Last tributes paid to Umesh Thapa

February 9, 2006
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Thousands of people including senior leaders of the seven party opposition alliance on Friday paid last tributes to a member of CPN (UML), Umesh Chandra Thapa, who was killed during firing by security personnel in Dang two days ago.

Friends and relatives of Umesh Thapa, who was killed by the army in Dang on Wednesday, pay last tribute to him at Pashupati Aryaghat, Friday, Feb10, 06. nepalnews.com

The opposition parties organized a condolence meeting on the bank of holy Bagmati river this morning where Thapa’s body had been kept to allow people to pay their respects.

Addressing the condolence meeting, senior UML leader K. P. Sharma Oli alleged that the “autocratic regime” was trying to suppress pro-democracy movement by targeting innocent, unarmed civilians. He alleged that the royal government was pushing the country towards more violence by restricting all types of peaceful movements. He also condemned what he called the government’s attempt to defame 12-point pact between the parties and the Maoists, which he said aimed at restoring peace and democracy in the country.

Joint general secretary of Nepali Congress, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, said Thapa had become martyr from the bullets of the ‘autocratic regime.’ He said the government was targeting opposition activists in Biratnagar, Chitwan and Dang just to terrorise them. He also urged the security forces to stand in favour of the people and the country’s constitution.
Dr. Mahat said the true respect to late Thapa could be paid only by restoring peace and total democracy in the country.

President of Jana Morcha Nepal, Amik Sherchan, said Nepali people will not be terrorized by killing pro-democracy activists like Thapa. He said the government should take full responsibility of the killing of Thapa.

NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC, CPN (UML) leader Shanker Pokhrel, Homnath Dahal of NC (Democratic), Khusilal Mandal of Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi), Khem Raj Pandit of Rastriya Prajatantra Party also spoke on the occasion and demanded impartial probe into the incident and punish the guilty.

Thapa’s last rites were performed at the Pashupati Aryaghat this afternoon. His body was handed over to his family from the TU Teaching hospital this morning.

Thapa was killed in what has been described as ‘unprovoked and unwarranted firing’ by security when he was returning to his home after taking part in a protest rally organized by the seven party opposition alliance at Ghorahi of Dang district on Wednesday.

The Defense Ministry, however, claimed in two separate statements issued over the last two days that Thapa was killed and NC activist Krishna Giri was injured when security personnel opened fire in self-defense after an unruly crowd tried to attack a polling center at Bal Mandir and somebody from the crowd opened fire injuring a police inspector.

Human Rights groups, after preliminary investigation, have dismissed the government’s claim saying that Thapa was killed some 300 meters away from the polling center and that the participants in the rally were returning after organizing a peaceful protest.

The opposition parties said no clashes took place at the Balmandir polling station so there was no question of security personnel being injured in “firing.”

Kantipur daily reported Friday that a police inspector had forced a staff on emergency duty at the Mahendra hospital at Ghorahi forced him to register in the hospital record that “he had received bullet injuries in his finger.”