change, as was reported by NPR. The use of robot jockeys is becoming more popular in the UAE, but there are numerous reports that the child trafficking continues, but it’s getting harder to document, as many racetracks also are banning the use of recording equipment of any kind. As recent as a year ago, a sheikh from Dubai came to Kentucky to buy race horses and was served with a lawsuit alleging he enslaved thousands of small boys as jockeys for his camel racing. The use of these boys as jockeys is abuse, and until the practice is stopped completely, the situation should not be overlooked. For more information, visit any of the following links: "Kidnapped Children Sold into Slavery as Camel Racers" at the Guardian "Camel Racing & Slavery" at the Ansar Burney Trust "Thousands of Boys Trapped as Camel Jockeys in the Middle East" at the Voice of America News NPR "Robot Jockeys Give Camel Racing a Modern Twist" "Illegally Trafficked Children" at CNS News "A Day at the Races" (2007)
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