Peoples Forum for Human Rights and Development (PFHRD), an organisation of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, raised their issue in the ongoing 56th session of UN Human Rights Commission being held in Geneva.
“The ethnically repressive laws such as the retroactive citizenship act of 1985, discriminatory census exercise of 1988 conducted only in southern Bhutan and a ban on southern Bhutanese dress, culture and language have resulted in serious violation of the social and cultural rights of southern Bhutanese people,” Yeshey Pelzom said.
Drawing the attention of Commission on the plight of over 100,000 Nepali speaking Lhotshampa refugees, Pelzom called upon the Commission ‘to halt resettlement in southern Bhutan immediately,’ a PFHRD press release said.
She also appealed to the Commission to pressure the Bhutanese government to withdraw all those people who have been resettled so far on refugee’s land and to make firm arrangements to repatriate the original occupants of the land hwo are suffering in the refugee camps, the press release stated.
Speaking under agenda item 11, she highlighted the gross violation of the human rights in eastern Bhutan where both civilation and Buddhist monks were facing prison terms for raising their voice for democracy and human rights. Pelzom also demanded immediate release of Rongthong Kuenley Dorji, Chairman of Druk National Congress who was arrested by the Indian police in April 1997 and was still in detention in New Delhi.
Kathmandu, Apr. 22 : Some 5.5 million people of 13 east Terai districts in Nepal are at risk of Kala Azar (visceral leishemjaniasis), according to health experts.
Kala Azar is a tropical disease characterized by irregular fever, enlargement of the spleen, hemorrhages and emaciation leading to the death of the patient in extreme cases.
It is said Kala Azar still affects thousands of people in those districts and claims the lives of hundreds of them every year.
According to reports, in the year 1999 alone the disease affected 1,427 persons and claimed the lives of eight in Parsa, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, Udayapur, Morang and Jhapa district bordering India.
In 1980 the disease at first was found to have affected a populatIon of 1.5 per 100,000 while 13,251 persons were affected and 251 died from the disease in 1998. Similarly, the disease was reported in 805 persons in those districts in 1998 out of which ten died.
While His Majesty’s Government has been distributing medicines and implementing preventive programmes in those districts, the government is now going to review the programme and launch a special anti-kalazar programme campaign in three phases in Janakpur from May 2-8.
The programme to be organised by the epidemiology and disease control division of the department of health under the Ministry of Health is expected to hold a series of meetings of the policy groups against Kala Azar, review the policies and programmes on Kala Azar prevention and control and mobilize community participation and partnership for this purpose.
The disease, which is spread by the sand fly, can even claim lives of the affected person if proper care and treatment is not given in time, said Dr. Mahendra Bahadur Bista, the acting director General of the Department of health.
The disease is taking its toll of human lives due to incomplete medication or abandoning the treatment mid-way. The patients are usually required to undergo a complete month-long medication for treatment of Kala Azar. But since many abandon the medicaiton mid-way spelling disaster, doctors say.
Butwal, Apr. 22: The 18th general meeting of the Nepal Municipalities Association has concluded here after releasing an 18-point Siddharthanagar declaration.
The meeting has proposed to issue directives for exercising the rights and duties at Municipality ward level in a bid to translate decentralisation into practice in keeping with the spirit of the Local Autonomy Act 2055.
The meeting asked the government to activate the judicial powers of the municipality inherent in the Local Autonomy Act, immediately amend the provision on right to take cases to district court in contravention of the powers delegated to the Municipality as a quasi-judiciary body, and reduce the existing interest rate on loans issued by the town development committee as this hampers the development work of the municipalities.
It also took a decision to set up a town development unit in place of the town development committee, delegate powers for the selection of school management committees to the local bodies and continue the allowances being received by ward chairmen.
The meeting came to the conclusion that since the municipalities are facing financial difficulties in distributing salaries to employees following the termination of octroi and vehicle taxes, the centre should provide a budget of Rs. 300,000 to each ward under the Municipalities, a separate budget of Rs. 1,000,000 to each Municipality and also funds for administrative expenses.
It also called for the development of Lekhanath Municipality as a garden of seven lakes since it covers the seven lakes lying in Kaski district.
It drew the attention of the government to the inclusion of the Bhadrapur-Rangeli Road in the ninth plan and the construction of a bridge over the Mechi river.
The government should construct an international airport at Lumbini, the meeting concluded and emphasised that the government must come up with policy and programme in order to conserve the “Krishnasar” in Khairapur Panditpur of Gulriya Municipality, Ward No. 2.
Kathmandu April 22:Third day of Earth Day celebration was observed here Friday, with emphasis on everybody’s participation in environment protection.
Speaking on the occasion Minister for State of Population and Environment Shiva Raj Joshi said that government is aware of the adverse effect of pollution in tourism sector. Government is committed to do everything possible to check pollution. He said to check pollution and clean environment we need to have a broader vision and a commitment. Looking at a present context, environmental degradation is undoubtedly one of the major concern for the people in general and tourism sector in particular.
Former Minister of State Population and Environment Bhakta Bahadur Blayar noted the need of curbing the import of petrol and diesel operated vehicles. Air pollution generated by vehicle pollution is creating problems in different sectors.
Amod Kumar Pokhrel, Ratna Sansar Shrestha, Pradip Shrestha, Ashok Pandey and Tek Bahadur Dangi highlighted different issues related to environment protection. They emphasised the need of corporate trust fund for environmental conservation. In this regard role of corporate houses is very important. They also highlighted the danger created by climate change. Our planet is getting hotter and climate is changing already oceans are rising and tropical decease are spreading. We have seen a recent increase in droughts, floods and hurricanes which have left thousand dead and millions home less and this is just the begging, they warned.
Kathmandu, Apr. 22 :The Earth Day 2000 Nepal Committee organised an environment self-awareness rally here today.
A large number of people representing more than 50 organisations working environment conservation, school and college students and members of the general public had participated in the rally.
The rally starting from Sundhara went through new road, Bir Hospital, Jamal, Ghantaghar and dispersed on reaching Bhrikuti Mandap.
More than 50 safa tempos, battery-run vehicles, were also a part of the rally expressing solidarity for clean energy.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Population and Environment Shivaraj Joshi gave away prizes and certificates to winners of the inter-school painting and essay competition organised to mark World Earth Day.
On the occasion, Mr. Joshi was also handed over a civic report relating to the environment prepared on the basis of interactions with local people and studies.
Meanwhile in Bhaktapur President of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and MP Narayan Man Bijukche said students should play a role in closing down polluting industries in order to keep the environment of their school sorrounding clean and green.
MP Bijuckhe was addressing a programme organised following a rally organised by the school environment club coordination committee, Bhaktapur to mark the Earth Day 2000.
Mayor of Bhaktapur Municipality Prem Suwal and other speakers also expressed their views at the function chaired by the committee chairman Gautam Shrestha.
Prior to this, students from about 20 schools in the district had taken out an environment awareness rally with the slogan “Healthy Air: everyone’s right”.
Kathmandu, Apr. 22 : MP Romi Gauchan honoured journalists Bhupanidhi Pant and Tejnath Ghimire with the Dayashankar Palikhey Memorial Journalism Award-2056 BS here today.
On the occasion, Mr Gauchan said the award has enhanced the glory of the late Palikhey, a freedom fighter.
Member-secretary of the National Sports Council and son of the late Palikhey Binod Shankar Palikhey said his father always raised voices in favour of truth fearlessly, adding that the award was instituted with the objective of encouraging journalists to speak out truth.
Honoured personality Pant observed that news should be based on truth and facts since today’s news may turn out to be tomorrow’s history.
Similarly, Mr Ghimire remarked that journalism should be taken as a profession that follows the course of truth fearlessly.
Various other speakers including Press Council member Keshavraj Parajuli and other journalists also spoke at the function chaired by president of Federation of Nepalese journalists Kaski Krishna Prasad Bastola.
The award, which carries a purse of rs 20,000, was instituted three years ago in memory of the late Palikhey.
Dhangadhi, Apr. 22: Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Mrs. Kamala Pant inaugurated the regional consultative meeting on “Beijing+5” here on Thursday.
The one-day regional consultative meeting has been organised in connection with the preparations being made for the national report which Nepal is to present sat the special session of the United Nations General Assembly in June.
The United Nations has called for the special session of the General Assembly to review the activities undertaken since the fourth world women conference held in Beijing some years back.
Altogether 19 persons, including political workers, women leaders, women development officers, office-bearers of women groups, representatives of development related offices in various districts of the far-west region and journalists and representatives of social institutions and organisations took part in the consultative meeting.
On the occasion, Minister of State Panta said that the socio-economic progress of the lot of the Nepalese women and their greater participation in the political process depended on the success of the “women awareness and income-generating programme” introduced by His Majesty’s Government.
In the second session of the day-long conference organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, coordinator of the report preparation committee Dr. Balgopal Baidya shed light on the details of the report preparation process and resource persons Prativa Subedi, Subarnaraj Joshi, Sewa Adhikari and Shova Gautam on the 12 various issues concerned with women ratified by the Beijing conference.
At the meeting participants held panel discussions on the 12 issues of concern and identified regional level problems and made suggestions in this regard.
Bhadrapur, Apr. 22:Leader of the visiting European parliamentary delegation Mr Gerard Collins has said the European Parliament has given top priority to just and speedy solution of the Bhutanese refugee issue.
Mr Collins made this remark while briefing a gathering organised after inspecting the Timai Refugee Camp today.
Observing that human rights, right to walk freely and individual freedom of the refugees living in camps have been violated, he said during the past 10 years, some 17,000 children have been born and there is a big question mark over the future of these children.
Stating that we have raised this issue before the government and it has taken it seriously, Mr Collins gave assurances that the issue of Bhutanese refugees will be presented to the European Parliament and European countries for finding an solution to the long-standing problem.
On the occasion, P. R. Dahal of the Timai Refugee Camp remarked that the bilateral talks held so far between Nepal and Bhutan have failed to move on and spoke of the need to create an atmosphere under which the refugees can return to their home, that is Bhutan, with dignity.
The delegation also inspected a refugee identification centre in Kakarbhitta today.
On the occasion, Mrs Margaret of unhcr said the centre was set up in 1993 with a view to identifying Bhutanese refugees.
Earlier, the delegation was welcomed by Jhapa cdo Dilliraj Joshi and other individuals and apprised of the refugee camps.
The refugee camps in Jhapa and Morang districts have a total of 97,940 refugees.
Refugees of Timai and Goghata camps had presented a memorandum to the delegation for resolving the problem.
This is the second time the European Parliament has inspected the refugee camps in Nepal, sources said.
Chitwan, Apr. 22:Health Minister Dr. Ram Baran Yadav inaugurated the “Shree 1008 Swami Atmananda Giri Dharmartha Dispensary” at Ward No. 2, Devghat Adarsh village development committee of Tanahu district in the historic Devghatdham area here on Friday.
On the occasion, Minister Yadav expressed the belief that the dispensary, established in the famous religious pilgrimage site of the Devghatdham, would help in the health treatment and services of thousands of pilgrims who visit the area.
The government would do everything possible to turn the dispensary into a 15-bed capacity health centre, Health Minister Yadav said urging cooperation from all sectors in the further development of the dispensary.
The dispensary was constructed at the cost of Rs 1.8 million. It is managed by the Galeshwar Ashram Trust. Arrangements have been made at the dispensary for providing free treatment to the pilgrims and the local people residing at Devghatdham.
At present about 500 people are living at the Devghatdham proper and 3,000 more in the adjoining villages including 100 senior citizens at the old-age house there.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Bijaya Gautam, who got a temple of the goddess Gangamata constructed on the premises of the dispensary at the cost of Rs 450,000, handed over management of the temple to the trust.
MPs Shukra Raj Sharma, former MP Miss Maiya Devi Shrestha, treasurer of the Galeshwar Ashram Bhoj Rajbhandari and Nanikaji Bista of the dispensary expressed their views at the programme presided over by the Shree 1008th Swami Atma Nanda Giri.
Kathmandu, Apr. 22:Chief of the Army Staff General Prajwalla Shumsher J.B. Rana is scheduled to undertake an official visit to Bangladesh from tomorrow to April 27 at the invitation of chief of the Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army lieutenant general Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman.
The chief of the Army Staff General Rana will be accompanied by his spouse Mrs. Sindhu Rajyalaxmi Rana during the visit.
General Rana, who was appointed chief of the Army Staff on May 19 last year, had earlier taken part in the conference of the chiefs of the defence held in Hawaii of the USA and the first pacific armies chief’s conference held in Singapore at the invitation of the chief of the Japanese ground self defence force.
Similarly, chief of the Army Staff general Rana also visited China and India at the invitation of the chiefs of the Army Staff of these countries.
The Royal Nepalese Army headquarters has expressed the confidence that this visit by the chief of the Army Staff to Bangladesh is expected to further strengthen the mutual relations between the armies of Nepal and Bangladesh and the bond of friendship between the two countries.