Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about continuing threats, including death threats, and harassment allegedly being perpetrated by members of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) (CPN-M) against 13-year-old school girl Sarita (name changed for her security) and her mother in Baglung district, Nepal. Since March 2007 the two victims have been repeatedly insulted and threatened by local Maoists in an attempt to force them from their homes. So far, despite complaints, the authorities have failed to effectively assist the victims.
CASE DETAILS:
According to the information received, since March 2007, a 13-year-old school girl named Sarita, from Amalachaur VDC-5, Baglung district, Nepal, has repeatedly been called a whore and threatened to force her to leave her home by local Maoists. The Maoists are thought to be targeting the girl for not ‘informing’ them about a local girl’s secret marriage with a local Dalit (lower caste) young man. The Maoists have also threatened, insulted and ill-treated her mother during this period.
Sarita and Sindhu (name also changed for her security) were friends and preparing for the School Leaving Certificate examinations. Sarita was unaware of her friend Sindhu’s affair with Raju BK, a local young man from a lower caste family, with whom Sindhu eloped. On March 30, 2007, Sindhu’s father and grandfather, who identified themselves as being Maoists, visited Sarita and verbally abused her. They were angry as Sindhu had run away with the Dalit young man. They then warned Sarita to leave her home immediately, or else they would produce ‘evidence’ of her ‘affairs’ with a young man from the Dalit caste and would spoil her future prospects. Further, on April 1, 2007, another local man who is also thought to be a Maoist, visited Sarita in her home and insulted her, calling her a prostitute, and threatened her in order to get her to leave her home. Sarita’s mother has also claimed to have been harassed, insulted and warned that the Maoists would turn her home into a CPN (M) party office and that they would also bar her son from attending school examinations. Her husband is currently abroad for employment.
After the incident, Sarita went to her relatives’ home and completed her school-leaving exams before returning home. Since she has returned, she has again become the subject of harassment and abuse. On May 8, 2007, at about 8 am, Sindhu’s grandfather verbally abused Sarita while she was cutting grass alone in a field near her home. Sarita’s mother rushed to the scene, having been informed about the incident by a neighbour, and a dispute ensued. Sarita and her mother tried to go home but the Maoist threw a stone at her mother, hitting her on the calf. She fell down and he again hit her with a stone, this time on the hand, before leaving the scene. The next day, May 9, 2007, she went to Baglung District Hospital for a medical check-up and then registered a complaint with the Baglung District Police Office (DPO), and sought protection from the authorities.
On May 9, 2007, some 6 or 7 plain-clothed police personnel came to the village to settle the problem, but in vain. After the police arrived, some locals, including the victim’s family members, and some Maoists gathered to discuss the problem. During the discussion, Sindhu’s father warned Sarita that he would “cut her into three pieces.” Despite this obvious death threat, the police remained silent. The police personnel left when the local Maoists said that they would solve the problem soon. After several days, some police from the Baglung DPO arrived in the village again, in order to conduct follow-up investigations concerning the case, at the request of victims’ family members. However they left after another local Maoist gave them assurances that he would bring Sindhu’s father to the Baglung DPO, but this still hasn’t happened to date.
After the police had visited the village these two times without being able to take any action against Sindhu’s father, he again started threatening and harassing Sarita and her mother. This harassment continues to date and there are grave concerns for the two victims’ physical and psychological integrity.
It must be recalled that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) formally ended the armed conflict in the country on November 21, 2006 and entered into the ‘Interim Legislature-Parliament’ on January 15, 2007. Five ministers of the CPN-M have been involved in the interim government since April 1, 2007. As the interim government is officially comprised of the CPN-M, it is accountable for their actions and must therefore ensure the investigation and prosecution of any member of the CPN-M found to have committed human rights violations. A failure to do so will surely have a very serious and negative effect on the possibility of moving into an era of peace and security in Nepal.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the concerned authorities listed below, urging them to provide immediate protection to Sarita and her mother, and to conduct investigations into the death threats and ill-treatment perpetrated by the Maoists in Baglung district.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
NEPAL: Continuing threats and harassment by Maoists of a girl and her mother
Name of victim:
1. Miss. Sarita (daughter name changed for her protection), a 13 year-old resident of Amalachaur VDC-5, Baglung district, Nepal
2. Sarita’s mother, a 34-year-old resident of Amalachaur VDC-5, Baglung district
Name of alleged perpetrators:
1. Sindhu’s father, a local Maoist in Baglung District (Sindhu’s name also changed for her protection)
2. Sindhu’s grandfather, a local Maoist in Baglung District (Sindhu’s name also changed for her protection)
Date of incident: 29 March to the present
Place of incident: Amalachaur Village Development Committee, Baglung district, Nepal
I am writing to you to express my grave concern about continuing threats, including death threats, and harassment allegedly being perpetrated by members of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) (CPN-M) against 13-year-old school girl Sarita (name changed for her security) and her mother in Baglung district, Nepal. Since March 2007 the two victims have been repeatedly insulted and threatened by local Maoists in an attempt to force them from their homes. So far, despite complaints, the authorities have failed to effectively assist the victims.
According to the information received, since March 2007, a 13-year-old school girl named Sarita, from Amalachaur VDC-5, Baglung district, Nepal, has repeatedly been called a whore and threatened to force her to leave her home by local Maoists. The Maoists are thought to be targeting the girl for not ‘informing’ them about a local girl’s secret marriage with a local Dalit (lower caste) young man. The Maoists have also threatened, insulted and ill-treated her mother during this period.
Sarita and Sindhu (name also changed for her security) were friends and preparing for the School Leaving Certificate examinations. Sarita was unaware of her friend Sindhu’s affair with Raju BK, a local young man from a lower caste family, with whom Sindhu eloped. On March 30, 2007, Sindhu’s father and grandfather, who identified themselves as being Maoists, visited Sarita and verbally abused her. They were angry as Sindhu had run away with the Dalit young man. They then warned Sarita to leave her home immediately, or else they would produce ‘evidence’ of her ‘affairs’ with a young man from the Dalit caste and would spoil her future prospects. Further, on April 1, 2007, a local man who is also thought to be a Maoist, visited Sarita in her home and insulted her, calling her a prostitute, and threatened her in order to get her to leave her home. Sarita’s mother has also claimed to have been harassed, insulted and warned that the Maoists would turn her home into a CPN (M) party office and that they would also bar her son from attending school examinations. Her husband is currently abroad for employment.
After the incident, Sarita went to her relatives’ home and completed her school-leaving exams before returning home. Since she has returned, she has again become the subject of harassment and abuse. On May 8, 2007, at about 8 am, Sindhu’s grandfather verbally abused Sarita while she was cutting grass alone in a field near her home. Sarita’s mother rushed to the scene, having been informed about the incident by a neighbour, and a dispute ensued. Sarita and her mother tried to go home but the Maoist threw a stone at her mother, hitting her on the calf. She fell down and he again hit her with a stone, this time on the hand, before leaving the scene. The next day, May 9, 2007, she went to Baglung District Hospital for a medical check-up and then registered a complaint with the Baglung District Police Office (DPO), and sought protection from the authorities.
On May 9, 2007, some 6 or 7 plain-clothed police personnel came to the village to settle the problem, but in vain. After the police arrived, some locals, including the victim’s family members, and some Maoists gathered to discuss the problem. During the discussion, Sindhu’s father warned Sarita that he would “cut her into three pieces.” Despite this obvious death threat, the police remained silent. The police personnel left when the local Maoists said that they would solve the problem soon. After several days, some police from the Baglung DPO arrived in the village again, in order to conduct follow-up investigations concerning the case, at the request of victims’ family members. However they left after another local Maoist gave them assurances that he would bring Sindhu’s father to the Baglung DPO, but this still hasn’t happened to date.
After the police had visited the village these two times without being able to take any action against Sindhu’s father, he again started threatening and harassing Sarita and her mother. This harassment continues to date and there are grave concerns for the two victims’ physical and psychological integrity.
It must be recalled that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) formally ended the armed conflict in the country on November 21, 2006 and entered into the ‘Interim Legislature-Parliament’ on January 15, 2007. Five ministers of the CPN-M have been involved in the interim government since April 1, 2007. As the interim government is officially comprised of the CPN-M, it is accountable for their actions and must therefore ensure the investigation and prosecution of any member of the CPN-M found to have committed human rights violations. A failure to do so will surely have a very serious and negative effect on the possibility of moving into an era of peace and security in Nepal.
The government is therefore urged to immediately provide protection to the two victims mentioned above, to investigate the allegations of harassment, ill-treatment and death threats; and to prosecute any persons found to have been responsible for any such abuses, regardless of their political affiliation.
I look forward to your prompt and effective response in this matter.
Yours truly,
——————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Krishna Sitaula
Home Minister
Singha Darbar
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4211232
Email: moha@wlink.com.np
2. Mr. Yagya Murti Banjade
Attorney General
Office of Attorney General
Ramshahpath
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4262582
Email: attnoney@mos.com.np
3. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Pulchowck, Lalitpur
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 5547973
Email: complaints@nhrcnepal.org or nhrc@nhrcnepal.org
4. Mr. Om Bikram Rana
Inspector General of Police
Police Head Quarters, Naxal
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4415593
Email: info@nepalpolice.gov.np
5. SP Mr. Navaraj Silwal
Police HR Cell
Human Rights Cell
Nepal Police
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4415593
Email: hrcell@nepalpolice.gov.np
6. Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara
Minister for Information and Communications
Singh Durbar, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 4228333
Fax: +977 1 4266400
E-mail: moichmg@ntc.net.np
7. Mr. Dev Gurung
Minister for Local Development
Ministry of Local Development
Sri Mahai, Pulchowk
Lalitpur
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 5523329
Fax: +977 1 5522045
E-mail: min@mld.gov.np
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
