Searched for 'Most Dangerous Travel Destinations' and Went to Kabul
Evacuated to UN Safe House, Then Boarded Transport Plane
Posted 'Selfie' During Escape
"Reckless and Thoughtless," "Seat Should Have Been for Refugees" Flood of Criticism
The interior view of a British military aircraft posted by British university student Miles Rothley on his social networking service (SNS) / Photo by Facebook capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Despite the dangerous period during which the Islamic militant group Taliban took control of all of Afghanistan, controversy has arisen over the reckless behavior of a British university student who traveled to the capital, Kabul. Although the student was able to escape safely by boarding a transport plane dispatched by the British military, he displayed immature behavior by posting 'selfies' during the process.
According to British media such as the BBC on the 18th (local time), British university student Miles Rothlidge (21) recently posted on his Facebook account, "I have safely arrived in Dubai. Thanks to the British military."
Rothlidge, who was trapped in Kabul under Taliban control, reportedly boarded a military transport plane sent by the British military and escaped safely. He also posted a 'selfie' video secretly taken on the transport plane on Facebook. In the video taken by Rothlidge, he can be seen sitting inside the transport plane alongside dozens of other civilians.
Rothlidge, from Birmingham, UK, is reported to have recently traveled to Kabul and become isolated there.
According to British local media such as The Sun, the reason he chose Kabul as his travel destination was because "when searching the internet for 'the most dangerous cities to visit,' Kabul came up."
At the time, he thought the Afghan government would not collapse for at least a month, and he felt reassured because he saw people traveling to Kabul when searching on YouTube.
However, on the 15th, when the Taliban entered Kabul, Rothlidge became trapped locally. At that time, he posted on Facebook that he was "abandoned by the British Embassy in Afghanistan," and "after several escape attempts, I am currently taking refuge at a UN safe house in Kabul," revealing his situation.
According to the BBC, the British government has issued a 'travel advisory to avoid all non-essential travel' to Afghanistan for over 20 years. Furthermore, since the 6th, when the Taliban began taking control of Afghan cities, the government urged its citizens in Afghanistan to leave immediately. Rothlidge traveled to Kabul despite this dangerous situation.
British netizens who learned of the news criticized Rothlidge, saying he was "reckless," "did he even think?" and "posting selfies so casually shows a lack of reflection."
One netizen strongly criticized, "The seat you took on that transport plane could have been for another woman or child," adding, "You might have taken away someone else's life."
Another netizen expressed regret, saying, "The seat this young man took should have been given to people targeted by the Taliban, such as Afghan interpreters who cooperated with the British military."
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