http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/my-journey-from-afghanistan-to-australia An entire Lightstalkers thread via RSS/XML. en-us I am a photographer from Afghanistan. I am Hazara, worked with the allies in Kabul and had my photo essay about The Dancing Boys in Afghanistan published in The Washington Post. The consequence of those three things is that I have had to flee my home in Afghanistan. I was threatened with death and my family are also not safe and are in exile in Pakistan. As I am a photojournalist I decided that as I had to flee I would document the journey - mine and the other people who have found themselves in the same situation. We traveled down through Thailand, Malaysia and then to Indonesia where we hoped to get on a boat to Australia. Unfortunately, the boat I was on started to sink - but I had taken a handycam on the boat and even though I lost all my cameras when I ended up in the water, my camera cards survived. The link below is to the story that Australian journalist Mark Davis did on my journey. I gave him access to my stills and the moving footage. I want the world to know what happens sometimes when you tell the truth as I did with my Dancing Boys story and when you work for the allies. I am not alone in this situation, many Afghans who have helped the Americans, the British and the Australians and the Dutch etc... have their lives and their families lives threatened. I wanted to tell this story for history and because I am a photojournalist and a documenter. I hope that you will watch it. [5:41:11 AM] Tim Page: I have also put a link to the Global Mail who did an online story about my journey. http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/watch/id/601577/n/Batoor-s-Journey http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/how-much-would-you-risk-to-start-a-new-life-in-australia/412/ Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:22:10 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/my-journey-from-afghanistan-to-australia Hi Batoor, yes we are watching the whole story. A real odyssey. Okay, greetings ... big hug for Tim and Marianne! Thanks Sun, 21 Oct 2012 15:37:59 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/my-journey-from-afghanistan-to-australia#177140 Barat, congratulations for your work and please go on documenting. All the best for your life and career. Federico Sun, 21 Oct 2012 21:30:12 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/my-journey-from-afghanistan-to-australia#177145 Barat, thank you for documenting and sharing your harrowing journey. This is a very important story, something that gets mentioned by Indonesian media (and surely in Australia as well,) but I have never seen the depth of a first hand account such as yours. Are you safe now in Australia? I wish all the best to you and your family as you take the next steps in your life. Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:08:54 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/my-journey-from-afghanistan-to-australia#177146 good story!!! Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:11:40 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/my-journey-from-afghanistan-to-australia#177147 An amazing story and first look at what it's like to travel the asylum seeker road from Afghanistan to Australia - and what makes this footage and the images even more compelling is that the asylum seeker is also the photojournalist.... Barat Ali Batoor. Many of us hope that you get to the end of your journey safely and that you receive the same compassion from the Australian govt that you showed towards your fellow travellers and the Dancing Boys, whose story you documented so beautifully. Good luck Batoor. Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:22:10 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/my-journey-from-afghanistan-to-australia#177157