See Devi's appeal to the Nepal Chief of Army Staff Chattra Man Singh Gurung on the 7th anniversary of her daughter's killing:

http://www.advocacyforum.org/news/2011/02/maina-mother-urges-army-chief.php

Devi Sunuwar

In February 2010 PBI – Nepal began accompaniment with Devi Sunuwar, a woman human rights defender, Kavre district President of Conflict Victims Society for Justice and the mother of conflict victim Maina Sunuwar. From a small village in a rural district west of Kathmandu, in 2004 Devi's life changed dramatically due to a series of violent incidents which propelled her to the centre of Nepali civil society’s fight against impunity.

In February 2004, Devi’s 18 year old niece was taken from her bed by soldiers of the then Royal Nepal Army and shot on suspicion of being a Maoist guerrilla. Devi was present and contacted the media afterwards, naming the officers she believed were to blame. Less than a week later on February 17^th, 15 Royal Nepal Army soldiers came to Devi’s house looking for her. In her absence, they arrested her 15 year old daughter, Maina. On hearing this, Devi immediately went to the army barracks ready to face the soldiers in order to free her daughter. The soldiers there denied any knowledge of Maina’s arrest. In reality, she had been tortured to death in secret army custody.

 Since that day at the barracks, Devi has been tirelessly campaigning for justice in her daughter’s case. Along with pressure from civil society and the international community, this has produced some results, but also many setbacks -

In April 2004, the RNA admitted that Maina had been killed and brought three soldiers allegedly responsible before a court martial. However, this found the offenders guilty only of minor offences worth six months imprisonment which they were deemed to have completed in army custody. Further pressure on the police led to the exhumation of Maina’s body at the army camp in March 2007.

Devi lodged a complaint at Kavre District police office and, as a result of pressure from UN-OHCHR and others, Maina’s body was exhumed in March 2007. In 2008 Kavre District Court then issued orders for the arrest of the four accused. In 2009, the same district court ordered the army to suspend Major Niranjan Basnet (one of the four accused believed to be still serving). Shortly afterwards, Major Basnet was discovered to be on a UN Peacekeeping Mission in Chad. Despite his order for arrest, on December 12, 2009, the Army Police took control of Major Basnet at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, after his repatriation from Chad. As of March 2011, the orders for arrest are still to be carried out.

Devi continues to fight on for her daughter, in the face of this impunity. Devi's story is one among thousands where perpatrateors have yet to be investigated and brought to justice. She and Maina have become symbolic of all families who lost and of an institutional system which continues to systematically deny these families their losses.

PBI – Nepal received request for accompaniment by Devi in January 2010 because of her increased sense of insecurity following the repatriation in December 2009 of one of the perpetrators, Major Niranjan Basnet, from UN Peace Keeping Mission in Chad.