A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

Bulletin #18: Update from the NDD

(On February 5, 2005, dozens of pro-democracy activists in Kathmandu started circulating the following e-update to inform the world about the crisis in Nepal following the imposition of military rule by King Gyanendra on February 1, 2005. Please note that the Nepal Democracy Desk has been transformed into the Nepal Democracy Alliance as substantially more people have joined the campaign).

Nepali Congress Leaders in Jhapa severely Tortured by Royal Nepal Army personnel

[This preliminary report is based on telephone conversation with Sudheer Kuamar Shivakoti by a Nepal Democracy Alliance team member in New Delhi on 2 March 2005. We request the international community to conduct a fact-finding mission immediately and pressure for strong action to be taken against the person in charge of the Chaar Aaali Royal Nepal Army barrack in Jhapa.]

Summary

Sudheer Kumar Shivakoti, Presdient of Nepali Congress, Jhapa District Committee, Uddhav Thapa, Secretary of Nepali Congress Jhapa District Committee, and Deepak Tamang, President of Nepal Trade Union Congress Jhapa District Committee, were severely tortured by the Royal Nepal army Personnel during the night of 18 February 2005 inside the Chaar Aali RNA barrack in Jhapa district, east Nepal.

Background

Nepali Congress Party activists organized demonstrations at four places in Jhapa District on the occasion of the Democracy Day, 18 February 2005. The demonstrations were peaceful. The demonstrators were opposing the military coup by king Gyanendra on 1 February 2001, and demanding the restoration of democracy.

Sudeer Kumar Sharma, the president of the NC district committee in Jhapa was active in organizing these demonstrations. He returned home, located at Anarmani Village Development Committee of Jhapa, after the demonstrations in the afternoon.

Details of unlawful, arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention and torture by the army

At about 7:00 pm, a group of armed RNA personnel in civil clothes went to his house, arrested him, blind-folded him and put him inside an army vehicle. The group of army personnel then went to the house of Deepak Tamang in Sanischare Village Development Committee. They surrounded his house, blank-fired twice, while some army personnel entered his house and arrested him. Incidentally, Uddhav Thapa was also in the same house. He was also arrested. The two were blindfolded and taken to the army vehicle waiting outside the house.

All three were put in the same vehicle. They were driven around for half an hour. Then they were made to walk for extra two hours. They were not told where they were being taken.

Their blind-fold was removed when they reached the Chaar Aali RNA barrack in Jhapa. There, they were all made to strip naked and pushed inside a “trench”. The army personnel poured cold water while they were inside the trench. Then the army personnel beat them with the butts of rifle and kicked them with boots, and hit them with fists for several hours. They were forced to sleep inside the cold and wet “trench” for the whole night. During the night, the army personnel threatened several times that they would kill all them inside the trench.

According to Sudheer Shivakoti, the RNA personnel kept on repeating the question, “Why are you supporting this bastard Girija Koirala?” They also asked the whereabouts of other Nepali Congress leaders, especially Krishna Sitoula, the Spokesperson of Nepali Congress and resident of Jhapa District. Shivakoti said, the RNA personnel kept on repeating, “We will instantly shoot dead anybody we find opposing the king!”

All the three were kept inside the barrack premises for two days. Nobody was allowed to meet them. Then all the three were moved to the District Police Office at Chandragadhi, Jhapa, where they were detained till 1 March 2005. They were then released.

Over telephone, Mr. Shivakoti said, he has bruises all over the body. He has difficulty getting out of the bed.

How can YOU support?

Nepal Democracy Alliance requests international human rights organizations to conduct a fact-finding mission as soon as possible before these leaders possibly get re-arrested or tortured, or even “disappeared” again.

We request the diplomatic community within Nepal to facilitate the fact-finding mission immediately.

We request the friends of Nepal from around the world to contact their governments and diplomatic missions in Nepal requesting them to put direct pressure on the Nepal government and the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers to either take strong action against the perpetrators or else take the full responsibility for this unacceptable crime against peaceful democracy activists.

We request the international media to investigate and publicize this case widely.

We appeal all the pro-democracy activists from around the world to follow-up on this case until it reaches its logical conclusion.

INSN is the International Nepal Solidarity Network, which has activists in over a dozen countries around the world who are working to bring democracy to Nepal. Visit their website for regular updates related to the Nepal crisis.