PHA-Exchange> Police atrocity in Nepal

[Mathura P Shrestha]

02/04/2004 8:25 PM

Update on the latest police atrocity to suppress peaceful agitation by five major political parties.

More than 100,000 people were demonstrating peacefully in Democracy Avenue area of Kathmandu (formerly called Ratnapark) from 12.00 PM. up to 5.00 PM. I was there along with several human rights observers. Both demonstrators and security forces were calm. However, all of a sudden police extended security areas near Bhotahiti. The also fired several canisters of tear-gas along with baton charges. The demonstration was led by all five top leaders. To prevent the mass becoming agitated the leaders led the demonstration towards Bagbazar and Putalisadak areas. The demonstration was stopped on the byway to Bhrukutimandap and Singhadurbar. Naturally, 100,000 strong demonstration could not be stopped. The police action was ruthless and too violent. Along with indiscriminate baton charges, innumerable ter-gas canisters and rubber bullets were fired. There were too many casualties.

By 7.30 PM a total of 205 casualties including 4 policemen were recorded and treated - 72 in Kathmandu Model Hospital, 68 in Bir Hospital, 37 in Miteri Hospital, 14 each in Capital and Medicare Nursing Homes. Among the wounded were Speaker of the Parliament (with head injury and a fracture of radial bone) and several senior leaders of all five agitating parties. I observed 3 gunshot wounds in Model Hospital. Most serious was that of Mr Shankar Dhwoj Nembang who had a lucky escape. Right infraorbital bullet wound had no exit point. Th bullet caused fracture of maxillary part of orbital rim and was lodged in postorbital fossa. The operation by neurosurgeon Dr. Basanta Panta assisted by several doctors and nurses was successful and the patient is safe. Tilak Pariyar was shot at the neck and was successfully operated. Another person had a gunshot wound in the left thigh. 
A boy of 11 year had come to buy medicine for his ailing mother at home. He received more than a dozen longitudinal bruises from baton charges. The boy was quite serious. It was so pathetic to hear him pleading not to tell his mother as this would, according to him, aggravate his mother's condition.

In summary the police action was staged in a savagery that was not normal by any standard. Please protest to prevent further police atrocities and to rescue parliamentary democracy from autocratic regression.
Please disseminate this as widely as possible world over.

Mathura P. Shrestha
Coordinator of Civic Solidarity for Peace, and President of PSR Nepal.

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