The Global Firepower’s 2019 Military Strength Ranking has named Bangladesh as the third most powerful military power in South Asia, after India, and Pakistan, Dhaka Tribune reported.
The country ranked 45th out of 137 countries reviewed for the ranking. It was ranked 56th in the previous index.
Among South Asian nations, Indian military has been ranked strongest, while Pakistan has been ranked the second most powerful military.
India has been ranked at 4th position, Pakistan at 15th, Afghanistan at 74th, Sri Lanka at 90th, Nepal at 120th, and Bhutan has been ranked at 137th- least strong country in the world, as per the index.
Maldives was not included in the index.
Bangladesh: Military strength at a glance
The index ranked each countries potential war making capability in land, sea, and air fought with conventional weapons.
There are a total of 160,000 military personnel in Bangladesh.
In individual rankings, Bangladesh secured 53rd position in total aircraft strength, and 54th in total helicopter strength.
In the land strength, the country has 340 combat tanks, 521 armored fighting vehicles, 18 self propelled artillery, 340 towed artillery, and 36 rocket projectors.
There are a total of 89 naval assets in Bangladesh, including six frigates and corvettes each, two submarines, 26 patrol vessels, and four mine warfare.
US army most powerful in the world
The United States has topped the list, followed by Russia, and China.
The other four countries among top eight nations are- India, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
London— A senior leader of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, has resigned from his post on Tuesday following allegations of rape by one of his own staff.
In a letter submitted to Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr Mahara said he was tendering his resignation on moral grounds just to facilitate investigations into allegations.
“In a bid to facilitate factual, fair and independent investigation into allegations levelled at my character, I hereby submit my resignation on moral grounds until the end of the investigation process,” Mahara said in a press statement issued this afternoon.
The news of rape surfaced after hamrokura.com published a report on September 30, where the woman has accused Mahara of raping her in her own residence. The victim (whose identity has not been disclosed) said that Mahara came to her rented apartment located at Tinkune in an inebriated state on Sunday evening and raped her.
Meanwhile, the press advisor of Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Dilli Malla, had released a press release on Monday, rebutting the allegation.
Dubai– Eight people were killed and six seriously injured on Monday morning in a traffic accident involving a minibus on Mohamed Bin Zayed Road, Gulf News reported.
Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of Dubai Police Traffic Department, said they received a report of an accident between a mini bus and a truck on Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed road before Mirdif City Centre towards Sharjah.
“The mini bus crashed into the back of a halted truck on the right road shoulder. The mini bus was trapped under the truck. Eight were killed, two seriously injured and two others sustained moderate injuries. All were transferred to Rashid Hospital,” Brig Al Mazroui said.
“The mini bus was carrying 13 passengers and the driver, which caused major fatalities. Accidents involving trucks or buses always result in deaths and serious injuries.”
The bodies of eight people have been shifted to the mortuary, social worker Nasir Vatanapally at Rashid hospital, Gulf news reported.
“The injured are still in emergency ward. Police haven’t still revealed the named and details of the victims, but according to them, there are Pakistanis and Indians involved in the accident. We hope all details will be revealed soon,” he said.
Nasir Vatanapally said the eight dead included six Nepalese, one Indian and one Pakistani. Barring one of the injured who is from Bangaldesh, the remaining five are from India.
The driver and seven passengers were killed in the traffic accident, while four others sustained serious injuries and two others suffered moderate injuries.
According to the Nepal Embassy Dubai, six people who were killed in the accidents are : Ramesh Chaudhari, Danbahadur Satyal, Krisha Bahadur Pun, Narayan Prashad Pokhrel, Dipak BK, and Nayaram Saud.
The vice president of Non Resendintal Nepalese Association ICC , Mr Kul Acharya has expressed his deep condolence to the victims. He has also urged the Nepalese community as well as the Nepal Embassy Dubai to support the victims in this sad incidece. He has also urged the entire Non Residential Nepalese community worldwide to be ready to support the victims and their family.
London— Nepal’s ambassador to the UK, Dr Durga Bahadur Subedi, has said Nepal is one of the safest destinations for tourists in the whole world.
Addressing a special event organised by the Embassy of Nepal in London in cooperation with Travel and Tourism Promotion Committee for Visit Nepal Year 2020 on the occasion of the World Tourism Day (27 September), Dr Subedi said Nepal had bounced back from the impact of 2015 earthquake and number of tourists had also gone up. “Some 46,000 British tourists visited Nepal in 2016 while the number rose to 63,000 last year. This year, we hope around 80,000 British tourists will visit Nepal the number increasing to more than 100,000 next year,” he added.
Ambassador Subedi said the Government of Nepal has identified 100 new tourist destinations including at least 10 new tourist destinations in all seven Provinces. “The Gautam Buddha International Airport in Lumbini – the birthplace of Gautam Buddha—will complete this year and the construction of another international airport in Bara district is also being expedited,” he added.
He said the Embassy was planning grand tourism promotion events, in cooperation with Nepal Tourism Board and other local organisations, in different parts of the UK, Malta and Ireland next year.
Executive director of the Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board, Deepak Khanal, said Nepal produces 25 million kg of high quality tea every year. He said coffee is an emerging product of Nepal and demand for Nepali tea and coffee is growing in the international market. He also invited international tourists to visit Nepal’s tea gardens and tea estates while visiting Nepal.
Managing Director of www.nepaltours.com and convener of the high-level travel and tourism promotion committee for Visit Nepal Year 2020 in the UK, Biraj Bhatta, said besides adventure, nature and cultrue, Nepal had 10,000-year-long continuous history of sanatan dharma. Giving a virtual tour of world heritage sites as well as new trekking and hiking routes in Nepal, Mr Bhatta said many tourists are now visiting Nepal to learn yoga and meditation. “Trekkers enjoy trekking in the mountains because they are connected with high energies. You should be looking higher in your life and there is no place higher than Nepal,” he added.
Photo : Shiva Bhandari
During the event, Key Account Manager at with the Etihad Airways, Kofi Mable, won the raffle with a package of week-long stay and return ticket to Nepal. Kofi, however, announced that he had been to Nepal several times and would like to hand over the prize to another person. Chairperson of the Support Nepal, a UK-based charity, Polly Scott, won the prize.
Talking to www.southasiatime.com, Mr Mable said that he would strongly recommend tourists to visit Nepal. “Nature and serenity welcome you wherever you go. But, it’s the smile on people’s faces and welcoming gesture that you bring home with you,” said Mable. Similarly, Mrs Scott said she is really thrilled to win the prize. “I would also like to take this opportunity to promote our charity,” she added.
Destination management company, www.nepaltours.com, had sponsored the prize.
Six other guests won vouchers for dinner at Nepali restaurants.
Guests also enjoyed performances by noted Nepali artistes and Nepali cuisine.
Kathmandu– Bada Dashain, the biggest festival of Nepal has begun. The festival starts on first day of Navaratri with Ghatsthapana .
Devotees performed Ghatsthapana and sowed maize and barley seeds for germination of the auspicious Jamara (barley shoots) in various parts of the country today. The germination ceremony of Jamara was also held at famous Hanumandhoka Dashain Ghar in Kathamndu with Vedic rituals.
The 15 day festival is celebrated in the month of Ashwin. During Dashain people worship goddess Durga for nine days. On tenth day of festival elders give golden barley shoots and put Tika on the forehead of younger members of the family and bless them for peace, progress and prosperity in the life. People within Nepal and abroad visits their native places to celebrate Bada Dashain festival with their family and friends.
According to Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti, , following Ghatasthapana, the most suitable time for replacing national flags hoisted in government offices is 10:25 am on September 29 (Wednesday).
Similarly, this year’s Pachali Bhairav Jatra will be celebrated with the procession of goddess Taleju Bhavani on October 3. Similarly, the auspicious time for bringing Fulpati to the Dashain Ghar at Hanumandhoka is 8:52 am on October 5.
Likewise, October 6 and 7 will mark Mahaashtami and Mahanavami respectively. Tika or Vijaya Dashami, the main day of Dashain will be celebrated on October 8.
Though tika can be received and offered from the day of Vijaya Dashami to Kojagrat Purnima, the most auspicious time for receiving and offering tika is 10:35 am on Vijaya Dashami, NPNS said.
According to popular Hindu myth, Goddess Durga had killed the demon king Mahishasur on Mahanavami and Vijaya Dashami symbolises the victory of good over evil.
During Navaratra, devotees visit the temples of the goddess of power.
About 10 days of Dashain festival
The first day of Dashain is known as Ghatasthapana, on this day, people fill a vessel with sand and sow maize and barley seeds and is covered and worshiped for 10 days.
On the seventh day, Phulpati is celebrated which is also known as ‘Saptami’.
The eight day is regarded as Maha Aastami. On this day, animals like buffaloes, ducks, goats, hens are sacrificed to Goddess Kali and the meat is taken as ‘Prasad’ (holy food). The night of this day is called the dark night- ‘Kal Ratri’. Maha Navami is the ninth day of Dashain. On this day, craftsman, mechanics, traders etc worship their equipment and tools by sacrificing different animals and offering it to equipment.
The tenth day is named as Vijaya Dashami which is the most important day of this festival. On the tenth day, younger ones in a family receive Tika (a mixture of yogurt, rice and vermilion), Jamara (planted on the first day of Dashain) and blessings from elders as well as respected people.
This festival is in fact the ceremony of reunion and fun. People living far away from home or homeland, revisit their home and get together with their families. Similarly, parents buy new clothes to their children. People enjoy eating mouth-watering foods and playing a lot of games including cards. People invite guests, organize feast, visit their relatives’ houses, fly kites, build bamboo swings and get involved in various entertaining activities.
IAS, Singapore- Nepal cricket team captain Paras Khadka became the Himalayan nation’s first batsman to score a T20I century as they registered a nine-wicket victory over hosts Singapore in the tri-series here on Saturday.
Khadka also became the first skipper to slam a century in T20I cricket while chasing.
The 31-year-old remained unbeaten on 106 from 52 deliveries, which included seven boundaries and nine sixes as Nepal chased down a target of 152 in 16 overs. They scored 154/1.
Khadka took 49 balls to complete the hundred, also making it the fourth-fastest T20I century by an Asian batsman.
Singapore elected to bat first and put up a total of 151/3 in 20 overs.
Earlier this year, Nepal’s Rohit Paudel broke Shahid Afridi’s record to become the youngest half-centurion in one-day internationals. Paudel, aged 16 years and 146 days, scored 55 in the second ODI of Nepal’s tour of the United Arab Emirates.
Paudel, who batted at No.7, scored 55 off 58 balls and his innings was studded with 7 boundaries. Thanks to the 16-year-old’s exploits, Nepal finished with 242 for 9 off their 50 overs before UAE collapsed to 29 for 4 in their chase.
Overall in international cricket, the record was held by Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 59 in a Test against Pakistan at 16 years and 213 days.
To start the culture of protecting data, Nepali consumers have to demand accountability and transparency from the organizations which collect their data
Data is becoming the new oil. Governments are under substantial pressure from the citizens to protect their data. Organizations such as Google, Facebook and Apple make daily headlines for manipulating data of the consumers by selling them to marketing agencies.
Many countries in the world are looking at Huawei with suspicion. They are concerned that the company might be used by China as a tool of espionage. If the allegations are true, the main tool for spying will be the consumer data collected by Huawei. But while the world is concerned about data protection, government in Nepal does not seem to take this issue seriously.
Case of Nepal
In Nepal, data protection is governed by Privacy Act (2018). But it is not in line with OECD Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of Personal Data. Owners of hotels, travel agencies, and financial institutions do not seem to know much about the data protection of their customers. If they are caught for breaching data protection, they could be fined huge money under data protection law such as General Data Protection Regulation of Europe.
The standard followed by even large corporate organizations in Nepal is below the international standard of practice. Waiting for the law and asking the businesses to follow it might take longer time. But if the consumers themselves demand accountability from these organizations to protect the data, it might take less time. Businesses won’t go for compromising with the consumers’ trust.
There are cultural misconceptions regarding data protection. It is commonly viewed as an IT issue. Cyberattack is viewed as the premier threat. While these common views are true to some extent, other facts are most often not realized. Internationally, cyber security and data protection overlap under the same umbrella. Data protection is not only an IT issue. It should be incorporated in every process of the business in every business department and unit. The concept of privacy by design and default is incredibly being accepted by data protection laws around the world. It is crucial to understand the impact of data breach to understand the necessity of data protection. The common impact of data breach on an individual is financial loss, identity theft and mental and physical distress. The impact of the breach on the organization could be regulatory sanctions and lack of customers’ trust resulting in loss of business. The cases of property loss through identity theft are alarming, to the extent that government has classified property related data in high priority in Privacy Act 2018.
Lax law
However, Privacy Act has failed to address key issues in privacy and data protection. First, the definition of personal data is restrictive and narrow. For example, it classifies education and academic qualification in the same category as biometric details such as thumb impressions. In the case of a breach of such data, the impact of losing thumb print impressions is much higher than the impact of losing academic qualification details. Second, it does not establish a supervisory authority to monitor compliance. In the case of consumer complaint, the only measure is to file a legal case in the District Court which can be time-consuming and expensive. For data protection to be taken with responsibility by the organizations, it is crucial to have an authority that can address the issue in a short duration of time and is free of cost. Right to privacy and protection of information is a fundamental right under Article 28 of the Constitution. To practice the fundamental right, Nepalis should not be forced to pay or wait to file their concerns and complaints. Third, the enforcement measures are weak. The maximum amount for penalty is NRs 30,000 ($300) or three years of imprisonment. The balance of the impact of the data loss and the penalty is feeble.
Awareness and demand of accountability by the consumers themselves are the initial steps to force organizations to respond with responsibility of protection of consumer data. Goodwill and customers’ trust are crucial for any business. The primary responsibility of protecting the data falls on the organization which decides on the data—what to collect, how to store etc. Hence, the consumers should be made aware through privacy notices of how the data collected will be used, stored, transferred, and deleted after the purpose has been fulfilled. It is the right of the consumers to demand transparency as personal data is a personal property of the owner.
In Nepal, financial institutions need the data awareness the most. Due to the nature of the business, banks collect sensitive data that can pose high risk to the rights and freedoms of the individuals. The greatest threat of data loss or a breach is the insider’s threat—mainly the members of staff. The loss or a breach can be intentional or unintentional but the impact of the loss will always be huge on the individuals. Data processed and stored in the paper format (which is the case in Nepal) are always in high risk.
Thus the consumers need to be aware while sharing their data and demand accountability from any organizations that collect, use and process their data. People and employees should demand transparency regarding their data use by the organizations. Data, whether it is simply educational qualification or email address, is the personal belonging of the owner and it should not, like other personal properties, be allowed to process without the owners’ knowledge. The only way forward to start the culture of protecting data in Nepal is by consumers themselves demanding accountability and transparency from the organizations which collect their data.
The author, LLM in International Human Rights Law with specialization on Privacy Law from Oxford Brookes University, UK, is a certified information privacy professional for Europe and works in a consulting firm based in London
(This article was originally published in: My Republica.com on 26th of September)
PTI, NEW YORK: Elimination of terrorism in all its forms is a “precondition” for fruitful cooperation in South Asia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, in a veiled attack on Pakistan while emphasising that the relevance of the SAARC will be determined by decisive actions against the scourge.
In his statement at the informal meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Council of Ministers on the margins of the 74th session of the General Assembly here on Thursday, Jaishankar said, “Ours is really not just a story of missed opportunities but also of deliberate obstacles. Terrorism is one among them.”
Elimination of terrorism in all its forms is a precondition not only for fruitful cooperation, but also for the very survival of the region itself, Jaishankar said at the meeting.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi boycotted Jaishankar’s opening statement at the meeting to protest over Kashmir after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August. India has asserted the abrogation of Article 370 was its “internal matter”.
Jaishankar in his statement reiterated SAARC leaders’ statement in Kathmandu in 2014, where they called for “full and effective implementation of SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism, including through enacting necessary legislation at the national level to root out terrorism”
“The relevance of SAARC would be determined by these actions against terrorism and this will decide our collective journey of the future become more productive,” the minister said. Jaishankar said while regionalism has taken root in every corner of the world, if the South Asian region has lagged behind it is because the region does not have the normal trade and connectivity that other regions do.
“It is unfortunate that we have not made any headway with reference to some of the connectivity initiatives such as the Motor Vehicles and Railways Agreements. Similarly, there has been no progress in the SAARC Regional Air Services Agreement, initiated by India,” he added.
He told the meeting that the example of the South Asian Satellite is instructive about how India has been taking up the initiatives that bear prosperity to the neighbourhood.
South Asia Satellite, launched in 2017 with an intention to arrive at scientific solutions to address poverty in the SAARC region has impacts in sectors as varied as health, education, disaster response, weather forecasting and communications.
With the view to enable Member-states to firm up specific requirements and utilisation plans for establishing ground networks, a workshop was held (by ISRO) in December 2018 in New Delhi with participation of technical experts from all participating SAARC countries.
He cited the example of the South Asian University (SAU) as another instance where India has been proactive in building academic excellence that will have generational impact.
The SAU has 580 students and 58 faculty members at present and till date, the varsity had three convocation ceremonies along with one award ceremony to honour 1,174 students, who have graduated from the University and contributing immensely in the development of respective member states in the region.
India is committed for giving 100 per cent capital cost towards construction of the SAU and the construction is going on. India is also the major contributor of operational costs of the SAU.
He noted that the SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC-Interim Unit), established in Gujarat has trained more than 350 candidates in the last two years.
India also hosted 11 training programmes and workshops in Agriculture and Disaster Management since last September.
Other success stories of cooperation include extension of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) to SAARC Partner countries. The NKN extension has been completely implemented in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the NKN extension to Bhutan was inaugurated by our Prime Minister on 17 August 2019.
Sydney — The body of 21-year-old Nepalese accounting student Bigul Pandit was never found, despite days of searching after he failed to resurface while swimming in the river on January 9, ABC news reported.
Detective Inspector Winston Woodward said there was a “good possibility” that the human remains, found by recreational fishermen on Thursday afternoon, belonged to Mr Pandit.
The remains were found in the river a short distance downstream from where Mr Pandit was swimming when he disappeared.
Inspector Woodward said police had not yet confirmed the body was Mr Pandit’s through forensic testing, but his family was told about the discovery by detectives last night and they understood the situation.
“I’m hopeful, but I’m sad at the same time, that it could be Mr Pandit,” he said.
“It’ll bring a little bit of closure to the family but it is obviously a loved one that’s passed away.”
Mr Pandit’s sudden disappearance earlier this year devastated the regional city’s Baha’i faith community to which he belonged.
Vigils were held along the banks of the river, on the NSW-Victoria border.
Mr Pandit’s employer and friend Gurul Gooman said it would be good for the family to find closure.
“I feel terrible … I hope it is Bigul, there isn’t confirmation yet.
Pakistani footballer Hajra Khan has been named as the new ambassador for the British Asian Trust.
Hajra, who is the women’s national football team captain and the only Pakistani footballer to have been invited by and trained with German Bundesliga Clubs, has been roped in to create awareness about mental health issues in Pakistan.
She joins a host of other high-profile figures such as singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, actress Sanam Saeed and television personality Noreen Khan to be a champion of the organisation’s mental health work in Pakistan, the British Asian Trust said in a release.
Citing the World Health Organisation statistics, the organisation said that there are more than 50 million people in Pakistan affected by mental health issues with less than 400 psychiatrists to help address them.
“The Trust aims to reach 150,000 people and touch the lives of 500,000 more over the next five years through the provision of community-based mental healthcare, training, and awareness-raising to improve knowledge, referrals, and access to support,” the press release said.
Speaking about the importance of mental health, Khan said that she wants to use football as a platform to make an impactful difference.
“Despite being a successful football player who’s received numerous accolades, I, too, have been through times when I was literally fighting for my life. Success or your role in life neither define nor protect you,” she was quoted as saying.
Khan added: “That was when I truly realised what being tough meant and that someone needs to stand up for people with mental health issues. This has become my purpose.”
The British Asian Trust has been supporting mental health programmes in Pakistan since 2011 by working with local partners to develop services, reduce stigma and change public perceptions.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said the murder of government critic and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi “happened under my watch,” but without his knowledge, Frontline PBS reported.
“I get all the responsibility because it happened under my watch,” the prince was cited as saying in a documentary by PBS’s Frontline. Frontline said the crown prince made the comments in December 2018, two months after the murder in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. The prince blamed unnamed officials for acting without his knowledg.
NEW YORK: Any US assistance to encourage bilateral discussions between India and Pakistan would help preserve global order and would serve to enhance the safety of Americans, says a letter signed by 35 US lawmakers, the dawn reported.
The letter, addressed to Kelly Craft, the US ambassador to the United Nations, also conveys concerns of the US Congress on India’s decision to annex occupied Kashmir, noting that it could lead to a clash between South Asia’s two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan.
The letter asks the ambassador to let Congress know what actions the US mission to the United Nations and the Trump administration have taken so far to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.
“We write out of concern with the recent activity in the Kashmir region, amid increasing tensions between the nations of India and Pakistan — both of whom have nuclear capabilities. Maintaining peace and stability in this region is a matter of global security,” the lawmakers wrote.
“As you know, last month the Indian government announced it would revise the legal status of the Jammu and Kashmir state. Historically, the Indian constitution has granted special autonomous status to the state. In late July and early August, India moved 45,000 troops into the Kashmir region. Upon removing the special status on Aug 5, residents’ freedom of movement and communications were suspended in the area. We are encouraged by recent reports that the restrictions have begun to be uplifted.
“As the United Nations begins its 74th session of the General Assembly, we encourage you to use the full weight of the US Mission to the United Nations to encourage India and Pakistan to bilaterally mitigate tensions. Any assistance that the United States can offer to defuse tensions in the region and encourage bilateral discussions between the two countries is of the utmost importance to assuring the safety of Americans and preserving global order.
“Please let us know what actions the UN Mission and the administration will take to prevent further escalation of the conflict between India and Pakistan. We appreciate your attention to these concerns and stand ready to assist you in any way as you represent the United States at the United Nations.”
London — The supreme court has ruled that Boris Johnson’s advice to the Queen that parliament should be prorogued for five weeks at the height of the Brexit crisis was unlawful, BBC reported.
The judgment from 11 justices on the UK’s highest court follows an emergency three-day hearing last week that exposed fundamental legal differences over interpreting the country’s unwritten constitution.
Reacting to the ruling, Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow says: “I welcome the Supreme Court’s judgement that the prorogation of Parliament was unlawful. It is for Parliament to decide what to do next. Speaker Bercow says the House of Commons ‘must convene without delay’.
The decision was read out by Lady Hale, the president of the supreme court. Unusually, none of the parties were provided with advance copies of the judgment due to its extreme sensitivity. Only seven of the 11 justices who heard the case were present in court on Tuesday.
SINGAPORE: A Nepalese monk who was visiting Singapore to renew his visa for travel molested a woman selling items in Geylang.
Tamang Dawa, 42, was sentenced to five months’ jail on Tuesday (Sep 24) after pleading guilty to one charge of molesting the 28-year-old victim.
The court heard that Dawa came to Singapore on Jul 6 this year to renew his visa to travel to Taiwan to worship.
At about 11.30pm on Jul 11, Dawa walked past a woman selling items at a makeshift stall in the vicinity of Geylang Road.
The woman, whose identity is protected by gag order, signalled to the monk to approach, and she showed him some of her wares on the table.
As the victim bent over and talked to the monk, he groped her right breast over her clothing, said the prosecution.
The woman immediately swiped his hand away and shouted to a nearby man. Her shouts drew the attention of a passer-by who asked her what happened.
The two people ran after Dawa, who had walked away, and eventually detained him.
The monk later apologised and offered to compensate the victim, but she refused, the court heard.
He was arrested by two police officers who were in the area, and said he had drunk six glasses of beer while at a nearby coffee shop with his friend before the incident.
Defence lawyers Josephus Tan and Cory Wong of Invictus Law had argued for not more than five months’ jail and no caning, saying there had been “fleeting contact” with the victim’s breast.
They added that Dawa has no prior convictions and that his offending was “wholly out of character”, with “no evidence to suggest a pattern of deviant sexual offending”.
“Dawa is a travelling monk who often comes to Singapore to read scriptures at the various Buddhist temples here,” said Mr Tan. “This is part of his pilgrimage. Dawa therefore sincerely regrets his actions which took place nearby to the temple that he was then residing at.
“He has since rebuked himself for bringing disgrace to his Nepalese master monk and to all that he stands for and reads. That said, Dawa certainly did not come to Singapore or go out of his way just for the purpose of committing sexual crimes.”
For using criminal force on the woman intending to outrage her modesty, the monk could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these punishments.
In 2015, when an earthquake hit Nepal, killing 9,000 people, women started to disappear. The survivors, who thought themselves lucky, soon found themselves without much choice, but to trust the promises of overseas work and education, turning many into victims of trafficking.
This is when a bunch of nuns from a Buddhist nunnery in the western valley of Kathmandu decided to pick up their tools and start building homes and broken compound walls. Amid the chaos that followed Nepal’s biggest earthquake, the nuns went door to door, educating families about trafficking and women empowerment.
“It was scary, but we had decided not to leave,” said Dipam, a ‘Kung Fu’ nun. “No one ever imagined nuns could do martial arts. But we did. So when we saw homes being destroyed and women being taken away, we decided to educate the families on what a woman is capable of,” she said.
Just 13-years-old when she left her home in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur, Dipam said she had always wanted to be a nun, but never thought that she would end up helping thousands of women in Nepal.
In the rural mountain communities of Nepal, the impact of climate change is more keenly felt since much of the agriculture — a mainstay of the economy — continues to be rain-fed. With the area becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate hazards, resource degradation and food scarcity, the past decade has seen communities becoming poorer, with women and girls at particular risk. Although climate change has been the push factor in human trafficking in the area for a while, the earthquake destroyed already vulnerable livelihoods, creating a situation that traffickers actively exploited.
In the three months after the earthquake, Nepal’s National Human Rights Commission reported a 15% increase in the number of interceptions of people “vulnerable” to human traffickers. On the Indian side, the cases of trafficking being registered along the Indo-Nepal border also saw a sharp surge after the earthquake, from just eight cases being lodged by the Union Home Ministry’s Shastra Seema Bal (SSB) in 2014 to 147 in 2017.
In Nepal, the combination of delays in rebuilding homes, the loss of livelihoods that pushed people to the brink of desperation for money and established criminal networks resulted in an epidemic of human trafficking. According to reports, following the quake, many women were and are still are being sold into a global network that includes brothels and massage parlours in India, dance bars in Kenya, home-cleaning services in the Middle East and slave labour in South Asia.
The 26-year-old nunnery in the village of Ramkot is where the 800-odd nuns, between the ages of nine and 90, learn Kung Fu, fix electrical appliances and do plumbing, besides praying. And, they often cycle for miles across the Himalayas to let people know that “women are capable of everything.” There were many who implored the nuns to evacuate the nunnery after it had collapsed, but they decided to stay and help.
“The building had started breaking when we realised that the earthquake was strong. But we didn’t shriek or cry, we decided to be brave and do our job,” Dipam said. The job she refers to is ‘community duty’, which the nuns consider a ‘spiritual exercise’.
For days following the earthquake, the nuns would trek to nearby villages to help remove the rubble from people’s homes, salvage and return buried objects and clear pathways. They made night shelters for the affected and went around distributing rice and lentils. Back in their home, the nunnery, which was also completely destroyed, the nuns repaired solar panels, laid new tiles in the front yard and rebuilt their broken compound wall. At night, the older nuns patrolled in the streets outside the nunnery, while the younger nuns slept in tents on the lawn.
“There were only dead bodies for days after the earthquake. Then we found out girls from poor families were being sold because their parents could not afford to keep them anymore,” said Rupa, another Kung Fu nun from Lahol Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.
With many of the nuns, hailing from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Nepal, it is personal. After facing the consequences of climate change first-hand in their own villages, the nuns decided to start walking with two strong messages: protect the environment, and empower women. They have since travelled the world, learning about climate change, partnering with global non-profits and also participated in the 2014 United Nations, Conference of the Parties (COP 20).
The nuns believe that when in 2008, the leader of the 1,000-year-old Drukpa lineage, His Holiness The Gyalwang Drukpa changed the order of gender stereotypes and got the nuns to learn Kung Fu, things became different for them. “It taught me to be confident, I realised I am not less than anybody,” said Dipam.
In 2014, Dipam walked a distance of 800 km from Varanasi to Lumbini. Every day, the nuns would walk for 8 to 10 kilometers and clean up villages along their route. In 2011, she went to Sri Lanka to spread the message of ill effects of plastic waste. “They think we are boys when they see us on our bike. We stop and tell them that not only are we women, but we are also Buddhist nuns,” Rupa said, not being able to hide her glee.
In 2016, led by His Holiness himself, the nuns, clad in black sweatpants, red jackets and white helmets, cycled 2,200 kilometers from Kathmandu to Delhi to spread the message of environmental awareness and encourage people to use bicycles instead of cars. “We talked about women trafficking on our journey because they are interconnected,” said Rupa.
“It was to show these villages that women are strong and capable enough to cycle,” the group’s communications coordinator Carrie Lee said.
“We were not asking the women to run away from their families, we were educating them and helping build back their lives so they can continue to stay and feel empowered,” said Rupa. The nuns’ motto is: ‘No one’s coming to rescue you’ and they couldn’t be more spot on.
Colombo (News 1st) – The United Nations Population Fund in Sri Lanka hosted a panel discussion in Colombo today (September 21). The panel discussion was held under the theme “Ensuring Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for Sustainable Development”.
The event was held in line with the 1st South East Asia Regional Group Meeting of the International Epidemiological Association. The panel comprised of National and International experts.
UNFPA Representative of Sri Lanka, Ritsu Nacken who addressed the gathering highlighted that Sri Lanka has the lowest maternal mortality ratio in the South Asian region which is around 39 deaths per 100,000 live births adding that almost 100% births in the country are attended by skilled health practitioners. She further added that the maternal mortality ratio has been stagnant for decades. Additionally, she emphasized that due to many other health indicators such as contraceptive perseverance rate and teenage pregnancies they have not been able to record visible progress for decades. She voiced the need for a fundamental system-level change to address the last-mile challenges.
