It Has Been A Long Time

It has been over two months since the last post to our blog. This delay in posting has been intentional since our case is still open. A lot has happened since the last post. As you may remember we were the sixth family to be sent to New Delhi from Kathmandu. Well six families has quickly turned to 56. Of these 56 families 36 (including us) have received a Request For Evidence (RFE). A RFE gives the family 87 days to respond and provide evidence that your child is truly an orphan. To-date there has not been a single denial or even a Notice Of Intent to Deny (NOID). In a conference call involving the Department of State, Homeland Security, various congresspeople and many of the families, one very important thing was revealed NOT ONE INCIDENT OF FRAUD WAS FOUND IN ANY CASE. If the corruption existed and was as rampant as originally stated by the embassy in Kathmandu wouldn't their staff have found it? Any remaining information about investigations could compromise our and other cases so for now this is all we can say.

As many of you know, we have hired an international team of lawyers to investigate and work on our case. The reports we have received from the team have all been positive and our response to the RFE will be completed and forwarded to Homeland Security in New Delhi soon. The country of Nepal has also been very gracious and has verbally granted a 6-month adoption extension to the families caught in this mess.

We ask that we remain in your prayers and please include the other families as well. We have learned that a couple of families have found it necessary to sell their homes in order to hire representation and keep fighting and many individuals who have adopted, now live in Nepal and have taken extended leaves from their jobs without pay, some were even forced to quit their jobs.

We will leave this post with two things. First, a new petition has been formed and we invite you electronically sign it. The other petition did quite well, and garnered the attention of congress. In fact, we understand a congressional hearing related to Nepal adoptions is forth coming.

http://www.petition2congress.com/3867/bring-stranded-nepali-adoptees-home-now/

Second, below is a letter written by an American who has lived in Nepal for many years and has worked to stop the trafficking of individuals.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Years..... Michael & Karyn


December 16, 2010

To whom it may concern:

My name is Rob Buckley and I am the Founder and Director of the Himalayan Healers project in Nepal. Before building the Himalayan Healers project I was a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, working in the border town of Birgunj, within City Hall. Both my work with Himalayan Healers and with the US Peace Corps has focused upon issues of human trafficking, prostitution, women’s rights, and youth issues. In fact, the youth development program I developed in Peace Corps was featured as a model for other youth programs for Peace Corps to use, worldwide. My work with Himalayan Healers has focused upon human trafficking issues and we have received acclaim in numerous international media sources for this.

As a Peace Corps Volunteer I lived with a Nepali family and learned of the Nepali culture, and the Nepali language, in-depth. I pride myself on my grass-roots connections in Nepal, and my understanding of the various dynamics that interconnect in this amazing nation. My work in Peace Corps occurred during the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, and when US Peace Corps closed their operations in Nepal I was the only Volunteer to stay and to continue our work, independently. This is simply an example of my grass-roots connections here in Nepal, and my commitment to these issues.

In my more than seven years of work at the grass-roots level focusing upon human trafficking, prostitution, women’s rights, and youth issues I have never once come across even a hint of human trafficking relating to the orphanages and to adoptions. If the US Embassy has information in relation to this they have a responsibility to share that information with the numerous organizations and professionals in Nepal that work on human trafficking. The very fact that they have not shared any information is in fact a very telling statement to consider.

I have however been keenly aware of the tremendous problem with human trafficking of young teenage girls in Nepal, and there are numerous organizations that focus upon this in Nepal. My organization helps to rehabilitate Nepali girls who have been rescued from brothels after being sold in to sexual slavery. Recently we won an international award in Asia for this work, as we are the only project in the world doing what we do.

What confuses me in regards to the official US Embassy position on child trafficking in relation to orphanages and adoptions is that among all of my professional colleagues and contacts in Nepal that work with human trafficking on the grass-roots level on a daily basis – these are professionals that are fluent in Nepali, understand the local culture, and have strong community contacts – none of us has even once come across a human trafficking issue in regards to orphanages and adoptions.

There are numerous issues in Nepal that the US Embassy could perhaps better use their resources towards. One painful example would be that of pedophilia in Kathmandu. The issue is bad enough that a billboard has been posted in the main tourist area of Kathmandu stating that pedophilia is against the law. If the US Embassy were committed to protecting Nepali children this would be an obvious area for them to focus their attentions. In fact, it angers me greatly that they do not.

Lastly, it is important to consider the local dynamics in Nepal in terms of the Maoist insurgency and the infrastructure of this nation. During the eleven years of civil war many people were murdered, abused, assaulted, tortured, and disappeared. Many males that were in their teenage years or older moved to India for work, and to escape forced conscription within the Maoist army. Many villagers moved to the capital city to avoid the conflict and the oppression; it is estimated by local authorities that the Kathmandu Valley grew in population from around two million people to between five million and eight million people in the past ten years. Prior to the Maoist insurgency birth certificates were a fairly uncommon practice. With the social turmoil caused by the insurgency it is certainly understandable that families were broken apart and that children were born without birth certificates.
Without specific evidence and examples of human trafficking in relation to orphanages the US Embassy is doing a tremendous disservice to those children, to this nation, and to the law abiding US citizens that are investing their own time, funds, and resources to provide safe, loving homes to children of need. Beyond being a disservice, without credible and tangible evidence to justify their official stance on human trafficking, orphanages, and adoptions, the actions of the US Embassy are confusing, as well as unethical.

There are so many painfully obvious areas of need and attention here, it is absolutely confusing as to why the US Embassy has taken the position that human trafficking is an issue that relates to orphanages and adoptions. If they were interested in learning more of the realities of human trafficking any of their staff are more than welcome to visit my office at Himalayan Healers to meet with my students and staff, and to learn first-hand from their experiences.

If I can provide further information or details in relation to my perspective on this issue please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Rob Buckley
Founder / Director / Volunteer
Himalayan Healers