Refugee Boy Testified Of Being Raped In New Delhi

24 April 2010: Traumatised Chin refugee boy, Khual Kham, testified how he was raped two months ago by local Indian men only after the boy's parents were informed of the incident by his close friends who are deeply concerned over his mental condition.

One small lane where Chin refugees live in Delhi

A shocking story of the 12-year-old boy came to light as his parents were reported that the boy has been in an 'abnormal' condition at times and stopped going to school since the incident.

"Traumatised by what had happened, the boy did not speak about it to anyone else, apart from his close friends. It was only a month later that his friends told the boy's parents as he has been behaving weird and feeling uncomfortable," said Plato Van Rung Mang of CHRO (Chin Human Rights Organisation) in New Delhi, India.

The terrible incident took place at Hastal area, Uttam Nagar of West Delhi around 1pm on 25 February, 2010 when Khual Kham was on his way to fetch drinking water from the roadside borehole water tap.

One local Indian man living in the same area called and seduced him to go to a place nearby. After a while, the man dragged him into a small room where three other local men entered in no time. Three men grabbed and sexually abused the boy while another man was standing by the door as a guard.

The boy was said to have cried out in deep pain and shouted for help. Khual Kham jumped at the opportunity and ran out of the room when the passers-by, on hearing the boy's screaming, asked the man who stood guarding the door what had happened inside the room.

The incident was immediately reported to the local police, and SLIC (Social and Legal Informaion Centre). However, no legal action has been taken against the offenders due to an inadequate evidence even though the boy could clearly identify the first local man.

It is said that the boy's parents would like to take no further proceedings in case it will bring negative consequences to the family and the refugee community.

Khual Kham's sister, now 18, lost one of her legs trying to escape from a failed attempt of sexually assaults by SPDC's army soldiers in Chin State before the family fled military-ruled Burma to India in 2008 in search of refuge and safety.

Deeply agonized and disturbed, Khual Kham is said to have been unable to walk properly until today and isolating himself from talking and meeting with others.

Source :http://www.chinlandguardian.com/news-2009/949-refugee-boy-testified-of-being-raped-in-new-delhi.html