The Association of International NGOs in Nepal (AIN) has expressed solidarity with the ongoing pro-democracy movement of the country.
In a public statement issued on Thursday, the AIN said it was deeply concerned that the conflict was escalating, divisions in the society were deepening and opportunities for human, social and economic development were diminishing for an entire generation of Nepalis, unless a broadly owned solution to the escalating conflict was reached.
Talking to Nepalnews on Thursday, Shibesh Chandra Regmi, chairman of AIN said that they expressed solidarity to the ongoing movement as there will be no working environment in absence of peace, human rights and democracy.
Regmi further said that though they did not support any political party or group, they are supporting the ongoing movement of seven political parties as it is aimed at restoring peace and democracy in the country.
The AIN, which represents about 60 INGOs working in Nepal said, “Ensure an inviolate respect for the democratic rights of citizens to speak their minds publicly, to assemble publicly, to move about freely and top participate actively in the decisions that will determine their future, without intimidation or restrictions.”
The statement also urged all to ensure that children are not used in demonstrations, political rallies or in any kind of violence.
The AIN also appealed to release all civil society representatives, who are in captivity or custody.
Talking to Nepalnews, one official at the AIN said that the statement was issued to express solidarity to the ongoing pro-democracy movement.
Meanwhile, Nepal Network for Sustainable Development (NNSD), a network of 75 organizations working in the field of sustainable development has expressed solidarity to the ongoing pro-democracy movement of the country.
A statement issued by the NNSD condemned the government’s use of force in the protest rallies organized demanding restoration of democracy in the country.
The statement said that the government failed to suppress the people’s movement by imposing curfew and violence.
A report from mid western town of Nepalgunj said, students and health workers of Nepalgunj Medical College and Nepalgunj Nursing Campus condemned the government atrocities to doctors and health workers during the pro-democracy movement of the country.
A press release issued by them urged all people to protest for the restoration of democracy to protect people’s fundamental rights and right to live peacefully.
The students and health workers also organized a protest rally in Kohalpur to protest the government’s atrocities.
The pro-democracy movement of the country is getting support from all walks of life. nepalnews.com pb Apr 13 06
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has said that she is shocked by the excessive use of force by security forces in Nepal, as well as the extensive use of arbitrary detention in violation of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
High Commissioner Arbour further said, “Now violence has mounted, despite the efforts of my Office in Nepal to urge restraint on both demonstrators and security forces. On Tuesday our human rights officers witnessed the most excessive use of force to date against demonstrators in Kathmandu by members of the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Police, and the toll of serious injuries added to three fatal shootings around the country has risen alarmingly.”
Nearly 90 pro-democracy activists were injured when security forces opened fire to the protestors in Gongabu area of Kathmandu on Tuesday.
Five pro-democracy activists have been killed, hundreds injured and over 1000 have been arrested from protests around the country since last week.
She reminded the government its international obligation to respect the right of peaceful assembly, and said, “I remind its security forces of their obligation to use only minimum necessary force even when faced with demonstrators throwing rocks and other projectiles.”
Stating that Nepal’s Police and Armed Police Force have helped the United Nations uphold the rule of law in its peace operations, she further said, “But I must make clear that my commitment to provide the Department of Peacekeeping Operations with information regarding individuals implicated in human rights violations extends to them as much as it does to the Royal Nepalese Army.”
The UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal has expressed grave concern over the arrests of demonstrators during the general strike carried out by the seven opposition political parties and asked the government to respect the right of the people to protest peacefully.
The government however continuing its repressive measures against protestors neglecting repeated calls from rights bodies and international communities not to do so. nepalnews.com pb Apr 13 06
In what is seen as yet another evidence of ‘zero tolerance’ policy of the royal regime towards anti-government protests, police on Thursday opened fire at a peaceful rally being carried out by the Nepal Bar Association (NBA) in the capital, Kathmandu, Thursday morning without provocation.
Lawyers Ramchandra Simkhada, Bharat Mani Gautam, Tanka Chaulagain have received rubber bullet injuries while over a dozen lawyers, including NBA president Shambhu Thapa, were injured in police baton charging.
Police have manhandled and arrested over 50 lawyers from the rally.
According to a Nepalnews correspondent who was on the scene, police first tried to stop the rally of nearly 400 lawyers– who were donning black coats– as it was coming out of the central office of the Nepal Bar Association at 9:20 a. m.. Seven police vans were parked outside the NBA to stop the demonstration. The lawyers, anyhow, managed to break through the police cordon and proceeded towards Babarmahal past Maitighar Mandala.
Police pursued the rally—that was heading towards New Baeswore, which doesn’t fall in the ‘prohibited zone—and opened fire all of a sudden from the backside of the rally. Police personnel then threw tear gas shells targeting NBA president Thapa, advocate Indra Lohani and other lawyers.
“All the journalists and lawyers are Maoists,” a police officer was heard as saying as enraged policemen were raining batons on the peaceful demonstrators. There was no warning and nobody knew why the police was using force.
NBA and rights groups have condemned the police action on a peaceful demonstration with strongest possible words.
NBA—that represents over 5,000 practicing lawyers — was the first professional body in the country that termed the seizure of power by King Gyanendra as ‘unconstitutional’ and demanded resignation of the royal government.
NBA has been in the forefront of a civic movement calling for respect to human rights and rule of law in the country.
Inujured lawyers including Thapa are undergoing treatment at the Kathmandu Model hospital while other detained lawyers are being kept at the Covered Hall, Dasarath Stadium, Tripureswore. nepalnews.com by/rh Apr 13 06
The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Home Ministry and the Police Headquarters to produce 62 detained leaders and cadres of political parties before it on April 17.
Acting upon separate habeas corpus petitions filed at the SC a single bench of Justice Paramananda Jha issued the order.
The bench sought a clarification from authorities as to why the leaders and cadres were being detained.
On April 7, the Nepal Bar Association and family members of the detained activists filed separate habeas corpus petitions at the Supreme Court, seeking their release.
The petitioners sought the release of political leaders, including Raghuji Pant, Pashupati Chaulagain, Lal Bahadur Tamang, Gopal Shakya, Dev Raj Ghimire, Purna Prasad, Gautam Hridayesh Tripathi, Dan Bahadur Dangol, Santosh Timalsena, Arun Nepal, Daya Ram Khadka, Bhim Raj Angdambe and Kamal Itani.
The petitioners also accused the Home Ministry and the Police Headquarters of holding the detainees illegally for the past few weeks after their arrest from pro-democracy rallies.
The government arrested hundreds of pro-democracy activists from protest rallies during the general strike called by the seven political parties. nepalnews.com pb Apr 13 06
The disruption in transportation services for the past several days has created a shortage of food grains at the Bhutanese refugee camps in Jhapa and Morang districts, reports said.
With stocks having run out and no replenishment possible, the food grain godowns there have become empty. Vegetables too are in short supply.
According to the Damak-based World Food Programme (WFP) wing, the office had provided rice to the refugees last Sunday.
But, The Himalayan Times daily quoted Kishor Rai, representative of the Bhutanese Human Rights Organisation, as saying that the office has not distributed any rice and vegetables for the past one week either in Beldangi or Shanishchare camps.
He said the refugees have been suffering hunger pangs since then. “As transportation has ground to a halt, the supply of food grains has been affected. Stocks have run out.”
In a statement, the Kathmandu-based WFP office urged all to help supply rice to Jhapa from Biratnagar.
The WFP provides 400 grams of rice to each refugee daily. The supply of kerosene, chillies and turmeric, which were being supplied with the support of the United Nations High Commission for the Refugees (UNHCR), has already been reduced.
The Commission has also reduced the supply rate of seasonal vegetables to the refugees.
Over 105,000 Bhutanese refugees are living in the seven UNHCR administered camps in Jhapa and Morang districts for the past 15 years. nepalnews.com pb Apr 13 06
An eight-member delegation from the US House of Representatives, led by the Speaker of the House, J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), postponed its visit to Nepal on Wednesday due to ongoing violence, curfews, and widespread insecurity in Nepal.
A press statement issued by US Embassy in Kathmandu said the delegation was scheduled to review developments here and meet with representatives of the government, political parties, and civil society.
The delegation, currently in India, was scheduled to visit Nepal from Wednesday till Friday.
The statement further said, “In scaling back activities, the Mission – including the Embassy, USAID, and the Consular Section and American Center in the Yak & Yeti Hotel – has gone to minimal staffing. The Consular Section and American Center Library have been closed until further notice.”
With closure of consular section, no one will be issued a visa.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Nepal James F Moriarty met Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and acting general secretary of CPN-UML, Amrit Kumar Bohara on Wednesday and discussed the current political situation of the country.
According to, party sources, Moriarty inquired with both party leaders about the ongoing agitation, government’s suppression, Maoist statement owing the strikes as their as well and the government’s claim about Maoist’s infiltration in the protest programmes of political parties.
Talking to journalists after meeting Bohara, Moriarty said, “We support the peaceful movement of political parties for democracy.”
Meanwhile, Poule Mastonen, charge d’ affairs at the Embassy of Finland, which chairs EU here also met Bohara and expressed the EU’s continued support for the democratic movement of Nepal. nepalnews.com pb Apr 13 06
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) demanded immediate and unconditional release of Chief District Officer of Sarlahi Bodhraj Adhikari and other security personnel.
Issuing a press statement on Wednesday, the national rights watchdog has said that the condition put forward by the Maoists that five of their cadres be freed in exchange for the release of Sarlahi CDO has drawn the “serious” attention of the NHRC.
The rights body has urged the Maoists to release Adhikari, who was kidnapped on April 5, immediately and unconditionally.
“Putting forward conditions for the release of one person against reciprocal release of another person is against international law,” the NHRC said on Wednesday.
It also called on the Maoists to make public the whereabouts of the abducted persons.
Maoists abducted CDO Adhikari and other security personnel following the attack in Sarlahi. nepalnews.com pb Apr 13 06
With some civil servants also joining the pro-democracy movement of the country, the government has prohibited strikes in the 15 different essential services by exercising the authority provided in the Essential Services Operation Act, 2014 B.S.
The essential services where the strikes have been prohibited include the postal, telecommunications and telephone services, transportation services, ferrying passengers and goods from waterways, land or airways, services related to the airports or to the care and maintenance of aircraft, their operation or repair, services related to airport, railway station or the services related to works in connection with transportation, storage, placing and taking out of goods and cargo at government warehouses and services concerning mint and government printing and publication.
Likewise, additional services where strikes have been banned are the government’s defense system related to the manufacture, production, storage and distribution of arms and ammunition; communication, electricity, drinking water regulating and distribution service; services related to tourist accommodation like motel, hotel, restaurant and resorts; service related to the importation and supply of petroleum products; services related to hospitals, health centres and pharmaceutical production and distribution; services related to the collection and transportation of garbage and solid waste, construction of the solid waste processing and collection zone and solid waste management; banking service and the insurance service.
Issuing a press statement on Tuesday, the Home Ministry notified everyone involved in the above-mentioned services not to be swayed by anyone and carry out their duty and also warned that action would be taken against those not heeding the orders and staging strikes at the fixed essential service sectors, reports state run news agency Rastriya Samachar Samiti.
As per the Essential Services Act, any person acting against the notice prohibiting strikes issued by the government would be liable for six months’ imprisonment or a fine of Rs. 200 or both and the person instigating anyone to carry out such prohibited acts would be liable for one year’s imprisonment or a fine of Rs. 1,000 or both, the Ministry said.
The move came at a time when employees of some Banks, Corporations and some civil servants have joined the pro-democracy movement launched by the seven political parties bringing the office work into halt. nepalnews.com pb Apr 12 06
As the government is facing pressure from all walks of life, the Nepal Bar Association, an umbrella organization of legal practitioners announced that it would hit the streets on April 18 demanding dissolution of the present government.
Stating that the government is a main hurdle on the path of democracy, the NBA said the government should be dissolved to pave the way for a political way out of the crisis.
“We have decided to urge the King to dissolve the cabinet as the Supreme Court has billed it unconstitutional while issuing a verdict on the formation of the Royal Commission for Corruption Control on February 13,” report quoted general secretary of the NBA Madhav Baskota as saying.
A press release issued by the NBA said, despite the verdict of the Supreme Court that the sovereignty rests with the people, unelected people have been holding posts in the government.
With the objectives of pressuring the King to honour the verdict and giving power back to the political parties, the NBA will organise a torch rally on next Tuesday, the release said.
The NBA also decided to form a probe committee led by NBA president Shambhu Thapa and prepare a list of security personnel found guilty of violating human rights while suppressing demonstrations.
The lawyers would stage a sit-in in front of the NBA building on Wednesday demanding restoration of democracy. nepalnews.com pb Apr 12 06
Refuting the government’s claim of Maoist infiltration in the ongoing agitation, leaders of seven political parties have claimed that their agitation was completely under control and that there was no Maoist involvement in their ongoing political program.
Addressing a program in the capital on Tuesday, UML leader KP Sharma Oli asserted the agitation had no involvement of others outside the seven political parties.
He went on to add that the agitation will stop only after establishing total democracy in the country and ruled out any dialogue with the King unless the parties’ demands were met.
Oli also rejected Maoists’ claim of involvement in the ongoing agitation. The Maoists have said that the ongoing protest is a joint one.
Acting president of Nepali Congress Democratic Gopal Man Shrestha alleged that the government was conspiring to defame and derail the agitation, and went on to add that the seven parties would foil the government’s attempts.
Any new programme made public by the Maoists has no bearing on the parties’ ongoing drive for democracy, he said.
He said the Maoists should not try to bring out programmes that would affect the movement if they (Maoists) are keen on establishing total democracy. Shrestha also asked the Maoists to announce a ceasefire and abide by the 12-point pact to avoid confusion.
UML leader Subash Nemwang said no power could overcome people’s power. nepalnews.com pb Apr 12 06