Effeminate Men and Transgender People Assaulted in Kathmandu

[This post came in over the msm-asia listserv via Sunil B. Pant]

Police assault Metis at Ratna Park for carrying condoms

On the night of July 14, 2007, police in Kathmandu carried out an assult on Metis (effeminate males or transgender people), beating, stripping, and in some cases sexually abusing them. The next day, the officer responsible for the assaults acknowledged to Blue Diamond Society as well as representatives of Human Rights Watch that such beatings are regular police practice--and said that carrying condoms is evidence of illegal acts.

In Ratna Park, in the heart of Kathmandu, 5 Metis (Sanya, Sandhya, Simmi and two others) gathered to talk at around 8:30 p.m. According to their reports:

In Ratna Park, the Metis saw three policemen (including sub-inspector Pradeep Chand from Janasewa Police station) approaching around 8:30 PM. From a distance the police warned the Metis to stop on sight, otherwise they would shoot them. One managed to escape. 4 Metis were caught; police started randomly beating with batons, slaps, and kicks. The police also searched their pockets and when they saw about 200 RS they began abusing them verbally: "You chakkas and Hijras, motherfuckers, you make this money by anal sex and prostitution". Sanya told the police she had heart problem and begged them not to beat her harshly: though police relented slightly, they were very harsh with other Metis.

Police told the Metis to take their clothes off so officers could check for signs of sexual intercourse. Police sexually abused the Metis by demanding they pull their foreskins back to check for sperm, using their mobile phone lights to check the Metis' genitals.

They also searched the Metis' bags, and, when they found unused condoms, demanded why they carried them. When the Metis told police they used them themselves in sex, police started beating them up for carrying condoms, saying the Metis practicing unnatural and illegal sexual behavior.

Simmi managed to walk out of the pak, saying she would try to find another friend who had run away when police entered the park. Simmi saw Alex, an HIV/AIDS worker for the Blue Diamond Society and explained what's going on inside the park. Alex (whose Meti name is "Juli") called the emergency police number, 100, for support. Two police nearby (from Durbar Marg Police station) accompanied Juli into the park. Instead of assisting, they watched the assaults.

Three police (including Sub-Inspector Pradeep Chand) were still beating the Metiss. The Sub-Inspector recognized Juli and caught her by the hand. He rummaged through her bag, and started beating up her by kicks, and batons on her back, leg and face. Juli also asked abused verbally and accused of practicing immoral and illegal behavior--as she was also found carrying condoms in her bag. The two police from Durbar Marg Police station didn't react at all. They were just silent spectators of the abuse and beating against Metis by the three policemen from Janasewa police station.

Alex told the police "not to beat any of us here: rather, take us if we have committed any crime." The Sub-Inspector Pradeep Chand told Juli not to misbehave with police, and not to try to "act smart." So Chand told the two policemen from Durbar Marg Police station to take Juli and Simmi tothe jail. After that Juli and Simmi were taken to the van waiting outside Ratna Park. Yet these police did not take them to Durbar Marg Police Station--saying "Ratna Park is not in our duty area, so get off".

Juli and Simmi decided to go to Durbar Marg Police Station anyway to file the complaint, but Juli was told "you can't file a complaint as you need a 5 rupees stamp".

The rest of the other 3 Métis were taken by a Janasewa Station police van for a time--then forced to run away to three different directions.

This morning Juli went back Durbar Marg Police Station along with Sunil Pant and two other Blue Diamond Society staff. Two representatives form Human Rights Watch accompanied them. At Durbar Marg Police Station all were told that Ratna Park Police Station was not under their area of duty, and to approach Janasewa Police Station.

At Janasewa Police Station the human rights activists and Metis spoke to Police Inspector U. P. Chaturbedi; Sub-Inspector Pardeep Chand; the driver of the van; and another policeman involved in the previous night's abuse who was called. Sub-Inspector Pradeep claimed that illegal and immoral behavior goes on in the park, asserting that police have to control such illegal and immoral behavior. Scott Long from Human Rights Watch asked what evidence he had of illegal acts. The Sub-Inspector said, "We found Metis carrying condoms, and the Metis also told us that they use condom while having anal or oral sex. So it's our regular campaign to control Metis inside the Ratna Park and elsewhere".

Blue Diamond Society denounces such kind of systematic brutal attack against the marginalized community of Metis in Nepal and condemns the degrading action of the Nepal Police who are supposed to protect the citizens. Criminalizing Metis for carrying condoms and using condoms is a devastating signal of police attitudes and behavior. It will have a very negative impact on sexual health and preventing HIV/STI amongst Metis and homosexuals in Nepal.

Blue Diamond Society calls on the Nepal Police, Government and other national and international human rights organizations to take action against the Nepal police so that police officers who are supposed to protect the citizens of the country cannot commit such acts with impunity from the law they are here to uphold. Our (sexual and gender minorities) rights for protection from HIV and STI must not be violated.

In Solidarity

Sunil B Pant
(pictured at right)
July 15 2007