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Kathmandu,Tuesday April 18, 2000 Baishakh 06, 2057.
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Probe racist charges
The controversy surrounding US ambassador designate to Nepal, Thomas Furey,
who, it has been alleged, abandoned the child he once adopted because of its colour,
should not be taken lightly. Although the charge has not been officially substantiated,
the Nepalese Foreign Ministry must consider the issue seriously. More importantly, the US
government must probe the allegation thoroughly before the US senate clears his
appointment. That the Nepalese press has taken up the issue in right earnest does indeed
underscore its commitment against "racist" overtones in Furey’s
appointment. For, if the allegation is proved, it could become a barrier in the five
decade old diplomatic relations between Nepal and the US.
Report states Furey allegedly returned the adopted child six months after
acquiring the orphan. Although there can be a number of reasons for what he did, there
are, however, claims that he discarded the child because of its colour. This is no doubt
racism at its worst. But what still remains to be seen is whether the US senate views the
"incident" as something that can revoke the appointment of a career diplomat or
goes ahead with clearing his name.
At home, the government has taken note of the fact that Furey was perhaps, at
some point of time, involved in the "unsavoury incident" and is hence at the
centre of controversy. This much has become clear from the remarks attributed to a source
through the Prime Minister’s office and the government’s interest to know the
details of exactly what had unfolded at the time when Furey was here last. Unfortunately,
the government has failed to produce details on Furey’s conduct and is waiting to
hear from US authorities. The point that needs to be addressed here is that the Nepalese
side should be able to come up with solid evidence without depending solely on US
authority, if it thinks that his appointment is going to make a difference.
The fact that US nationals in Kathmandu have
charged Furey suggests he is either not very popular among the expatriate community or he
indeed was involved in the incident. This, therefore, shows that he is not very fit for
the position he may come to occupy even if the US finds him innocent of wrongdoing. The
government is waiting to hear more from the US on the issue, however, information in this
regard may be sketchy since US senators themselves have been reportedly requesting further
information from their friends in Kathmandu. What this suggests is that there are people
here who know much more than the government knows and are prepared, to any extent, to
stall his appointment because of his conduct. The government must therefore seek details
on his conduct as it is in a position to do so.
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