Nepal, Date: 06/02/06
154. Police harassment and beatings of persons who are men by birth but identify as women (known as metis in Nepal).
Early in the morning on 7 December 2005, police from the Shore Khutte Station raided a hotel in the Thamel District of Kathmandu. The raid was a retaliatory measure against the hotel for refusing to provide a room free of charge to four policemen where they intended to have sexual relations with two metis. During the raid, eleven metis were arrested. Eight were held without charge for five days, before they were released.
The other three were detained for six days. On 27 December 2005, a meti named S. was detained in Shore Khutte Police Station. She was not promptly informed of the reasons for her arrest and detention, was not given access to a lawyer and also did not have adequate access to a toilet. On 28 December 2005 at about 1:30 am, police arrested another meti called S. and took her to Shore Khutte Police Station. Police at the station verbally abused her and commanded her to strip. When she refused, they stripped her forcibly of her clothes and touched her genitals while mocking her.
They also threatened to cut her hair off as punishment for wearing women’s clothes. She was released the next day. On 31 December 2005 at about 11 pm, police from Shore Khutte Police Station detained a meti in the Thamel District. One policeman beat her with a bamboo baton calling her derogatory names. She escaped, but her right hand is reportedly swollen and badly bruised. On 3 January 2005 at about 10 pm, three metis were walking in the Thamel District, when four police from Durbar Marg Police Station saw them and shouted: “Metis! Kill them!” One meti was beaten with a baton on her back; one policeman pulled his gun and pointed it at her, threatening that “These hijras [local Nepali term for transgender persons] pollute the society and must be cleaned out.” The other two metis were also severely beaten. All three had bruises on various parts of their bodies.
Link to full text of the report: Summary of cases-SR Torture-2007-eng