Helen Brown

I've highlighted the problem of sexual abuse of women trekkers by some
tour operators on my website. Information has reached me about the
attitude of a western travel agent married to one of these seemingly
trustworthy tour operators.

She appears to be in a very unfortunate position because of her
husband's misconduct. He is younger than her and has a lot of charisma
while she looks prematurely aged, which no doubt makes her feel
insecure. If she does the ethical thing and puts the well-being of
female trekkers first, she must fear he will leave her and she will
find herself alone. She stands to lose the money she has invested in
his business, the house she has bought in Kathmandu, and even her son
if he obtains custody.

She could deserve sympathy because of this predicament, except that
she is risking the well-being of other women, who are likely to be
charmed by her husband until they are in a situation where they become
prey. She has coped with the problem, not by facing up to it in an
ethical fashion, but by totally denying it, no doubt to win the
approval of her husband. In fact she flies into furies of denial.

However difficult her situation she goes too far, not only in
slandering the victims of her husband for standing up for their
rights, but in actually beating them up!

I would say to this woman: 'Your problems are made by your husband,
not by women who seek justice. Have the courage to face the fact that
you have made an unfortunate marriage and that you are behaving
stupidly by blaming the victims. Physical violence to abused women
only shames you and lying about the situation by defaming his victims
will not alter the truth.'

Perhaps, however, she has lost sight of the truth and has convinced
herself of her husband's blamelessness. We have all heard of wives of
serial criminals who swear by their husband's 'innocence' when found
guilty by a court of law. The wife of such a person must be the very
last person you believe regarding his actual guilt.

Helen Brown


Nepal, Travel Trekking and Trafficking
http://freespirit.members.gn.apc.org/

Val Robinson

This post reminds me of newspaper clippings I have saved from The
Independent in Kathmandu.

<<<<<<<
At intervals The Independent has had the courage to expose the issue
of rape in the trekking industry. But whoever heard of being violently
assaulted by a woman enraged by a link between trekking and rape?

Being temporarily disabled after a trekking mishap in Nepal, I was
promoting a campaign in the English Lake District, a hilly area very
popular with walkers where I could gain the attention of people
potentially interested in the Himalayas, in order to raise awareness
of rape of tourists in Third World countries such as Nepal.

A wrinkled woman in late middle-age tried to intimidate me with a
dog. I said nothing but carried on with the campaign. Crowds were
signing the petition when she appeared without the dog. Apparently
deranged, she smashed my stick and knocked me down, destroying my
papers while screaming that as the wife of a Nepalese travel agent she
did not care about rape! Many people saw the attack and some tried to
rescue me.

No-one appeared able to identify her.


***********************************************

Dear Sir,

Universal amazement at the assault I suffered from the apparently
crazy wife of a Nepalese travel agent, near Lake Windermere in the
English Lake District, still runs strong. I should have written that
she claimed to care nothing about the sexual abuse of tourists in
Nepal. This is a wider term than rape, but all forms of sexual
exploitation involving force are ultimately devastating. The exact
nature of the abuse involved would constitute obscenity in print.

If she did not care, why should she attack me? The impression received
was that innocent victims are supposed to sacrifice their rights to
justice so that culprits can escape punishment and contacts stay
willfully blind to their guilt. It would seem that men who know how to
charm must automatically be innocent, regardless of the offenses they
commit as a secret hobby. Maybe they should not even face the stress
of parting with money in illegal bribes. It could damage their wealth.

Any right-thinking person must agree that such matters are not
finished because abusers want to hear no more. They should end only
when perpetrators face the full and proper consequences of their
misdeeds.

But these men have never faced the justice their victims deserve. So
women have an absolute right to know if men are looking for unfair
chances of exploiting us. A travel industry controlled by those people
who respect feminine rights and equality can only benefit if these
hypocrites are eliminated from tourism.

Isn't the rumor spread by this thug that she has a relative wrongly
accused in Nepal merely an excuse by someone afraid of being found
out? Even in the West only two per cent of accusations are false. Who
would endure the compounded violations heaped on a woman with the
courage to seek justice in the Third World, unless she knew the guilt
of her abuser could be proven in court?

If my attacker or her husband have a valid viewpoint, I hope they will
comment, so both sides can be heard. If neither does so, it would
appear they are either afraid of being identified as guilty, or avoid
harsh reality altogether by not reading the Independent.


These are not new letters, but does it matter how old they are if the
general situation continues unchanged? I left out the name of the
writer in case she faces further retaliation.

Val Robinson

C Griffiths

Diana Penny Sherpani of Bufo Ventures, Cumbria, known locally as Mrs
Penny. She organises a race called the Everest Marathon.

Posted in the public interest.

Chris Griffiths

C Griffiths

She is married to Ang Zangbu Sherpa of Highland Sherpa, Nepal, who has
been found guilty of sexual offences against women.

Chris Griffiths

Michael

(C Griffiths) wrote in message news:<>...
    > She is married to Ang Zangbu Sherpa of Highland Sherpa, Nepal, who has
    > been found guilty of sexual offences against women.
    >
    > Chris Griffiths

MICHAEL'S RESPONSE.............
CHRIS, WHERE DO I GET INFORMATION THAT "ANG ZANGBU SHERPA OF HIGHLAND
SHERPA"..."HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST WOMEN"????

This is important !!! "Guilty" by whome, when, etc. If you can help me
I will get it out in the Nepali Press.
Namaste, D. Michael Van De Veer