WUNRN
NEPAL - TWO WOMEN ACCUSED OF
WITCHCRAFT & TORTURED IN MONASTERY
By Kalpit Parajuli - 7/24/2013
Beaten and tortured all night by neighbours on suspicion of practicing black
magic. Police arrested only two of those responsible. In
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) -
Dragged to a Buddhist monastery, beaten and forced to eat human feces: this is
what happened to two ethnic Tamang women, accused of witchcraft by some
villagers in Sindhupalchok district in northern
The victims are Maili Tamang,
40, and Kanchhi Tamang, 27, from the
The crowd - which included many young people - accused them of practicing black
magic against the other villagers. "After - she continues - they made us
promise not to reveal the incident to the police. But we did, because we are
innocent."
At the moment the police have
arrested Man Singh Tamang and Sunita Tamang, as instigators of violence against
them. The others involved are still at large. Buddhist leaders have launched an
appeal to the entire community, inviting everyone to maintain discipline in
faith and asking the other monks to avoid any involvement.
Madhav Puodel, information minister and government spokesman, called what
happened "a humiliating incident for the whole Nepalese society", and
ensured that the culprits will be brought to justice.
Aggression is part of the traditional culture of the Hindu and Buddhist
communities of