Dal Bahadur Phadera & the
UNICEF FWLD Displacement of Children From Humla 2005:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2032255&start=0&limit=1000
Read the full thread -- a horrific, first-hand account of D.B. Phadera.
Here are two extracts (from a Western volunteer):
"The orphanage I Managed was registered, but not once did I ever see anyone check up on it. My orphanage being registered also did not make it a good place. My job was to run the home and do everything I could to protect the children from the owner and his goons. The owner was a known childtrafficker who was above the law. The NGO ISIS had conducted and investigation that traced over 530 girls that he had sold to brothels in India. They turned the investigation over to UNICEF who promptly leaked it giving him time to pay off the right people. He spent all of 2 nights in jail. I really prefer not to get into how horrible this man is to children, but he is just one of many respectable businessmen who have registered orphanages that are just ways for him to earn money through exploiting children. Like at many homes, the term "owner" only means that he had custody over the children, not that he paid for anything or did anything to care for the children. I actually had to stop a group of swiss tourists from handing over 2000 USD directly to one of his goons (who was himself a pedophile)."
and:
"DB Phadera...was the owner of my orphanage. He lived just across the path from me. Words cannot fully describe how horrible this man is. My job involved documenting the hell out of each of the kids in order to try to keep them safe from him- and it wasn't always enough. He is truly the most despicable person i have ever met. When an 8 year old girl disappeared from the home, he smiled at me as he told me she was only there on vacation. When he had disputes with the organizations that funded the home, he would cut off their ability to bring the children food. He literally would starve the children as a bargaining tool. When I first arrived at the home, he was allowing his goons free reign and many would come and demand to sleep in the beds with the kids at night. It took everything I had to put a stop to that practice. He forces children to beg, sells them into servitude, or worse, into brothels. For him it's all an equation of how he can make the most money. The lucky children are the ones he just abandons. Many good organizations in the valley have rescued kids from DB. All of the ones I listed in my previous post are among them. their efforts are noble and deserve support. But DB is a politically powerful man. As long as he remains free, he will continue to bring in more Humli children and subject them to cruelty, abuse, and in the best case scenario simple neglect.
Having to deal with him on a daily basis was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. My kids needed me there as my foreignness did give them some level of protection and the alternative would have been a manager of his choice, but I couldn't rock the boat too much- he had threatened to kill a previous volunteer and she had to leave the country.
Corruption in Nepal creates this culture of impunity which allows traffickers to operate."
The Indian preacher and the fake orphan scandal -- Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/8856050/The-Indian-preacher-and-the-fake-orphan-scandal.html
On the Western supporters of the Michael Job Centre (Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India).
Long journey home -- The Nepali Times:
http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/issue/2011/09/30/ThisIsIt/18594
On The Esther Benjamins Trust's rescue of 23 Nepali girls (Tamil Nadu -- September 2011).
A trafficker remains scot-free -- The Kathmandu Post:
http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.blogspot.com/2011/07/trafficker-remains-scot-free-kathmandu.html
On trafficker D.B. Phadera & the Michael Job Centre.
Paper Orphans documentary posted on the web -- PEAR Nepal:
http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.blogspot.com/2011/10/paper-orphans-documentary-posted-on-web.html
The Terre des Hommes/Image Ark documentary on adoption trafficking in Humla (the NCO/Bal Mandir kidnappings). Some Humli children ended up in India -- others in the inter-country adoption trade.
How our media helps sell children (by asking the wrong questions) -- Ushaft's Blog:
http://ushaft.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/how-nepali-media-helps-sell-children/
Andrew Undershaft on the media allies of trafficker Dal Bahadur Phadera.
suppressed UNICEF report
UNICEF Nepal's suppressed Humla report is now available on the web.
The reason UNICEF Nepal suppressed (i.e., never published) their 2005 report is unclear.
Nor is it clear why trafficked Nepali children were left at the Michael Job Centre,
Tamil Nadu,
for over six years.
Also available at Pound Pup Legacy:
And posted by one of the European anti-trafficking INGOs:
Here is an extract (one case from the report):
Bikram Bhandari, Thehe VDC
"Bikram Bhandari informed the team that his son (Machche Bhandari now changed to Manish) was sent 6 years ago (Date: 1998) with Kali Bahadur Bhandari from Humla to Katmandu. Ram Bahadur and Gam Singh where 2 other children also sent with Machche Bandari -- they are also now missing however the team did not meet with their parents. Once in Katmandu. Chakra Bahadur Shahi (ex-parliamentarian member) arranged addmition of the children to Bal Mandir (a government organization)
From Katmandu, Machche was sent to a foreign country though Bal Mandir. This information was relayed to Bikram, 3 years ago (Date: 2001) by a member of Bal Mandir when Bikram came to Kathmandu looking for his son.
When Bikram came to know that his child was sent to another country he reqested to meet with his son but the staff of Bal Mandir said that Bikram had to pay 2 lack rupies [lakh rupees]
for this to be arranged.
Bikram explained to the team that the CDO and VDC had prepaired a recommendation letter stating that Machche Bhandari's (Bikrams son) parents where Dead. This was false information.
Bikram would like to meet with his son but is unable to -- he expressed anger about this situation.
Only Kali Bahadur had the information on Bikrams son, however Kali is now dead and Chakra dose not know the information so there is no way of finding out about the child."
For background, see:
On Children's Homes -- Lonely Planet:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
Read the full thread -- a horrific, first-hand account of D.B. Phadera.
"The orphanage I Managed was registered, but not once did I ever see anyone check up on it. My orphanage being registered also did not make it a good place. My job was to run the home and do everything I could to protect the children from the owner and his goons. The owner was a known childtrafficker who was above the law. The NGO ISIS had conducted and investigation that traced over 530 girls that he had sold to brothels in India. They turned the investigation over to UNICEF who promptly leaked it giving him time to pay off the right people. He spent all of 2 nights in jail. I really prefer not to get into how horrible this man is to children, but he is just one of many respectable businessmen who have registered orphanages that are just ways for him to earn money through exploiting children. Like at many homes, the term "owner" only means that he had custody over the children, not that he paid for anything or did anything to care for the children. I actually had to stop a group of swiss tourists from handing over 2000 USD directly to one of his goons (who was himself a pedophile)."
and:
"DB Phadera...was the owner of my orphanage. He lived just across the path from me. Words cannot fully describe how horrible this man is. My job involved documenting the hell out of each of the kids in order to try to keep them safe from him- and it wasn't always enough. He is truly the most despicable person i have ever met. When an 8 year old girl disappeared from the home, he smiled at me as he told me she was only there on vacation. When he had disputes with the organizations that funded the home, he would cut off their ability to bring the children food. He literally would starve the children as a bargaining tool. When I first arrived at the home, he was allowing his goons free reign and many would come and demand to sleep in the beds with the kids at night. It took everything I had to put a stop to that practice. He forces children to beg, sells them into servitude, or worse, into brothels. For him it's all an equation of how he can make the most money. The lucky children are the ones he just abandons. Many good organizations in the valley have rescued kids from DB. All of the ones I listed in my previous post are among them. their efforts are noble and deserve support. But DB is a politically powerful man. As long as he remains free, he will continue to bring in more Humli children and subject them to cruelty, abuse, and in the best case scenario simple neglect.
Having to deal with him on a daily basis was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. My kids needed me there as my foreignness did give them some level of protection and the alternative would have been a manager of his choice, but I couldn't rock the boat too much- he had threatened to kill a previous volunteer and she had to leave the country.
Corruption in Nepal creates this culture of impunity which allows traffickers to operate."
See also:
Lt. Col. Philip Holmes explains why his charity rescued Nepali girls from the Michael Job Centre (video) -- PEAR Nepal:
"After the girls' return to Nepal the trafficker who had been involved, DB Phadera, orchestrated a vicious media campaign against the charity."
The Indian preacher and the fake orphan scandal -- Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
On the Western supporters of the Michael Job Centre (Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India).
Long journey home -- The Nepali Times:
http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/
On The Esther Benjamins Trust's rescue of 23 Nepali girls (Tamil Nadu -- September 2011).
A trafficker remains scot-free -- The Kathmandu Post:
http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.
On trafficker D.B. Phadera & the Michael Job Centre.
Paper Orphans documentary posted on the web -- PEAR Nepal:
http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.
The Terre des Hommes/Image Ark documentary on adoption trafficking in Humla (the NCO/Bal Mandir kidnappings). Some Humli children ended up in India -- others in the inter-country adoption trade.
How our media helps sell children (by asking the wrong questions) -- Ushaft's Blog:
http://ushaft.wordpress.com/
Andrew Undershaft on the media allies of trafficker Dal Bahadur Phadera.
Adhocism and the culture of press-release journalism (part one) -- Ushaft's Blog:
Andrew Undershaft on Anuradha Koirala's curious support of the traffickers.
Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/
