INSEC released the Human Rights Yearbook 2003 Feb 2004 AI: Slide towards human rights catastrophe January 2004 Nepal's growing ranks of "disappeared" December 2003 NHRC accused Army and Maoists September 2003

Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC)

A Pro-Maoist journalist's alleged custodial death has drawn national and international protests by various journalist unions and human right organisations with demands that full details about the incident should be made public. Unnamed Police officials stated that the journalist was never in police custody, but was held by the Royal Nepal Army. Since the imposition of emergency last November, over 100 journalists have been arrested with more than 30 still in the government custody.

A team of National Human Rights Commission has arrived in Dang district to investigate the overall situation of human rights in this region. Human right activists are deeply concernd about reports of human shields used by Maoists during their Dang attacks.

Government accused torturing journalists
A Pro-Maoist journalist's alleged custodial death has drawn national and international protests by various journalist unions and human right organisations with demands that full details about the incident should be made public. Unnamed Police officials stated that the journalist was never in police custody, but was held by the Royal Nepal Army. Since the imposition of emergency last November, over 100 journalists have been arrested with more than 30 still in the government custody.

The teachers have been one of the primary targets of both the Maoist rebels and the security forces, as almost 60 teachers have been killed in Nepal since the Maoists launched their insurgency in 1996. More than 60 others have fled their hometowns and schools seeking asylum in Kathmandu after the government imposed the state of emergency . According to reports at least 26 teachers have died either in thepolice custody or in the encounters since the declaration of emergency. Maoists have killed 33 teachers. Even the report of the Amnesty International said that besides those deliberately killed by the Maoists, nearly half the number of teachers have died either in the "crossfire" or "killed by gunfire." Though the number of teachers killed in action is growing. Maoists have been asking schools not to let their students sing the national anthem, accusing it of glorifying the Monarch and not to teach Sanskrit.

Even the teachers and organisations outside the country have shown deep concern over the plight of the teachers in Nepal. Education International, the international organisation of teachers, had urged Nepalese government to put an end to the merciless killings and torture on teachers in Nepal and had asked the government to bring the culprits to justice. Despite continues pressure from various national and international organisations, the Maoist rebels are targeting more and more teachers in the villages, forcing tens of thousands of teachers to either flee their schools or quit the profession.

Dang: Human rights investigation

A team of National Human Rights Commission has arrived in Dang district to investigate the overall situation of human rights in this region. Human right activists are deeply concernd about reports of human shields used by Maoists during their Dang attacks.

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Source: Education International Welcome Page

The human rights group, Amnesty International, issued a report strongly condemning both the Nepalese security forces and the Maoists for alleged human rights violations. But in the past weeks, Amnesty and other groups have been harshly critical of the suspension of freedom of the press and the arrest of journalists in the months since the emergency was declared last November. Local human rights activists say around 100, some affiliated with now banned Maoist publications, have been arrested. Nepal's six-year conflict pitting Maoists against government forces has unleashed a human rights crisis, with abuses committed on both sides, Amnesty International said. Abductions, disappearances, torture and unlawful killings have been carried out by both parties in the fighting, the human rights group said in a report. The situation has got worse since peace talks broke down and a state of emergency was declared last November. The conflict had hit civilians heavily. More than 2,700 people have died since the Maoists launched their violent struggle for a communist republic in Nepal in 1996. The Maoists have killed more than 440 civilians believed to be 'enemies of the revolution'. 1,300 suspected Maoists have been shodt dead killed by the joint security forces.

Amnesty International On-line

The report claimed that police had killed several hundred Maoists, who should have been taken into custody, while it said the Maoists had executed scores of police officers who were wounded, taken prisoner or had surrendered.

Amnesty said it recognised the security threat posed by the people's war but called on the government to adopt a broad-based strategy to ensure human rights protection, including access to education and economic development. Amnesty warned the turmoil in Nepal could exacerbate already high regional tensions.

Apparently departing from the past practices Human Rights Organisations have begun to be equally critical of Maoists who have been waging 'people's war' for the last five years. While commenting on violent Maoist insurgency and its profound ramifications in our society, Human Rights Organisations used to adopt a cautious and simplistic approach and blame the government for all the woes. But now they seem to have been bold enough as to denounce Maoists. A Human Rights activist likened the Maoists to Bihari gundas. According to him Maoists have also been adopting the same policy of hostage making and extortion as Bihari gundas of India. Speaking at a press conference upon the conclusion of a tour of 48 districts including Rolpa, Rukum Salyan and Jajarkot he said: "The government has scandalously committed human rights abuses. Likewise, Maoists have also already crossed the limit when it comes to committing human rights abuses. People in Rukum, Rolpa, Salyan and Jajarkot are forced to live in terror. Entire people are intimidated. The government should give priority to the preservation of human rights. Both the government and the Maoists should not dishonor Geneva Convention".

The Human Right Organisation also revealed that people had petitioned them to do something for providing a certain relief from the present situation of terror and intimidation. The violent Maoist insurgency that has entered the sixth year has already claimed the lives of thousands of people. In a few districts they claim to have been running their own governments. But the government seems to have been a mere passive spectator. The present deadlock between the government and Maoists is rightly believed to be pregnant with explosive imponderable.