UPDATED AFFIDAVIT OF MR.

SURYA BAHADUR GURUNG IN SUPPORT OF

FROM I-589, APPLICATION FOR ASYLUM AND FOR WITHHOLDING OF
REMOVAL

A 201-122-172

1. My name is Surya Bahadur GURUNG. I am a citizen and native of Nepal. I was born at

Armala VDC Ward No. 7 of Kaski district of Nepal on January 31, 1962 from father Mr.

Ambar Bahadur Gurung and mother Chij Kumari Gurung. I was married to Ms. Kamala

Kumari Gurung on May 25, 1988. I have two sons Sagar and Sangam.

2. I was born to a middle-class farmer’s family. My father is a community leader and local

politician of Nepali Congress, a democratic political party of Nepal. I got the opportunity

to go to school because of my father while other Gurung youths were going for foreign

army services. After completing my High School, I started teaching at Annapurna Lower

Secondary School since February 20, 1983. I also became member of Nepali Congress

party (NC) because of my father’s political influence on me. I became active in politics

by involving in parliamentary election campaign of Mr. Mahadeb Gurung, who was NC

Candidate for the election of Member of Parliament of Nepal in 1991 from Kaski district,

Constituency No. 3. My father was NC candidate of Vice-President for the Office of

Armala Village Development Committee in 1993. I worked as Coordinator of my father’s

election campaign. My father’s main opposition was communist party but my father won

the election. After my father won the election, I became more active in local politics

through NC besides my teacher profession. Teachers are one of the major classes of

Nepali politics who plays significant role in Nepal because of their reputation and direct

involvement in the community.

 There was a mid-term election of parliament in 1994. I was actively involved in that

election. I work for the election campaign of Mr. Krishna Bahadur Gurung who was NC

candidate from Kaski district, Constituency No. 3. Mr. Gurung won the election.

3. Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) started a bloody civil war in Nepal from February

13, 1996 with the aim of overthrowing the Nepalese monarchy and establishing the

“Communist Republic of Nepal.” Situation became much tensed because of these

terrorist communist. There were more than 17,000 people were dead, thousands of people

disappeared and forcefully displaced. These Maoists also targeted to school teachers

because teachers were very important part of society in rural Nepal. Maoist came to

schools, they asked for extortion money. Teachers were physically tortured, threatened

and killed. Maoist also forcefully recruited young children and students to their

communist army and militia.

4. Maoist also came to the school where I was a teacher. They asked me extortion money

for their war. But I always believed that giving money or supporting those terrorist was

always a crime. I never believed in their so-called people’s war where they were killing

innocent people. I believed in democracy and peaceful politics. I was also member of NC

party which will never allow me to support those communist. I always opposed Maoist’s

extortion from teachers and forceful recruitment of students in their militia.

5. There was a Peace Agreement between Maoist and the government of Nepal on

November 21, 2006. After the peace agreement, people were hoping that there will be

peace in the country. But because of the Maoists, there is no peace and security. Maoists

are still continuing their extortion and killing people from other party and whoever

opposed them.
6. There was an election for the Constitutional Assembly was scheduled on April 10, 2008.

I was actively involved in the election campaign of NC party.

7. Around the 1st week of February, 2008, a group of 8-10 YCL (Young Communist

League-sister organization of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), came to our

school. They gathered all school teachers and demanded money to raise the fund for

upcoming election. I strongly opposed this and told them that this is extortion. I also

told them that they cannot extort money from teachers because there is already a peace

agreement in the country. One of them told to another guy who looked like their leader,

“This is son of Mr. Ambar Bahadur Gurung, who was vice-president of the village and

currently local leader of Nepali Congress. This guy Surya Gurung is also member of

Nepali Congress and he has been working against our party since long time.” He stared

me dangerously and said, “we will be back soon to this school and we need 10% of salary

of every teacher.” And they left. There was teacher’s meeting after they left. I hardly

convinced to teachers that no one will give any money to the Maoist.

8. On February 15, 2008, I was kidnapped by a group of Maoist from my school. They took

me to their camp. They slapped me twice and asked me, “Why you are denying

supporting our party. Because you and your father are member of Nepali Congress party.

You are also encouraging to other teachers not to support our party.” I politely told them

that everybody has right to exercise their own political opinions. I also told them that I

am a school teacher and I don’t like Maoist party extorting money from teachers. One of

them punched on my face and I started bleeding from my nose. He grabbed my jacket

and told me, “Look, teacher, you are working against our party. You are also doing

politics of Nepali Congress in your school. If you don’t quit your teaching and Nepali
 Congress party as soon as possible, you will be killed. You know how we killed other

teachers who opposed us. Your faith will be the same.” He further said, “If we see you

next time in the school, we will kill you on the same moment.”

9. Even after the Maoist threats, I did not quit teaching. Because teaching was the only way

to feed my family. I also did not give any money to Maoist. I was also working in my

community to support NC candidate Ms. Sharada Poudel in the election.

10. On the evening of March 11, 2008, around 7 pm, I was at my house. An armed group of

five people (three male and two female) came to my house. They pointed guns to my

wife and children and threatened to kill them if they say anything to anyone. They said

that they want to talk to me and asked me to go with them. They tied both of my hands to

backside of my body. They took me about 15 minutes walk towards the jungle from my

house. They had a radio set with them and I think they were talking to their commander

about my kidnapping and they were asking what to do. I was very sacred and I thought

that something bad going to happen with me. About 15 minutes of walking, the group

kidnapped me transferred to another group and they left. The new group asked me some

questions and told me that they have orders to murder me. I became very nervous. All I

was thinking about my wife and small children. I was forced to walk with new group

about an hour. They brought me in a small house. Inside the house there was deem light

and they presented me in front of their commander. Commander asked me, ‘do you have

a desire to live or not?” I was shaking in fear. He said, “Look, we don’t wanted to kill

you but due to your activities against our party, we kidnapped you.” He further said, “We

have been warning you about your activities in the past. You have been working against

in school. You have denied supporting us and you have also encouraged other people to
 work against us. We also told you not to work for Nepali Congress for the upcoming

election of the Constitutional Assembly. I requested him not to kill me. But he told me,

“This is the order of people’s court and can’t be changed.” He further told me, “we have

new militia group is coming tomorrow, we will decide tomorrow about you. For now you

go and help for cleaning.” There was one guy who was looking my every movement. He

gave me a bag full of their cloths and asked me to wash in nearby stream. I went to the

stream to wash their cloths and the guy was following me. Meanwhile, someone called

him on the radio set. He told me, “don’t do anything stupid, start washing clothes, I will

be back in a minute.” I was so confused what to do. I thought that it’s the better moment

to run away from there. If I stay there they can do anything to me. I throw out the bag

they gave me. I crossed the stream and started running. After one hour of running, I

reached to Dandagaun, which is a small village. I met some villagers and reached to my

house with their help.

11. I wanted to report this incident to the police. But I decided not to report because police

was unable to protect people like us anyway. There was also fear of more threats to my

family members if I report to the police.

12. Due to the fear of Maoist, I left my village in the same night and went to the Pokhara city

which I thought will be little bit safer for me.

13. On March 28, 2008, YCL Cadres of Maoist attacked to my house looking for me. They

slapped my wife and asked about me. They threatened my wife that if they did not fine

me they will kidnap her. Because of Maoist fear my wife also left the village and came to

the Pokhara city with me.

14. Election of Constitutional Assembly was held on April 10, 2008. Nepali Congress

candidate Ms. Sharada Poudel lost the election and Maoist candidate Mr. Raj Bahadur

Gurung won the election. Because of this, there were more threats from the Maoist. I left

Pokhara on April 24, and I went to Kathmandu, capital city of Nepal.

15. Even after coming to Kathmandu, I was very scared. Because Maoist formed new

government in their leadership. They established many YCL barracks even in

Kathmandu. YCL was kidnapping, beating, extorting money and killing their opponents

like me. Maoist left the government after 9 months but they remained most powerful

political group in the country.

16. On May 16, 2009, I received a phone call from an YCL cadre. He threatened me that I

cannot escape from them and they will find me very soon and kill me. I was scared to

death. I decided to leave my country for my safety. I paid $12,000.00 to a broker and he

arranged me to travel from Nepal to the United States.

17. On or about August 29, 2009, I left Nepal and travelled to Thailand, Singapore, Panama,

Mexico and entered to the United States on January 15, 2010 at some unknown place

near San Antonio, Texas.

18. Maoists have been blocking the peace process in Nepal and recently they have threatened

to start new war. I am afraid that Maoist will retaliate against people like me. Recently,

Maoist formed a new coalition government in my home country Nepal with other hard-

liner communist and I am more afraid from the Maoist party. Communist Party of Nepal

(Maoist), also known as Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) controls the

government of Nepal. Maoist leader Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara is the home minister

who runs the security system of Nepal.

 19. This is not my desire to illegally cross the U.S. Boarder and I do not want to stay here

illegally. But my life was in danger from those terrorist Maoists and their sister

organization YCL. If I have to go back to Nepal, Maoist will kill me and I am afraid to go

back. I am also worried about the safety of my wife and children.

20. After coming to the U.S., I came to know about asylum through my friends. I request to

grant my Asylum application and I believe that I and my family will get opportunity to

live safely and peacefully in this great country.

I swear under penalty of perjury that this Affidavit is true and complete to the best of my

knowledge. This Affidavit was read back to me in Nepali and I understand contents of this

Affidavit.

Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

………………………………..

Surya Bahadur Gurung

94-50 43 Avenue, #2
Queens, NY 11373

Date: June 15, 2011.

Sworn and Subscribed before me on June 15, 2011