Sep 18, 2006Articles: New Nepal Gov't Resumes Rounding Up Gays
By VZ
(Katmandu) Members of Nepal's LGBT community say they were misled into supporting the democracy movement by assurances mass arrests and other civil rights abuses would end. Blue Diamond Society had participated in the demonstrations against the regime of King Gyanendra that helped usher in an elected government but the group says the new government is no better than the old one.
(Katmandu) Members of Nepal's LGBT community say they were misled into supporting the democracy movement by assurances mass arrests and other civil rights abuses would end. Blue Diamond Society had participated in the demonstrations against the regime of King Gyanendra that helped usher in an elected government but the group says the new government is no better than the old one.
Blue Diamond president Sunil Pant says that police have begun "a cleansing drive" in the capital of Katmandu, sweeping up gays and transsexuals. The transgendered, called metis are the most frequently targeted Pant says.
Members of the LGBT community are arbitrarily arrested, held without a hearing and beaten and tortured by prison guards.
Pant says that three metis recently were arrested because they were carrying condoms. Earlier this month five more were arrested from a dance bar where they worked for tips. Police ordered the owner not to hire transsexuals in the future.
According to Pant the situation in the territory bordering India is particularly bad. Gays and transsexuals in the area have little education and are unable to find jobs.
Blue Diamond had hoped that the new government, and talks with rebel Maoists over a new constitution, would result in legal protections for the LGBT community, but it has not materialized.
Under the old government gays frequently were rounded up.
In March police arrested 26 transsexuals in one raid. According to Blue Diamond they were taken to the Hanuman Dhoka central police station in Kathmandu where they were held for weeks without being allowed to contact anyone.
Blue Diamond also said that people working in the areas of HIV prevention are regularly harassed by police.
Nepal was one of several countries named in this year's State Department report on human rights violators.
