18 year old Cholpon with her new husband Aman a day after their wedding ceremony. Three days previously she was kidnapped byAman and taken to his home. Even if I married you, there would be no love in our married life.' Although illegal, bride kidnapping is common in rural parts of Kyrgyzstan. Each year around 16, 000 women become married after being kidnapped. They are known as 'Ala Kachuu' that translates as 'to grab and run away'. Defenders of the continuation of the practice sight tradition. However, during Soviet Times it was rare, and parents generally arranged marriages. Cholpon had seen Aman before but they had never spoken. She says: 'When I was taken to this house I kept resisting for 6 hours. But for a Kyrgyz woman once you enter a man's house it is very rude to leave and there were old women who kept convincing me to stay. It is our tradition to respect them. So I finally gave up.'...