Brief report of experience of Metis of their last 13 days
TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS,
This is just a short note from Blue Diamond Society to thank you all for your support and solidarity for our members who had been imprisoned during the past 2 weeks and released on Friday on bail. Your good wishes, words of encouragement and, in some very welcome instances, financial support, have been really tremendous and much appreciated. It is very encouraging to know that there are so many people out there who care!!
Undoubtedly, we still have many challenges that lie ahead for us in Nepal, but knowing that we have your support and encouragement, make them easier to face. The next immediate challenge will be the hearing by the Supreme Court on the proposed ban on open homosexual activities in Nepal. Likewise, on 20th September 2004 those imprisoned and released on bail have to report to the Chief District Officer for a hearing on their public nuisance charge. On behalf of all the 39 members who were imprisoned, we send our sincere and grateful thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Sunil Babu Pant
Blue Diamond Society
Brief report of experience of Metis of their last 13
days:
According to the arrested metis, all of them were taken saying that they were being taken for a meeting and needed them to identify the guy whod been caught under the suspicion of Jayarams case. Some of them were dancing inside Babylon disco and most of them were on their way to the disco. The police that were their clients took them and most of them were ones that they knew from before. They went with them because they approached them in a friendly manner and told them that they were all being taken for two hours meeting. After they were taken they were all kept in a room that wasnt even big enough for five people and said they would be freed after questioning them. Most of the metis that were arrested were just out to enjoy themselves in the discos and wanted a night of dancing. Inside the prison on the first day when one of the metis wanted to use the bathroom they didnt open the door and when he yelled at them to take him to the bathroom they beat him up with a stick till it broke. Due to this he suffered from fever and was all shaky and even after seeing his state the police didnt take him to see the doctor or get any medications for him. Three police came and when he asked them for the medicine they said well get it and later just laughed. So Blue Diamond Society had to take the medication for him after being informed. The police also beat up another meti, Amber Majhi who was attacked by three police after he protested after seeing a journalist videotaping them inside the cell.
This was yet another discrimination from the police, they violated the rights of all the metis by letting the media expose them when there are a lot of metis that havent opened themselves at their homes and could face difficulties later. There was a lot of verbal harassments from the police, they called them names and said they will shoot them when they protested against being locked up for being innocent. They also said that Acid should be put on the face of the hijaras and that they dont deserve to live. The police called them names and even got other people to see them. They were laughed at and everyone feels like they were punished for a crime that they hadnt done. They were kept for a long period of time and some were tortured psychologically by saying they were going to be kept for more than six months. Everyone feels like it was very inhuman from the police to trick him or her into going with him or her and locking him or her up for no reason at all. They didnt even give them any explanation as to why they were being kept inside.
They were just verbally abused. While giving statement a lot of them were made to sign on something that they couldnt read since there are a lot of illiterate metis in the arrested 39. Others who could read were made to sign and not given a chance to read what they were signing. They were all pressured and threatened and made to sign on statements where anything could be written.
This is just a short note from Blue Diamond Society to thank you all for your support and solidarity for our members who had been imprisoned during the past 2 weeks and released on Friday on bail. Your good wishes, words of encouragement and, in some very welcome instances, financial support, have been really tremendous and much appreciated. It is very encouraging to know that there are so many people out there who care!!
Undoubtedly, we still have many challenges that lie ahead for us in Nepal, but knowing that we have your support and encouragement, make them easier to face. The next immediate challenge will be the hearing by the Supreme Court on the proposed ban on open homosexual activities in Nepal. Likewise, on 20th September 2004 those imprisoned and released on bail have to report to the Chief District Officer for a hearing on their public nuisance charge. On behalf of all the 39 members who were imprisoned, we send our sincere and grateful thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Sunil Babu Pant
Blue Diamond Society
Brief report of experience of Metis of their last 13
days:
According to the arrested metis, all of them were taken saying that they were being taken for a meeting and needed them to identify the guy whod been caught under the suspicion of Jayarams case. Some of them were dancing inside Babylon disco and most of them were on their way to the disco. The police that were their clients took them and most of them were ones that they knew from before. They went with them because they approached them in a friendly manner and told them that they were all being taken for two hours meeting. After they were taken they were all kept in a room that wasnt even big enough for five people and said they would be freed after questioning them. Most of the metis that were arrested were just out to enjoy themselves in the discos and wanted a night of dancing. Inside the prison on the first day when one of the metis wanted to use the bathroom they didnt open the door and when he yelled at them to take him to the bathroom they beat him up with a stick till it broke. Due to this he suffered from fever and was all shaky and even after seeing his state the police didnt take him to see the doctor or get any medications for him. Three police came and when he asked them for the medicine they said well get it and later just laughed. So Blue Diamond Society had to take the medication for him after being informed. The police also beat up another meti, Amber Majhi who was attacked by three police after he protested after seeing a journalist videotaping them inside the cell.
This was yet another discrimination from the police, they violated the rights of all the metis by letting the media expose them when there are a lot of metis that havent opened themselves at their homes and could face difficulties later. There was a lot of verbal harassments from the police, they called them names and said they will shoot them when they protested against being locked up for being innocent. They also said that Acid should be put on the face of the hijaras and that they dont deserve to live. The police called them names and even got other people to see them. They were laughed at and everyone feels like they were punished for a crime that they hadnt done. They were kept for a long period of time and some were tortured psychologically by saying they were going to be kept for more than six months. Everyone feels like it was very inhuman from the police to trick him or her into going with him or her and locking him or her up for no reason at all. They didnt even give them any explanation as to why they were being kept inside.
They were just verbally abused. While giving statement a lot of them were made to sign on something that they couldnt read since there are a lot of illiterate metis in the arrested 39. Others who could read were made to sign and not given a chance to read what they were signing. They were all pressured and threatened and made to sign on statements where anything could be written.
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