Locals forced to attend security base camp

Phidim, January 23:

Local residents of Chyangthapu, Falaincha, Sadewa and Kali Khola VDCs are compelled to show up at the Joint Security Base Camp at Chyangthapu for interrogation every week or fortnight since last September.

The security personnel force the students, teachers, party activists as well as the elderly citizens to be present at the base camp for interrogation, locals said.

“Earlier, the village was infested with Maoists who tortured the villagers time and against and we were hopeful that the situation would improve after establishment of a security base camp but the situation is worse because the security personnel have labelled us Maoists and issued order to attend them for interrogation,” the victims said, adding: “if we don’t go in the specified time, they have threatened us to arrest us from our homes.”

One 65-year-old Hari Prasad Chimariya of Falaincha said, “About a year ago, we had to face Maoist atrocities. They also abducted over 40 youths from the village. But now now the security forces too have started torturing people.” The locals have asked different human rights organisations based in the district to help them.

Different political parties, human right activists and civil society members have been demanding to withdraw the orders on locals but the both the security and administration are turning deaf ears, chairman of Panchthar unit of Nepal Bar Association, Sharma Nanda Sigdel, said.

However, Chief District Officer Govinda Mani Bhurtel and Colonel of Batuk Dal Battalion of the Royal Nepalese Army Tek Bahadur Singh said the security forces have called only suspicious persons to be present at the camp.