Lesson 4: Crime and Punishment
Last weekend I visited the Agroforestry project that I worked on a few years ago. I was a little upset to see the state of the project offices and model farm had improved little over the few years, however there have been some developments, for example a fish farm has been established in one of the members farms.
However, what was more upsetting was to hear that whilst I was there, a group of youths had broken into the government school and broken 'equipment'. (This was the school that I had hoped to raise funds for). I am not sure what was most surprising; to hear vandals had attacked this impoverished school (when there is a wealthy private school just several hundred metres away), or that this school had anything it could term 'equipment'.
It turned out that this equipment was simply the desks and chairs (which is just about all the school owns), the vandals had been caught during the act and had been held at the police station. This was actually how I heard about it, whilst passing the station / jail, the teenagers' parents were there; begging for their childrens' release. I do not know if the parents, or teenagers were made to pay for the damage caused, (but have heard since that the 'equipment' has been repaired) however later that day the Police had obviously gotten bored of holding the youths and deccided to punish and then release them.
If you can not make it out, the offenders were made to hold onto each others ears, whilst doing squats. This went on for about 40 minutes and must of been very painfull for whoever was the slowest.
Aside from this I was recently speaking to an English friend here, once someone had tried to pick his pocket but the crowd around him had noticed this and starting shouting 'CHOR' (theif). Then they turned on the theif, apparently about a dozen people punching and kicking this guy on the ground. Eventually the police turned up and broke up the fight, seeing that the theif was so badly beaten, the police decided not to press any charges and let everyone go. I am sure Amnesty would be up in arms if they saw such things, but personally I think this works very well. After all, petty crime is rare here and even peacefull burgulries can make the national press.
Observation: Buddhist monks seem to be the equivalent to students in Nepal, I spent an hour eating at a bar / restuarant last night and throughout that time there were 5 monks sat at the table beside mine; all huddled around a single cup of tea.
Last weekend I visited the Agroforestry project that I worked on a few years ago. I was a little upset to see the state of the project offices and model farm had improved little over the few years, however there have been some developments, for example a fish farm has been established in one of the members farms.
However, what was more upsetting was to hear that whilst I was there, a group of youths had broken into the government school and broken 'equipment'. (This was the school that I had hoped to raise funds for). I am not sure what was most surprising; to hear vandals had attacked this impoverished school (when there is a wealthy private school just several hundred metres away), or that this school had anything it could term 'equipment'.
It turned out that this equipment was simply the desks and chairs (which is just about all the school owns), the vandals had been caught during the act and had been held at the police station. This was actually how I heard about it, whilst passing the station / jail, the teenagers' parents were there; begging for their childrens' release. I do not know if the parents, or teenagers were made to pay for the damage caused, (but have heard since that the 'equipment' has been repaired) however later that day the Police had obviously gotten bored of holding the youths and deccided to punish and then release them.
If you can not make it out, the offenders were made to hold onto each others ears, whilst doing squats. This went on for about 40 minutes and must of been very painfull for whoever was the slowest.
Aside from this I was recently speaking to an English friend here, once someone had tried to pick his pocket but the crowd around him had noticed this and starting shouting 'CHOR' (theif). Then they turned on the theif, apparently about a dozen people punching and kicking this guy on the ground. Eventually the police turned up and broke up the fight, seeing that the theif was so badly beaten, the police decided not to press any charges and let everyone go. I am sure Amnesty would be up in arms if they saw such things, but personally I think this works very well. After all, petty crime is rare here and even peacefull burgulries can make the national press.
Observation: Buddhist monks seem to be the equivalent to students in Nepal, I spent an hour eating at a bar / restuarant last night and throughout that time there were 5 monks sat at the table beside mine; all huddled around a single cup of tea.
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