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Krishna Adhikari
On 6 June 2004, Krishna Prasad Adhikari, a resident of Fujel village of Gorkha District, was murdered in Chitwan District by Maoist cadres. Krishna Prasad was visiting his grandparents after having taken the SLC examinations, and he was abducted from Bakullahar Chowk by men who came on a motorcycle ... Maina Sunuwar
Around 6 am on February 17, 2004, a group of RNA soldiers arrested Ms
Maina Sunuwar, a 15-year-old schoolgirl of Kharelthok VDC-6, Kavre
district. She disappeared since her arrest. Her family members, with
support from villagers and school where Maina was a student, visited
detention centers ... Sanjeev Kumar Karna
Sanjeev Kumar Karna was one among the 11 persons arrested on October 8, 2003. On that fateful day, they had gone to attend a picnic program organized by the students at a place called Kariyachauri VDC-4, and from picnic, they went to Kataiya Chowri Area of Dhanusha district where they ate some food ... Arjun Bahadur Lama
Arjun Bahadur Lama, 48 years in age, permanent resident of Chhatrebas
VDC -5, Dapcha in Kavre district was abducted by a group of Maoist
cadres, three in number, on 29 April 2005 (2062.1.16 BS) from the
premises of Sri Krishna Secondary School at Chhatrebas VDC-1 of the
district.
» more
Hari Prasad Bolakhe
Hari Prasad Bolakhe, 35 (while missing) a permanent resident of Phulbari VDC-8, Kavre district, a pastor by profession, had been missing since the arrest December 27, 2003, was reportedly killed by security persons. A team of National Human Rights Commission discovered a human skeleton in a jungle ...
» more
Sarala Sapkota
Around 11 p.m. on July 15, 2004, a group of 12 armed soldiers arrested
Sarala Sapkota at her grandfather’s house. The family, who witnessed the
arrest, stated that soldiers gave Sarala no reason for her arrest.
After her arrest, Sarala’s family went to Baireni barracks and the DPO ...
» more
Birendra Shah
On the evening of 5 October 2007, Mr. Birendra Shah, 34, resident of Inruwasira VDC-8, Bara district, a local journalist of Bara district and correspondent of Nepal FM, Avenues Television and Dristi weekly, was abducted by Maoists from Pipara Bazaar in Kalaiya, the district headquarters of Bara ...
» more
Bishwanath Parajuli, Tom Nath Poudel and Dhan Bahadur Tamang
Three persons namely Bishwonath Parajuli (also called Nagendra
Parajuli), Tom Nath Poudel and Dhan Bahadur Tamang of Hasandaha VDC,
Morang were shot dead by the security personnel on 28 September 2004.
According to the eyewitnesses, other victims and the villagers, about 16
people were arrested ...
» more
Chot Nath Ghimire and Shekhar Nath Ghimire
Chot Nath Ghimire, a 58-year-old farmer, resident of Ishaneshor VDC-4,
Ratamate Majhpokhari of Lamjung district was allegedly arrested by the
Joint Security Forces of Joint Security Camp stationed at Bhorlatar VDC,
Lamjung district on February 2, 2002 (2058.10.20). The security camp
called Mr. ...
» more
Bhauna Tharu
Bhauna Tharu (Bhauna Chaudhary in the citizenship card), 21 years old
male (at the time of the incident; Date of Birthe: 8 September 1978),
son of Purna Bahadur Chaudhary, permanent resident of Sujanpur village,
Neulapur VDC-4, Bardiya district, and an employee of Rastriya Gobar Gas,
Gulariya, ...
» more
7th Anniversary of Maina's Killing: Maina's Mother Urges Army Chief to Fight Impunity
The letter, which was timed to coincide with the seventh anniversary of Maina's killing, also urged the CoAS Gurung to play a pioneering role in ending impunity in Nepal by handing over four murderers including Major Niranajan Basnet who was vetted out of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Chad.
The full text of the letter is produced as follows:
To
The Chief of Army Staff
General Chattra Man Singh Gurung
Army Headquarters
Bhadrakali, Kathmandu
Nepal
Dear General,
I am at a loss how to introduce myself to you. Although my name is Devi Sunuwar, everyone calls me Maina Sunuwar's mother – or just Maina's mother. Does it ring a bell with you? Most probably it does. Yes, General Sahib, I am the mother of that little girl of fourteen who was brutally tortured to death by some members of the then Royal Nepal Army on 17th of February 2004. Yes, I am the ill-fated mother of that seventh grader whose skeletons are still waiting for justice in some dark corner of Tribhuvan University Teaching hospital, Kathmandu. Yes, I am the mother of the same murdered little one on whose account one of the officers under your institution was vetted out from the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Chad last year.
General Sahib,
You might be angry with me for attempting to besmirch the good name of your institution. But that was not my intention and never will be. To be true, I personally felt sorry for the international disrepute to our dignified institution that the incident brought in its wake. The Nepalese Army is my army, your army, every Nepali's army. I, like every citizen of our country, am proud of my army and the fabled history of its bravery and patriotism. Besides feeling sorry for the vetting episode, I feel enraged at the same time thinking how such a revered institution could put its own glory at stake just to protect an alleged murderer.
Perhaps you are not aware of my version of the story – a saga of unimaginable pain and suffering. I cry and relive the trauma every time I remember my torments over the past seven years. Can you imagine how painful it is to hear that your dear daughter is taken away by soldiers . . . how they deny even arresting her . . . you have to live for years without knowing the exact fate of your child . . . you have to leave your home, your village, your dreams, beg one agency after another to help you to find out the whereabouts of your daughter . . . then you are told that your child was murdered in cold-blood by administering electric shocks . . . you are offered NRs 150000/- as compensation and the perpetrators are left unscathed . . . again you
have to beg agencies to help you to find the remains of your child . . . you then have to witness the skeletal remains of your daughter being dug up . . . distressed you file a complaint for justice . . . you then are offered a substantial amount of money and a house to withdraw the case . . . you are threatened with your life for failing to yield to these offers. . . you then hear that the alleged murderer of your child is laurelled with a promotion and sent to a lucrative mission abroad . . .then the Army desists from producing the perpetrator to court despite assurances from the Prime Minister . . . desperate you again beg with the Home Minister and the Defence Minister for justice but to no avail.
This is my story General Sahib. In the past seven years, my repeated attempts to seek justice have been thwarted at every step. Looking at the manner with which events have unfolded, it becomes glaringly clear that it is the Nepal Army that is strangely unwilling to let this case proceed. General Sahib, I don't understand what on earth is preventing the Nepal Army to hand over an alleged perpetrator to the police authorities and ferret out other murderers who I hear are leading a life of luxury and opulence in some foreign countries.
The time that I spent searching for justice has taught me many great lessons. During these years, I have seen, heard, felt and understood many things. Above all, I became aware of the scale of human rights violations committed during the conflict. I have met many souls who have lost their kin, families of the disappeared who are still optimistic of the return of their loved ones and many of my fellow countrymen who were tortured and physically and mentally disabled. Meeting these people and listening to their stories has left a deep imprint on me. These people are desperate, frustrated and helpless amidst the pervasive prevailing impunity and a flagrantly cold indifference from the state towards their needs. When I sometimes get tired and think about giving up my seemingly fruitless pursuit of justice, I remember my sisters clad in white, wizened mothers waiting for their sons with their feeble eyes, the innocent smiles of the orphans and tears of hope brimming out of the victims of human rights violations’ eyes and feel much energized to soldier on.
I by now have realized that my daughter's case is a representative one. So I am quite optimistic that prosecution of perpetrators in my case will prove the beginning of the end of impunity in Nepal. And the Nepal Army is the key institutions that can make this miracle happen. You can start this noblest of pursuit by issuing an order to hand over the murderers who turned my dear little daughter to a mere mass of bones and ensure their trial in a civilian court.
General Sahib,
The Supreme Court of Nepal as far back as September 2007 referred the case to the District Court of Kavre, after it had reviewed the earlier court martial findings, basically finding that the case should be dealt with by a civilian court. While the Nepal Army is clearly not abiding by this ruling, it is also not formally challenging the decision. This way your esteemed institution is undermining the rule of law and reinforcing impunity.
General Sahib, I am hopeful that you will hear the cry of my daughter's skeleton for justice and take seriously my prayer to you to defend our country from the prevailing impunity for my sake and for the sake of all Nepalese! I am sure that this single step from your side will prove a giant leap towards ending impunity in Nepal. I want to see my Army Chief standing in favour of victims' rights and not defending alleged murderers.
Thank you.
Devi Sunuwar
17 February, 2011
Kavre, Nepal
The full text of the letter is produced as follows:
To
The Chief of Army Staff
General Chattra Man Singh Gurung
Army Headquarters
Bhadrakali, Kathmandu
Nepal
Dear General,
I am at a loss how to introduce myself to you. Although my name is Devi Sunuwar, everyone calls me Maina Sunuwar's mother – or just Maina's mother. Does it ring a bell with you? Most probably it does. Yes, General Sahib, I am the mother of that little girl of fourteen who was brutally tortured to death by some members of the then Royal Nepal Army on 17th of February 2004. Yes, I am the ill-fated mother of that seventh grader whose skeletons are still waiting for justice in some dark corner of Tribhuvan University Teaching hospital, Kathmandu. Yes, I am the mother of the same murdered little one on whose account one of the officers under your institution was vetted out from the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Chad last year.
General Sahib,
You might be angry with me for attempting to besmirch the good name of your institution. But that was not my intention and never will be. To be true, I personally felt sorry for the international disrepute to our dignified institution that the incident brought in its wake. The Nepalese Army is my army, your army, every Nepali's army. I, like every citizen of our country, am proud of my army and the fabled history of its bravery and patriotism. Besides feeling sorry for the vetting episode, I feel enraged at the same time thinking how such a revered institution could put its own glory at stake just to protect an alleged murderer.
Perhaps you are not aware of my version of the story – a saga of unimaginable pain and suffering. I cry and relive the trauma every time I remember my torments over the past seven years. Can you imagine how painful it is to hear that your dear daughter is taken away by soldiers . . . how they deny even arresting her . . . you have to live for years without knowing the exact fate of your child . . . you have to leave your home, your village, your dreams, beg one agency after another to help you to find out the whereabouts of your daughter . . . then you are told that your child was murdered in cold-blood by administering electric shocks . . . you are offered NRs 150000/- as compensation and the perpetrators are left unscathed . . . again you
have to beg agencies to help you to find the remains of your child . . . you then have to witness the skeletal remains of your daughter being dug up . . . distressed you file a complaint for justice . . . you then are offered a substantial amount of money and a house to withdraw the case . . . you are threatened with your life for failing to yield to these offers. . . you then hear that the alleged murderer of your child is laurelled with a promotion and sent to a lucrative mission abroad . . .then the Army desists from producing the perpetrator to court despite assurances from the Prime Minister . . . desperate you again beg with the Home Minister and the Defence Minister for justice but to no avail.
This is my story General Sahib. In the past seven years, my repeated attempts to seek justice have been thwarted at every step. Looking at the manner with which events have unfolded, it becomes glaringly clear that it is the Nepal Army that is strangely unwilling to let this case proceed. General Sahib, I don't understand what on earth is preventing the Nepal Army to hand over an alleged perpetrator to the police authorities and ferret out other murderers who I hear are leading a life of luxury and opulence in some foreign countries.
The time that I spent searching for justice has taught me many great lessons. During these years, I have seen, heard, felt and understood many things. Above all, I became aware of the scale of human rights violations committed during the conflict. I have met many souls who have lost their kin, families of the disappeared who are still optimistic of the return of their loved ones and many of my fellow countrymen who were tortured and physically and mentally disabled. Meeting these people and listening to their stories has left a deep imprint on me. These people are desperate, frustrated and helpless amidst the pervasive prevailing impunity and a flagrantly cold indifference from the state towards their needs. When I sometimes get tired and think about giving up my seemingly fruitless pursuit of justice, I remember my sisters clad in white, wizened mothers waiting for their sons with their feeble eyes, the innocent smiles of the orphans and tears of hope brimming out of the victims of human rights violations’ eyes and feel much energized to soldier on.
I by now have realized that my daughter's case is a representative one. So I am quite optimistic that prosecution of perpetrators in my case will prove the beginning of the end of impunity in Nepal. And the Nepal Army is the key institutions that can make this miracle happen. You can start this noblest of pursuit by issuing an order to hand over the murderers who turned my dear little daughter to a mere mass of bones and ensure their trial in a civilian court.
General Sahib,
The Supreme Court of Nepal as far back as September 2007 referred the case to the District Court of Kavre, after it had reviewed the earlier court martial findings, basically finding that the case should be dealt with by a civilian court. While the Nepal Army is clearly not abiding by this ruling, it is also not formally challenging the decision. This way your esteemed institution is undermining the rule of law and reinforcing impunity.
General Sahib, I am hopeful that you will hear the cry of my daughter's skeleton for justice and take seriously my prayer to you to defend our country from the prevailing impunity for my sake and for the sake of all Nepalese! I am sure that this single step from your side will prove a giant leap towards ending impunity in Nepal. I want to see my Army Chief standing in favour of victims' rights and not defending alleged murderers.
Thank you.
Devi Sunuwar
17 February, 2011
Kavre, Nepal
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