Kathmandu, March 10:

Five members of American Diversity Visa (DV) Victims’ Association launched fast-unto-death today in front of the American embassy at Maharajgunj demanding compensation for the monetary loss they suffered while applying for the visa.

Ending a 60-day relay hunger strike today, the members began fast-unto-death to draw the attention of the government and the American embassy.

President of the association Govinda Adhikari said, “We don’t want American visa. If people think we are protesting to get the US visa, their understanding is wrong. We are just against the American policy that exploits poor people like us by rejecting visa without tendering any reason.”

He said the fast would continue till the money they spent during the visa interview was refunded. They also want compensation for the economic and social loss they had to bear due to the visa denial. The DV victims had started their protests since October 2006. They organised sit-in outside the American embassy for two months, relay hunger strike for 105 days and fast-unto-death for seven days before ending the strike on April 16, 2007, after the then US ambassador James F Moriarty assured them of reviewing individual cases of all applicants who were not granted visas.

“While the embassy forgot its promise, our foreign ministry has remained a mere spectator,” Adhikari said. The victims said each of them spent at least Rs 55,000 while applying for the visa, but rejected visa without giving any reason.