Sen.Blutarsky 0 #1 April 13, 2005 I never would have predicted this one: Qatar says robots to replace child camel jockeys Wed Apr 13, 2005 04:58 PM ET DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar plans to start using robots as riders in popular camel races after international criticism of the use of child jockeys, the Gulf Arab state's official QNA news agency reported on Wednesday. It said the robot, developed by an unnamed Swiss company, had been tested successfully and that the energy-rich country was considering setting up a factory to build them. Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani, the official in charge of the project, referred to United Nations concern over child jockeys and said Qatar was determined to save camel racing, which is popular among Arabs of Bedouin origin. Nearby United Arab Emirates has also announced plans to introduce remote-controlled robots, which can be light enough to use as jockeys in the lucrative sport. Rights groups say several thousand boys, some as young as four, work as camel jockeys in the oil-rich Gulf, many after being abducted or sold by their families mainly from the Indian subcontinent. They say the boys are kept in prison-like conditions and underfed to keep them light so the camels run faster. Source: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=8173675 Blutarsky 2008. No Prisoners! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
markd_nscr986 0 #2 April 13, 2005 Bluto........ Don't worry......... Your bookie says you'll still be able to bet on the races regardlessMarc SCR 6046 SCS 3004 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sen.Blutarsky 0 #3 April 13, 2005 QuoteYour bookie says you'll still be able to bet on the races regardless But it just won't be the same camel racing we grew to know and love, Mark. Will the spectator gallery rise and gasp in unison when a robot gets thrown from its camel? The sense of adventure will be lost - Hell, next thing you know they'll automate the floggings and the stonings, I mean why visit that corner of the world anymore? Blutarsky 2008. No Prisoners! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sen.Blutarsky 0 #4 July 8, 2005 A positive development ... More child camel jockeys return A second group of 86 children working as camel jockeys in the Gulf have returned to Pakistan, officials say. The children have been repatriated under a deal between the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations. Most are from poor families and will be accommodated at a government facility. The first batch of 22 such children returned to Pakistan last month. Hundreds of young children from poor countries are sent to the Gulf every year to work as camel jockeys. Hostile environment The children arrived from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on an early morning flight on Friday. They were received in Lahore by the Punjab government's advisor on child rights, Faiza Asghar. "We cannot return them the years they have lost in a hostile environment," Ms Asghar told reporters at the Lahore airport. "But we promise we will do our best to make their futures better." Camel racing is a hugely popular sport in the Gulf countries and children are preferred jockeys because of their light weight. Reports from international agencies and the media say these children are treated like slaves by their employers who "care more for the camels than the children". Minister for overseas Pakistanis Tariq Azim has estimated that nearly 3,000 children involved in camel races are stranded in the UAE, out of which between 70 to 80% are of Pakistani origin. Robot jockeys In June the UAE agreed a deal with Unicef and the governments of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Mauritius and the UAE to repatriate child camel jockeys. They agreed that help and protection would be offered to boys until they were sent back to their homelands. The UAE banned jockeys aged under 16 and weighing less than 45kg (100lb) two months ago. Following successful tests, the UAE says that it now plans to use robot jockeys in place of the boys. Back home, locating the parents of these children can be an onerous task, given that some of them left Pakistan when they were barely a few years old. Ms Asghar said that in some cases, the Punjab government has had to do blood tests to determine their parentage. The caution is aimed at ensuring that none of the children end up with adults who may send them back to the UAE. The Punjab government is seeking written undertakings from parents that they would not send their children back to being child jockeys. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4664257.stm Published: 2005/07/08 14:42:09 GMT © BBC MMV Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
