The Nepal hostage crisis began on 19 August 2004 when an Iraqi Sunni insurgent group, Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna kidnapped and murdered twelve Nepalis.[1]
| Nepal hostage crisis | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Iraq War | |
| Location | Iraq |
| Date | 1 August 2004 – 31 August 2004 |
| Target | Twelve Nepalis in Iraq |
Attack type | Hostage-taking |
| Deaths | 12 hostages |
| Perpetrators | Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna |
Events
editMoonlight Consultancy Private Limited, company based in Nepal, recruited twelve Nepalis to work in Amman, Jordan as chefs, cleaners and builders for Jordanian businesses.[2][3] On 19 August 2004, they were transported to Iraq by a caravan using the Amman-Baghdad Highway.[4] The same day, they were kidnapped by an Iraqi Sunni insurgent group, Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna.[5] On 20 August, the group released a video of the hostages which showed them begging for their lives and blaming Pralhad Giri of Moonlight Consultants for their abduction; the media was aired by various Nepali channels.[6] On 23 August, the Government of Nepal made a plead via the Al Jazeera television channel, however, Nepali diplomats were unable to contact the kidnappers.[6] The Nepali government also wrote to the Iraqi government, nevertheless, on 31 August at 6 pm, television channels broadcast pictures of the dead bodies of 12 Nepalis.[6]
In a video later posted by the militants to jihadist websites online the hostages are shown being executed, with one beheaded and the rest shot dead.[7]
Hostages
edit- Sanjay Kumar Thakur
- Budan Kumar Shah
- Lalan Singh Koirala
- Manoj Kumar Thakur
- Jhok Bahadur Thapa
- Jit Bahadur Thapa
- Ramesh Khadka
- Mangal Bahadur Limbu
- Bishnu Hari Thapa
- Rajendra Kumar Shrestha
- Gyanendra Shrestha
- Prakash Adhikari
Aftermath
editRiots
editRiots in Nepal began shortly after the hostages were killed.[6] Thousands of people rioted in cities and towns across Nepal, which saw looting, arson, as well as imposed curfew and the deaths of two people.[10] Several violent clashes with police followed the crisis, along with vandalism of Kantipur Publications, Kantipur Television, Space Time Network, and Channel Nepal. The Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies was reported to have lost about billions of Nepali Rupees (NPR), and various companies also lost about 750 million NPR in damages.[11][12][13]
Reactions
editKing Gyanendra and Queen Komal expressed their "condolences to the family and relatives of the people killed by Iraqi militants".[14] It was reported that they were "shocked and grieved" by the cruel acts made by Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna.[14] On 1 September, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba gave a nationwide speech on Radio Nepal and he called for "restraint".[15] Deuba stated he would also provide 1 million Nepalese rupees to victims' family, and proclaimed 2 September to be a national day of mourning.[14]
It was also condemned by Indian Prime Minister: Manmohan Singh, United States Secretary of State: Colin Powell, Minister of External Affairs: Natwar Singh, Jack Straw, Pope John Paul II, governments of Bangladesh and Japan.[14] The Kathmandu Post called the militants "terrorists who have camouflaged themselves in the masks of Islam".[15]
In the media
edit- In 2018, Cam Simpson published non-fiction book The Girl From Kathmandu: Twelve Dead Men and a Woman's Quest for Justice which documents this incident.[16][17]
References
edit- ^ "Incident Summary for GTDID: 200408200005". www.start.umd.edu. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ Tavernise, Sabrina (1 September 2004). "12 Hostages From Nepal Are Executed in Iraq, a Militant Group Claims". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "A Face and a Name". Human Rights Watch. 2 October 2005. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "Ramchandra Adhikari, et al. v. Daoud & Partners, et al" (PDF). U.S. Government Information. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "12 Nepalese hostages 'executed in Iraq'". The Guardian. 31 August 2004. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d "1 September, 2004". Nepali Times. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "12 Nepalese hostages beheaded in Iraq: Islamist website". Zee News. 31 August 2004.
- ^ "Dead named". The Guardian. 6 September 2004. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "Nepal shocked by hostage murders". BBC. 1 September 2004. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "Two killed in Kathmandu Valley". Kantipur Online. 2 September 2004. Archived from the original on 2 September 2004. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Shame" (PDF). Nation Weekly. 21: 14–16. 12 September 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Digital Himalaya.
- ^ "All in a day's work". Nepali Times. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Refworld | Attacks on the Press in 2004 – Nepal". Refworld. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Shame" (PDF). Nation Weekly. 21: 14–16. 12 September 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Digital Himalaya.
- ^ a b "Appeal for calm after Nepal riots". BBC. 1 September 2004. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "A Long Fight For Justice For Contractors In 'The Girl From Kathmandu'". NPR. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ Barry, Ellen (15 June 2018). "Terrorists Killed 12 Nepalese Men. Was an American Military Contractor to Blame?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.