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Nepal
in Crisis 2006: Human Rights
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| One
Year of Royal Anarchy |
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January
2006, ACHR
New
Delhi: Asian Centre for Human Rights and Forum Asia in their report, Nepal:
One Year of Royal Anarchy stated that despite reduction of incidents of
murder by 88%, kidnapping by 70% and extortion by 85% in the first three
months of the unilateral cease-fire, over 1608 persons have been killed
by the security forces and the Maoists in 2005. Sixty six persons have
been killed in the first three weeks since the Maoists withdrew unilateral
cease-fire on 2 January 2006.
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| King
Gyanendra has abysmally failed Nepal on all fronts. The RNA lost further
grounds to the Maoists and its capacity to strike at the rebels has diminished.
The King has failed to win the hearts of the people as the Royal Commission
on Corruption Control refused to take action against the corrupt cabinet
ministers. The restoration of Panachayat regime through appointment of
Anchaladis, regional administrators, has also failed.
The
limited arms embargo by India, Britain and the United States had little
effect given the volumes of weaponry already transferred to Nepal since
2000 including military assistance worth over 70 million dollars from India. |
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"The
procurement of arms from India's rival China was an attempt to exploit
age-old geopolitical rivalries rather than addressing any serious shortage
of arms." -stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights.
The
United Nations General Assembly at its 60th session also failed to adopt
any resolution despite reports of deplorable human rights situation from
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Rapporteur
Against Torture, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and UN Committee
Against Torture in 2005. "This is a sad reflection of international community's
lack of concern on Nepal."
The
report also expressed concern about the lack of coordination on development
assistance. "The grant of US$60 million by the World Bank for a five-year
higher education reform is ill-advised. While the King has been trying
to impose nationalist education, the Maoists have been trying to impose
Janawadi Shikshya, peoples' education at 10+2 level, which are part of
the World Bank funded project. Over 15,000 children have been abducted
for indoctrination by the Maoists in 2005. The World Bank project will
only intensify the conflict for control of the schools" - further asserted
Mr Chakma.
King
Gyanendra and the RNA are opposed to peace, as it will undermine their
monopoly over Nepal. The RNA repeatedly provoked the Maoists to violate
unilateral ceasefire by killing six unarmed Maoists and a civilian in Bahadurpur
area of Palpa district on 24 September 2005 and four Maoists at Limbu Chowk
at Belbari-6 in Morang district on 15 October 2005 in "serious violations
of international humanitarian law".
"These
activities of the RNA are not surprising considering that 19 Maoist cadres
and two civilians were massacred in cold blood at Doramba on 17 August
2003 to sabotage the third round of talks being held between the Maoists
and the civilian government in Kathmandu on that day." - stated Mr Chakma.
Nepal
has turned into a lawless country being governed only by Codes of Conduct
and Decrees of the King. Since 1 February 2005, Asian Centre for Human
Rights has recorded the re-arrest of 59 persons after the courts ordered
their release, sometimes from the Supreme Court premises. Nepal has the
highest number of enforced disappearances in the world with about 986 unresolved
cases of disappearances, respectively 888 by the security forces and 98
by the Maoists.
Until
today, the International Committee of the Red Cross cannot visit prisons
and detention centers after it suspended its visits in May 2005, as the
RNA refused to abide by the terms of the agreement which is practiced by
the ICRC all over the world. "Therefore, only the rubber stamp of the RNA,
National Human Rights Commission, which does not disclose the name of the
disappeared persons being held in illegal custody, can visit the detention
centres" - stated Mr Chakma.
Journalists
suffered the worst and about 430 journalists were arrested, attacked or
threatened in the last one year. The FM radios have been banned from broadcasting
news and majority of the channels have closed down.
The
risk of the Tibetan refugees has further increased because of the support
of the government of China to the royal takeover. Many Tibetan asylum seekers
have been sentenced to jail for the failure to pay the fines for illegal
entry. It is feared that they might be handed over to the Chinese authorities
on completion of their jail sentences.
"There
is no way out as King Gyanendra is ready to risk the institution of monarchy
itself for his direct rule. The fact that international community has put
its eggs on India just the way King Gyanendra put all his eggs on China
has not helped to improve the situation." - stated Mr Chakma.
The
proposed sham elections to the municipalities on 8 February 2006 will not
give any legitimacy and Nepal is a humanitarian crisis ready to explode.
Terming King Gyanendra's direct rule as the most serious obstacle to improvement
of overall situation, Asian Centre for Human Rights and FORUM ASIA called
upon the international community to "boycott" or "disengage" with the administration
of King Gyanendra by imposing sanctions including a visa ban and a freeze
on assets of the members of The Former Royal Family, government ministers, senior
members of the Royal Nepal Army and state-owned economic enterprises; ban
on military supply and assistance; and ban on implementation of economic
development projects through the government of Nepal. The report also urged
for release of political prisoners and respect for humanitarian laws by
the security forces and the Maoists...
| Source:
Asian Centre for Human Rights 2006 |
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