Kathmandu, September 21:

Women leaders affiliated to various political parties today related horrible stories of sexual molestation they had to undergo during their arrest and under police detention after they were arrested from a pro-democracy rally yesterday.

The demonstrators were bitten, beaten up and poked batons at their sensitive organs, they said at a press conference jointly organised by various women’s organisations that took part in the demonstration. Former minister Ashta Laxmi Shakya said the cops crossed all the limits of humanity while dealing with the women demonstrators. She had sustained injury near her eyes during the police operation.

“The inhumane molestation showed us one more face of the government. But the government should understand that oppression only ignites more protests,” she said.

She also said some cops poked batons at the women’s sensitive organs. “Some have even marks of brutal biting and pinching. Many of us sustained injuries at such sensitive parts of our body that we cannot show you here,” she said. “It is heinous, brutal and beyond the imagination of any civilised person,” Shakya added.

Asha Chaturbedi, the chairperson of Mahila Manch of NSP (Anandi Devi), said one of her members, Umila Pande, who had gone caesarean operation was beaten so badly that she started bleeding and got fainted.

Bidya Bandhari, former chairman of the UML-affiliated All Nepal Women’s Association (ANWA), said male cops were deployed to arrest the female demonstrators when the government has enough female cops to deal with the female protesters. “The government has no right to arrest us in such an inhuman way. It is illegal and undemocratic,” she said.

Bhakta Kumari Lama, a student of Padma Kanya Campus, showed scars on her back and said that some policemen bit and scratched her.

FECOFUN to join stir

KATHMANDU:

A recent meeting of the Federation of Community Forest Users Nepal (FECOFUN) has decided to join the movement for demo-cracy. It has also decided not to sit on any committee or sub-committee formed under the leadership of government no-minated administrators. Meanwhile, the civil society has planned a rally in Naya Bazaar of Kirtipur on Monday. — HNS