NEPAL: Morang-based security forces open fire at protestors killing six and injuring fifty following the gang-rape and killing of a woman by security personnel 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by reports from local sources alleging that members of the armed forces indiscriminately opened fire on a crowd of three thousand civilian protestors, killing six and injuring 50 others, following an incident of gang-rape and killing by security personnel based in the Morang District, Nepal.

On 25 April 2006 at 8.30 pm, Sapana Gurung was reportedly dragged from her home to the nearby Nepal Telecommunications Office, Pashuhat Chauri by three security officers. At the time, 15 security personnel were stationed at the office as part of a patrolling mission under the command of Army Captain Pralhad Magar. At around 9.25 pm it was reported that villagers heard gunfire. Sapana was later found dead around 100 meters from her home. Medical reports filed by the B.P. Koirela Memorial Hospital declared that Sapana was shot after being gang-raped. The armed forces have denied the rape allegations, claiming that Sapana was killed when she failed to obey orders to halt given by an army patrol. The victim’s husband, Dal Bahadur Gurung has tried to lodge a case for murder and rape, however it is understood that, to date, the First Information Report (FIR) has still not been registered and no serious investigation into this case has begun.

It is worth noting that this incident took place on the day following the historic step-down of the King of Nepal, who was forced into re-instating parliament and surrendering his autocratic rule as the result of mass demonstrations that had been held in the capital, Kathmandu, and around the country for nearly three weeks. The King’s capitulation was welcomed internationally and by massive celebrations in the country, and paves the way for peace, democracy and the respect for human rights in Nepal. However, despite ongoing events, the armed forces in this case continued to act with indiscriminate and excessive force.

On April 26, a crowd comprising approximately three thousand people gathered at the Sub Police Station at Belbar-3, Morang district, to protest against the security forces actions and demanding compensation for the victim’s family and for the perpetrators to be punished. Tensions built as the protestors allegedly began chanting slogans, throwing rocks and setting logs on fire in front of the police station.

A delegation of six human rights activists representing the victim were just beginning to conduct a fact finding mission when members of the armed forces opened fire indiscriminately at the crowd, resulting in six deaths and 50 injuries. A commission has been formed by the current government of Nepal to investigate the repression of demonstrations that led to the King’s capitulation. It is sincerely hoped that the rape, killing and violent repression of the demonstrations in question here will also be addressed by similar measures.

The Army Captain in charge at the time has attempted to justify the brutal repression by claiming that Maoist infiltrators were present in the crowd and were planning a raid. This claim has often been made by the security forces to justify the repression of demonstrations. Regardless of whether this is true or not, it cannot justify the indiscriminate shooting of civilians. Among the 50 injured, 39 were admitted to hospital with bullet wounds.

The following people died in the incident:

1. Prabin Bhattarai, Indrapur, Morang
2. Tek Lal Chudhari, Mrigauliya-8, Morang
3. Khine Darjee, Indrapur -2, Morang
4. Prasanta Gurung, Belbari-2, Morang
5. Bhusi Mushahar, Belbari-3, Morang (Female)
6. Phurwa Sherpa, Indrapur -6, Morang

The following civilians were injured in the incident:

1. Geeta Adhikari, (17), Bashantapur-7, Terthum, bullet injury on both legs
2. Rudra Darnal, (30), Udayapur-8, Udayapur, bullet injury on hand
3. Krishna Limbu, Belbari, bullet injury
4. Suwash Kattle, (21) , Belbari-4, Morang, bullet injury on thigh
5. Puskar Koirala, (19), Mrigaulia-2, Morang, bullet in jury on hip
6. Phiroj Khan , (32), Belbari, bullet injury
7. Tara Ghimire, (22), Indrapur, bullet injury on thigh
8. Suwash Limbu, (33), Kerabari, bullet injury
9. Santosh Magar, (21), Belbari-1, Morang, bullet injury on hip
10. Tanka Bd r. Gurung, (35), Kerabi, bullet injury
11. Yu baraj Rai, (10), Lalbhitti, bullet injury on back bone
12. Pritam Rai, (17), Belbari-2, Morang, bullet injury on back bone
13. Rana Bdr. Shrestha, (47), Sundarpur-1, Morang, bullet injury on back bone
14. Ram Danuwar, (48), Indrapur-7, Morang , bullet injury on stomach
15. Bala Ram Rimal, (17), Mrigaulia, bullet injury on Palm
16. Goppal Gautam, (37), Belbari-4, Morang , bullet injury on left cheek
17. Bhente Tamag, (12), Kerauna -9, Morang, bullet injury on back bone
18. Drona Shaestha, (23), Belari-2, Morang, bullet injury on leg
19. Santosh Limbu, (25), Belari-3, Morang, bullet injury on back bone
20. Yagya Kumar I Dahal, (38), Belari-4, Morang, bullet injury on thigh
21. Gobinda Gharti, (27), Kerabari-9, Morang, bullet injury on left hip
22. Prakas Koirala, (17), Belbari-9, bullet injury on thigh
23. Ganesh Dahal, (52), Belbari-4, bullet injury on hip
24. Santosh Shrestha, (32), Belbari- 2, bullet injury on left shoulder
25. Kisan Dev Sharma, (25), Dangihat- 2, bullet injury on chest
26. Bablu Shaha, (15), Belbari-2, bullet injury on knee
27. Satya Kumar Mandal, (14), Indrapur-5, bullet injury on leg
28. Varat Baral, (19), bullet injury
29. Anil Neupane, (21), Itahara-7, bullet injury
30. Dipak Dahal, Indrapur-7, bullet injury on abdomen
31. Baddri Acharya, Belbari-6
32. Ram Chandra Gautam, Belbari-4
33. Ganendra Subedi, Belbari-3
34. Dhruba Khatiwoda, Belbari-3
35. Ram Kumar Ghising, Journalist (Mophasal Weekly)
36. Durga Lamichhane, RHLEC
37. Bimal Karki, WOREC (Biratnagar)
38. Bishal Shreshtha, CIWIN
39. Deepen Neupane, INSEC-Biratnagar

STATEMENT BY THE WITNESSES:

1. Dal Bahadur Gurung, husband of the victim

“On April 25, my wife and daughter Nirmala were knitting a shawl inside the room. At about 8:30pm, three security personnel entered the house all of a sudden, one man covered her mouth with his hands whilst the other two grabbed and dragged her to a nearby Telecommunication Office where they gang-raped her. At around 9:25pm she was shot dead and taken to the camp. The Assistant Sub-Inspector Ram Bahadur recognised the dead body and a message was sent to my mother in law.

Rape was the only intention in the minds of the security officers otherwise they would not have taken her by surprise at night. She was shot in the chest which passed through the flank.”

2. Pralhad Magar, Army Captain

“The team was under my command. This was an accident. It was not regular patrolling but a special mission as we were informed that Maoists were trying to blast the repeater tower of Nepal Telecommunication. The incident place is nearby the repeater tower.

When the team reached there the woman was coming from opposite side. She was warned to stop saying “halt” but she refused.  The personnel in front opened fire. She got shot in the chest and fell down. After 10 minutes our bunker went there and brought the body. Until that time she was alive, but died on the way to the hospital.

We informed her mother in law and took the body to hospital for postmortem. Whether or not she was raped will be proved by the postmortem itself. She was innocent and was killed accidentally as it was a very sensitive area, but not rape.

After she got shot, she asked for water and personnel gave it to her. She was also taken to a nearby health-post for first aid treatment before being taken to BP Koirela Institute of Health and Science at Dharan.”
SUGGESTED ACTION:

The AHRC is seriously concerned by these allegations of grave human rights violations by the Nepali security forces against innocent civilians and calls for you urgent intervention into this case. We therefore ask that you please send letters urging the government of Nepal to launch an immediate and impartial investigation into these events, bring the perpetrators to justice and award adequate reparation to the victims or their families. Please also urge the government authorities to take strong and genuine measures to prevent future violence and human rights abuses against civilians by the security forces.

 

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER