Minister Thapa; OHCHR seeks clarification

Home Minister Kamal Thapa

Home Minister Kamal Thapa (File Photo)
Home Minister Kamal Thapa has said that the government has credible information that the protest of the seven political parties slated for January 20 will take a violent turn.

Talking to BBC Nepali service on Tuesday, Home Minister Thapa said that the government imposed restrictions for holding mass meetings and assemblies to check any untoward incidents in the capital during the protest pragrammes.

“The government received credible information that the mass meeting of the seven opposition political parties will be turned into an armed urban uprising,” he said.

Refuting allegations that the government took the decision to check the show of strength of the agitating political parties, Minister Thapa said, “The government did not create any hurdles in the protest program of the political parties outside the valley but took the decision this time after the Maoists said that they will actively participate in the protest programme of the agitating political parties and create chaos in the capital.”

Defending the arrest of leaders and cadres of political parties from the campaign organized to create awareness about the mass meeting of Friday, Minister Thapa said that the government had fulfilled its responsibility of maintaining peace and order in the society by arresting them who had defied the prohibitory order.

Dozens of leaders and cadres of political parties arrested from the capital on Tuesday while organizing protest programmes defying the government’s ban.

On Monday, the government imposed curfew in Kathmandu and Lalitpur from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. and prohibited rallies and mass movement inside the Ring Road. Then on Tuesday, its extended the night curfew by one hour, starting at 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.

He said that the government had managed appropriate security provision in the capital to check any untoward incident in the capital.

12 policemen were killed during the Maoist raid at different police posts in the capital on Saturday.

Meanwhile issuing a press statement on Tuesday, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal has expressed regret over the government’s ban in the peaceful demonstration in various parts of the capital and seeks clarification from the government in this regard.

“OHCHR-Nepal regrets that the sweeping restrictions now imposed to ban all assemblies, processions and sit-ins in most of Kathmandu and Lalitpur represent an extreme limitation on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, which the High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on the authorities to respect,” the statement adds.

Stating that the right to freedom of peaceful assembly is guaranteed under Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nepal is a party, the OHCHR said, “OHCHR-Nepal is seeking clarification from the Government regarding the measures imposed and the basis on which they are deemed necessary and proportional.”

Stating that excessive restrictions on peaceful assembly at a time of legitimate political debate however carry the risk of contributing to violence, the Chief of the OHCHR in Nepal Ian Martin said, “We urge the Government to maintain the maximum freedom of peaceful assembly consistent with legitimate security considerations, and we call on those who organise or participate in demonstrations and rallies to act peacefully at all times.”

The OHCHR-Nepal also recalled that it called for the extension of the unilateral ceasefire, the declaration of a reciprocal ceasefire by the Government, and full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law.

The statement further said OHCHR-Nepal is monitoring closely the conduct of both parties including attack by the CPN (Maoist) on the Thankot Police Post on 14 January 2006 to determine whether international humanitarian law was violated.