Maina’s Story

One of the highest-profile cases of extrajudicial killing during the conflict was of 15-year-old Maina Sunar of Kavre who was taken in by the Army and tortured for being a Maoist suspect. The case represents the true horror and tragedy of the insurgency, regardless of which side committed the war crimes.

Excerpt of the report published in Nepali Times this week 20 years ago in issue #222 19 – 25 November 2004:

Purna Bahadur Sunuwar and his wife Debi had just hit another dead end in the search of their 15-year-old daughter, Maina, who had been taken away by soldiers eight months ago. An army patrol from the Lamidanda barrack in Kabhre had arrested Maina from her home on 17 Feburary 2004 for being a suspected Maoist.

Purna Bahadur and Debi had gone to the army base the next day only to be told that their daughter was not there. After a story about Maina's disappearance came out in Himal Khabarpatrika in April, human rights organisations and the military's legal department finally took notice. Even at that time, the Royal Nepali Army's legal officers told us: "We are investigating, we can't say anything at the moment." At the same time, the family and neighbours also told human rights groups they were being harassed by local soldiers.

In September, after Maina's trail in Kathmandu went cold, we accompanied her parents to Kabhre. The Sunuwars live relatively well by rural Nepali standards in a two-storey rato mato house. Rats scamper away as we open the door to an upstairs room where Maina used to sleep. There is a battered tin trunk and Maina's hand bag and slippers. Debi begins to sob as she sees them. Neighbours told us they had seen Maina being taken into the barracks on the day she disappeared.

 For archived material of Nepali Times of the past 20 years, site search: nepalitimes.com