Your health is more important than a visa, Moriarty appeals to protesters Kantipur Report KATHMANDU, April 12 - US ambassador to Nepal James F Moriarty has urged the protesters outside the American Embassy to think first of themselves and their families and to call off their announced hunger strike. According to a press release issued by the embassy on Thursday, US envoy Moriarty has been quoted as saying, “As we explained to this group of protesters in face-to-face meetings with my deputy on February 5 and March 13, no visa is worth damaging your health.” The ambassador also appealed to protesters, “I urge these individuals to think first about their families, lives, and future in Nepal, and give up this futile protest.” Those who were denied US visa had announced on Wednesday that they would go on a fast-unto-death if the US embassy failed to address their problems. The protesters had been demanding that the US embassy reimburse the loss incurred during the visa processing. In the last month, the Embassy has learned, the protesters have also begun to use threats and intimidation to try to deny visas to legitimate Nepali applicants, stated the release, adding, representatives of the group threatened violence and attempted to extort money from two Nepali doctors who provide medical clearance services to qualified Nepali applicants seeking US immigrant visas. Condemning the threat acts by the DV protesters in the recent days, the embassy also called on the group to halt such intimidating behavior immediately. The release also cites an example of March 7 when seven young males claiming to be part of the DV Lottery protester group had visited the clinic of a Nepali physician demanding the doctor stop signing medical clearance forms for the embassy. The doctor’s refusal had instigated one of the protesters to respond as "the consequences [of this refusal] would be very bad” stated the release. The DV protesters too have been learnt to have asked for financial help to continue their protest programme, which was refused by the doctor. The release stated, if such threats interfered or halted physical examinations for immigrant visa applicants, the embassy would be unable to process any immigrant visa applications and added that thousands of other Nepalis would be robbed of an opportunity to emigrate to the US as a result. Posted on: 2007-04-12 07:15:20 (Server Time) http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=106435