On the eve of the International Day of the Disappeared (August 30), a top UN body has criticized the Nepal government for increasing cases of disappearances.

Issuing a statement on Monday, the UN Working Group on Enforced of Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) said, “The WGEID regrets that families of disappeared persons or human rights defenders are harassed, hampered from locating their loved ones, and even accused by the authorities of trying to destabilize the country.”

The WGEID have, moreover, urged Nepali authorities to protect human rights defenders from persecution for their work and to fully implement the recommendations issued following the Working Group’s visit to Nepal in the fall of 2004. “Enforced disappearance is a continuing offence and investigations should continue for as long as the fate and the whereabouts of victims of enforced disappearance remain unknown.”

Sharing the concerns of the WGEID, Representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal, Ian Martin, issuing a separate statement, has said, “We have had many reports that civil society organizations, as well as journalists continue to receive threats and are under pressure from both sides of the conflict.”

The OHCHR is regularly receiving complaints regarding disappearances by the Maoists and the security forces, he said, adding, “Some steps have been taken toward establishing a list of detainees in army barracks, but it is still unclear how the government will provide accurate, up-to-date lists of all those held in any place of detention.”

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Journalists has expressed concern over press freedom and human rights violations, incidents of threats and harassment of journalists by the government and the “suspected abduction” of scribes.

“The importance of the upcoming Global Day of Action on August 30 has been highlighted by the latest attacks on journalists’ rights and safety in Nepal,” said IFJ President Christopher Warren in a statement. He added it is “unacceptable” that the culture of threats and abuse continue and urged the government to protect journalists from intimidation and violence.

Nepal is one of the countries having highest records of disappearances in the world, according to reports. nepalnews.com pd Aug 30 05