The early hours of the morning of 9th September 1998 the bright moon cast a silver sheen over the village and camp of Mariamabad (Matli, Sindh). Several hundred souls slept on the floor or on simple cots in the open or under makeshift shelters of sticks and straw. Most of these people were freed Haris. Since June 1995, when the first batch 65 men, women and children had been given refuge there, there had been sporadic attempts by landlords to abduct some of them and take them back. Frs. Tomas King, Dave Kenneally, Denis Carter and Master Lalji (the local Catechist) had always been on the alert and had even foiled some of these attempts.

There was a constant fear that one day the landlords would strike back. A Week earlier about 80 freed Haris were abducted from Jhuddo another camp in a small town in Sindh. There was only a mild reaction from the authorities. This had encouraged some Landlords to make a strike at the larger camp in Mariamabad.

The roar and headlights of over a dozen trucks, pick-ups and other vehicles shattered the peace and the soft moonlight of the night. An army of more than a hundred armed men invaded the camp and the village of Mariamabad. Shots were fired from automatic weapons and rifles. These thugs began beating the sleeping people with heavy sticks, axes and rifle buts, men, women and children, mercilessly and dragged them to the waiting trucks to be taken away like cattle. The same treatment fell to the residents of the village; they broke down doors and looted everything they could lay hands on, including the ripping off of ear and nose rings from the women and girls.

Someone ran to inform Fr. Denis Carter at the parish house about a kilometre away, gathering other young men on the way. Fr. Paul McMahon also happened to be in Matli that night. Taking the Parish jeep and the young men. They rushed to alert the police in the town.

Matli Police barracks appeared to house only three or four men that night, but with little delay the Station House Officer, an elderly head constable armed with a Kalashnikov and a driver led the way to the village. A little before 4 A.M. the police mobile turned onto the canal road and after about 200metres stopped a truck coming the other way. Denis driving the jeep stopped some distance away blocking the road. Moments later Paul and Denis were ordering dozens of people, mostly women and children, off the truck, they were all from the Village, many cut and bleeding, others in a state of shock and terror. Paul learned that others were being held at the petrol station on the main road where the landlord was conducting operations. Paul boldly went there to try and reason with the landlord to release the others he held.

In the glare of headlights and hand held lanterns the canal road was a chaos of noise and people. More empty trucks appeared from the direction of the main road. Suddenly the Police mobile dashed away with all lights flashing, leaving Denis alone. From the direction of the village several more pick-ups loaded with people roared up the embankment. Denis stopped these also and started to get the people down and told them to run into the bush or to the church.

For a while things seemed to go well and the thugs were unsure of what was happening and standing around with their weapons held loosely, but one started to beat an old man with a club. Denis stepped in between and shouted at the thug to stop and demanded to know who he was and what did he think he was doing.

Something heavy hit Denis across the back of his neck. For a second he did not react but stepped back and tried to turn and shine the lantern in his hand to see who or what had hit him. He shouted for them to stop saying that the police would be back in a moment and that they should all forget about trying to get away as he had the keys to some of the trucks that blocked the road. At that hands grasped at Denis’ arms and the beating began. They hit him repeatedly on the head, back and shoulders with sticks, axes (thankfully turned) and rifle butts. Amid all the

shouting and beating hands tore away Denis’ watch, his belt bag and keys. They smashed the lantern he was carrying and used his own walking stick against him.
Trying to fight back was useless and potentially more dangerous, so with a great cry he curled into a ball and tried to cover his head from more blows.
Then there was silence. The thugs had gone. Denis lay on his side dazed and panting for breath. The landscape was again all stillness and a strange red glowing moonlight. His eyes were partially blinded with blood pouring from deep wounds in his head. Deciding to try and get help from the village, which was only 200 metres away, He staggered through the mud to find an old man who washed the blood from his head.

Shortly, people started to return to the village crying and in shock. The police mobile reappeared with the driver and a few of the young men. Denis was carried to the vehicle and to his surprise was driven to the petrol station to meet the landlord and the police station officer. There still bleeding heavily he was asked to make a settlement as Fr. Paul had managed to get many of the people free. But the landlord, Mureed Khan Marri, appeared to be very much in charge of the situation and denied that he or his men had done anything that was not within his rights. The police officer eventually agreed to take Denis back to the church and asked to have a meeting with all the concerned parties later in the day, but he was unwilling to make any official report.

At daylight a head count was taken and it was discovered that 107 people, men women and children were missing. If not for the timely intervention of Paul and Denis, the figure would have been more than three times higher. There were more than two dozen wounded, some seriously and were in need of emergency treatment.

The news of the brutal attack spread quickly. The HRCP, the Citizens Committee of Matli, the Hindu MPA and other political leaders reacted with anger. High police and civil authorities were goaded into action. The press played a positive role by highlighting the brutality as well as the illegality of the Landlords’ actions.

On 13th September 85 Haris were recovered and returned to Mariamabad by the police. A Judicial inquiry has been initiated and efforts are being made to find out exactly how many are still missing as at that time there was no accurate record of how many Haris were taking refuge in Mariamabad Camp.
What causes the most hurt and shock is that the above events are becoming more regular. It is evident that everything

The Morning after In the Sisters Clinic