Amnesty
International: Reports on Nepal |
Press
release, 07/26/2005
Children
victims of violence in ongoing civil conflict |
Amnesty
International revealed today that thousands of children across Nepal are
facing serious violence and abuse in the ongoing conflict in Nepal, where
Maoist rebels and security forces have been fighting a brutal internal
conflict for the last nine years.
In
a report released today, Nepal: Children caught in the conflict, the organisation
said that Nepalese children are being killed, illegally detained, tortured,
raped, abducted and recruited for military activities and accused both
sides to the conflict of violating the most fundamental rights of children.
"This
conflict is a disaster for the children of Nepal," said Purna Sen, Director
of Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Programme. "Some children have
been directly targeted by one or other party to the conflict, while hundreds
more have died from bombs and improvised explosive devices. Thousands of
children have been forced to flee their homes and face desperate poverty
and exploitation."
Both
sides to the conflict have been responsible for killing children. The security
forces have killed children they suspect of involvement with the Maoists,
while the Maoists have abducted and killed the children of security forces
personnel, as well as caused the deaths of many children by deliberately
bombing civilian infrastructure and leaving improvised explosive devices
in civilian areas.
There
have been disturbing reports of children suspected of affiliation with
the Maoist rebels being detained for long periods in army barracks, police
stations or prisons -- often held together with adults. Many child detainees
report having been tortured by security forces during their detention.
Such
treatment is in direct violation of the Nepalese government's human rights
obligations. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) provides that
"every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity" and in
a manner which takes account of the needs of persons of his or her age",
while torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment are forbidden
under the CRC and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Chandra
Malla told Amnesty International how, after her husband was killed by security
forces, the police came to her home and arrested her 10-year-old son. They
dragged him from the house and beat him with a pistol, accusing him of
being a Maoist. The boy was held in custody for six days, during which
time he was beaten with a plastic pipe all over his body. After his release,
the security forces continued to visit his home and threatened to rape
his 12-year-old sister.
Amnesty
International has received reports of girls being raped by security forces
during "search operations". One 15-year-old girl from mid-western Nepal
told Amnesty International how she was raped by a soldier in her family's
cattle shed during a night time "search operation" in her village. Many
women's organisations report that the conflict is also resulting in more
girls being trafficked for sexual exploitation ? already a serious problem
in Nepal.
Over
the last few years the Maoists have abducted tens of thousands of school
children for "political education" sessions, held in remote locations.
While most of these children return home after a few days, some do not
and it appears that the rebels are recruiting children for military activities
and forced labour, despite the fact that the use of children under 15 in
armed conflict is a war crime.
Education
services have come under particular attack. Both sides have used school
premises for military purposes and the Maoists have bombed a number of
schools, injuring children. These attacks, combined with Maoist abductions
of school children and crippling strikes, mean that many of Nepal's children
are missing out on vital years of education.
"Nepal's
children are being caught up in the cycle of violence that is gripping
the country. They are abducted and recruited by the Maoists and then become
targets for the security forces, placing them at risk of detention or even
killing," said Purna Sen. "In addition to experiencing violence and abuse,
as the conflict erodes education, health and development services, thousands
of children are unable to enjoy their rights to health and education."
Amnesty
International is urging the government of Nepal to fulfil its commitments
to protect the rights of children, as laid out in the CRC and other human
rights treaties; to bring to justice security forces personnel who commit
human rights violations; and to provide appropriate services for those
children who are caught up in the conflict. It is also calling on the Maoists
to end the abduction and recruitment of children, release all children
within its forces and end all indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilians.
It is vital that both sides take all possible steps to respect and protect
the rights of children and minimise the negative impact of the conflict
on their lives.
Source:
Amnesty International
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