Gauracandra 1 Report post Posted December 25, 2002 Vampire Rumors Drain Africa's Malawi BLANTYRE, Malawi, Dec. 24, 2002 President Bakili Muluzi calls the rumors unfounded and malicious (AP) "There is no truth in this. There is no such thing as blood suckers anywhere in Malawi." police inspector general Joseph Aironi (AP) Horrifying stories of vampires attacking villagers in the dead of night and sucking their blood has forced Malawi's government to wage a massive public relations blitz to calm the public. The rumors began three weeks ago in the south of this impoverished nation in southeast Africa and have intensified in recent days. Last week, frightened villagers beat to death a man suspected of being a vampire, attacked and nearly lynched three visiting priests and destroyed an aid group's encampment they feared was the vampires' headquarters. President Bakili Muluzi called the rumors unfounded and malicious, and accused unnamed opposition groups of trying to undermine him by saying his government gave aid agencies human blood in exchange for food aid. "No government can go about sucking (the) blood of its own people," Muluzi said Sunday. "That's thuggery." The rumors were hurting efforts to pull Malawi out of its severe hunger crisis, Muluzi said, since many families were too scared to leave their villages to tend their fields. A series of statements from the police, Information Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry and Internal Security Ministry have condemned the rumors and top government officials have journeyed to the districts of Thyolo, Mulanje, Chiradzul and Blantyre trying to quash the stories. "There is no truth in this. There is no such thing as blood suckers anywhere in Malawi," said Joseph Aironi, the police inspector general. But the fears have continued. Some villagers are fleeing to the city of Blantyre for safety. Others sleep clutching drums so they can wake up the village if they suspect they are about to be attacked. A mob in the southern tea-growing district of Thyolo last week beat to death a man accused of being a vampire, police said. Three visiting Roman Catholic priests also were beaten in Thyolo by a mob of angry villagers who did not recognize them and suspected them of being vampires, police said. The priests, who were held overnight until a local Catholic family identified them, were treated for severe bruises. In the same district, villagers destroyed tents pitched by an aid group that was in the area to drill wells for drinking water. The villagers believed the vampires were using the tent camp as their headquarters. No one was injured in the attack. The frenzy has been fueled by several people's stories of being attacked by vampires. Edna Kachisa said the vampires drilled a hole in her mud-and-thatch house and sprayed a suffocation gas inside. The attackers fled after she banged on a drum and awoke the village, she said. "Because of the smoke I inhaled I could not speak for three days and I am still suffering from a recurrent stomach ache," she said. Another woman outside Blantyre showed journalists a mark on her forearm she said was where vampires inserted a needle to try to draw her blood. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theist 1 Report post Posted December 26, 2002 how they feel. I live in Berlekely, and there are some people on Telegraph Ave. that freak me out in similar ways. Its Kali-yuga. Watch your neck. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
atma 0 Report post Posted December 26, 2002 In my first month in Mayapur we got some rooms in the Long Building that now they use like offices. You enter the first room and have access to 2 more rooms. One peaceful winter night I was sleeping in one of the inside rooms when I woke up to the sound of screaming of my name and I saw one of the girls completely histerical crying aside my bed trying to telling me something. The other girls also woke up and we pacified her and she told us that something was biting her neck and sucking her blood. Thinking that it was a bad dream or maybe a ghost attack or whatever, to sleepy to think anything anyway, we chanted alittle bit to Lord Nrisimhadeva and Hare Krsna and fell sleep again. Next morning, to our surprise, while cleaning the rooms and mopping the floor we found a dead BAT under one of the beds! We had a vampire in the middle of us. I don't know if because we were kind of innocence and more devotional at that time we didn't take it seriously and harrased the poor girl for a while telling her that her blood was so bad that the bat died because of it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif She is OK but after that I was always vigilant for bats in Mayapur. They love the Long Building. I have another story about the dog with rabies who died after biting my kid, for another time, its kind of late. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gauracandra 1 Report post Posted December 26, 2002 Atma, you're doing wonders for the Indian tourist industry /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
atma 0 Report post Posted December 26, 2002 India its not for scary cats! I stayed in Hawaii for 3 months in 91 and I have wonderful memories of my time there. A really nice place. On Friday nights in Harinam in Waikiki, the Japanese always came directly to me and gave me donations to the amusement of everyone. My babies were really cute and we just chanted the Holy Name, never tried to distribute or sell anything but the people came straight to us with donations....thinking about it...in India they always tried to rip me off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madhav 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2002 <<My babies were really cute and we just chanted the Holy Name, never tried to distribute or sell anything but the people came straight to us with donations....thinking about it...in India they always tried to rip me off. >> atma prabhu, i find it difficult to belive you get bad experience in India. If it is really true, then I feel sorry. Jai Sri Krishna! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
atma 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2002 about it. In my years in India I had good and bad experiences. Mostly good and I had wonderful realizations. My Indian karma still going strong, my best friend is Bengali, my roomate is Bihari, my bosses are Punjabis and my coworkers are South Indian Christians. What else can I want from life? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif And forgot to add, I smell fully like Indian Sweets and Spices. I Remember Debbie, who wants pappadams. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted December 31, 2002 where is 'berlekely'? Is it in south east africa. LoL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theist 1 Report post Posted December 31, 2002 Amazing we always get confused with a town in California USA that has a similar spelling. You are the first to get it correct. Uga Buga Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madhav 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2002 >>What else can I want from life? << -atma paramatma :-) Jai Sri Krishna! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
