Dire Situations

1. FADE IN.

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. STUDY - DAY

6. 
   

7. PETER is watching TV, breaking news.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): For the past few days, I've been watching closely situations in Afghanistan. The international armed conflict has become a non-international one.

10. 
    

11. We see on TV: UN:390,000 Afghans have been displaced by conflict.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): After the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, the US demanded Afghanistan to handover Osama bin Laden and expel al-Qaeda.

14. 
    

15. Peter surfs the web.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): On extradition, the Taliban government asked US for convincing evidence.

18. 
    

19. Reading.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Instead of following international law, US, with support from UK, invaded Afghanistan from Oct 7 and drove the Taliban government out of power on Dec 17, 2001.

22. 
    

23. Reading.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): From 2002, the Taliban has been fighting against the US-backed government and the occupying forces in Afghanistan.

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS

30. 
    

31. FLASHBACK

32. 
    

33. EXT. ISHIGAKI, JAPAN - DAY (June 2019)

34. 
    

35. A GROUP in scuba-diving gear is walking towards a pier. Peter chat's with an English-speaking ESCORT.

36. 
    

37. PETER: So, you're the security escort. Where're you from?

38. 
    

39. ESCORT: US. I've been discharged from the army. I fought in Afghanistan not too long ago and sustained serious injury in a landmine explosion.

40. 
    

41. The escort lifts his T-shirt to show the scars. Peter looks astonished.

42. 
    

43. PETER: And what's that small box you're carrying for?

44. 
    

45. ESCORT: I'll put my mobiles inside when we do scuba-diving. If there's any dire situation while we're in the water, I'll call for emergency support with them.

47. PETER: I see. I feel very secure in your company.

48. 
    

49. END FLASHBACK

50. 
    

51. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've never travelled to Afghanistan. For South Asia, I've only been to New Delhi to see Taj Mahal. The experience of getting there and return was already stressful.

52. 
    

53. The TV shows some video clips.

54. 
    

55. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Well, the Taliban flags are flying everywhere. Success breeds success.

56. 
    

57. The TV reports a US spokesperson's remarks: US couldn't predict the lack of resistance of Afghan forces on the ground... No political and military leadership...

58. 
    

59. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): US wanted to withdraw from the endless war and UK followed suit.

60. 
    

61. Peter sees a map on TV showing territories under the control of Taliban.

62. 
    

63. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Taliban is isolating Kabul. Both US and UK didn't predict that their forces have to return to Afghanistan to deal with the evacuations so soon.

64. 
    

65. The TV reports: the fate of Afghanistan interpreters is in limbo. We see images uniformed interpreters patrolling with US marines and questioning suspects.

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): These interpreters are hired by private contractors. Siding with foreign forces, it's understandable that their lives and also those of their families are in dire situations now.

68. 
    

69. The TV shows other video clips.

70. 
    

71. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Afghan women fear the Taliban will take away their rights. What ordinary Afghans want is just little things like having picnics.

72. 
    

73. Other TV reports.

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75. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Taliban personnel say they've learned from their mis-governance in the past; and women will have equal rights.

76. 
    

77. Other TV video clips.

78. 
    

79. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): CNN gains access to a former US base now under Taliban control.

80. 
    

81. The moving images on screen show Taliban militants riding on a US military jeep.

82. 
    

83. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They look triumphant.

84. 
    

85. Then, we see a militant being interviewed. We hear: One day, we'll have Islam law all over the world.

86. 
    

87. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That dominant mindset is worrying.

88. 
    

89. Peter watches attentively a TV report, showing the Afghan President making a short speech:... remobilization of the Afghan forces has become his top priority...we're taking serious measures to deal with the situations...

90. 
    

91. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Two-third of his country has already been out of his control in a matter of 7-8 days!

92. 
    

93. Pausing.

94. 
    

95. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What the US-backed government can't get in battle fields is what they can't get over any negotiation table anywhere.

96. 
    

97. Pausing.

98. 
    

99. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm convinced that all the dire situations are the result of no political and military leadership, international and non-international.

100. 
     

101. Pausing.

102. 
     

103. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But civilians are always caught in the middle in the conflict. There can be a huge humanitarian disaster.

104. 
     

105. Act 3

106. 
     

107. INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS

108. 
     

109. Thinking.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.): What is it all for? Just to satisfy the crave of countries and peoples to dominate others.

112. 
     

113. Pausing.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They don't care about the lives of ordinary people in conflict zones. Urban warfare is no fun.

116. 
     

117. Pausing.

118. 
     

119. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Kabul will fall when the US and UK evacuation operations are largely over. Just hope that there won't be lots of bloodshed.

120. 
     

121. Pausing.

122. 
     

123. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): National security is the duty of any government. Hongkongers are fortunate that we've avoided the dire situations like what Afghans are experiencing.

124. 
     

125. FADE OUT.

126. 
     

127. THE END