Nepal conflict taking heavy toll on civilians: HRW

March 28, 2006
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Saying that the ongoing conflict in Nepal has put the civilians at greater risk, a renowned international human rights group has called for increased international pressure to tackle the crisis.

Releasing its report “Nepal’s Civil War: The Conflict Resumes” on Tuesday, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the civilian casualties have soared after the breakdown of the Maoist ceasefire on January 2 this year.

“Civilian casualties, which decreased significantly during the ceasefire, quickly returned to previous levels once fighting resumed. The ten-year-old civil war continues to place the civilian population at serious risk of war crimes and human rights abuses while hindering economic development of the impoverished countryside,” the 17-page report said, urging the international community to take steps to protect human rights in the Himalayan Kingdom.

HRW report further said human rights and political scenario and freedom of expression in Nepal have deteriorated after the seizure of power by the King on February 1, 2005. “The king has repeatedly subjected critical political activists, journalists, and human rights monitors to arbitrary arrest and censorship, only releasing detainees and relaxing restrictions under intense international pressure.”

HRW that had conducted a three-week long research trip to Nepal in late February and March this year to assess the situation after the ceasefire pointed out that violations of international humanitarian law (the laws of war) by both the Maoists and the security forces – including indiscriminate aerial bombardment by the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) in civilian areas – had grown while the civilians were facing risk with the escalation of confrontation between the Maoists and the vigilante groups. In the meantime, the rebels have not stopped recruiting children for military purposes, it said.

The report further added, “Recent international pressure has made a difference in promoting greater respect for human rights by both government forces and the Maoists. We found that both the Maoists and the RNA had taken appropriate action during some of the clashes we investigated to minimize the harm to civilians.”

“The RNA seems to have taken steps to reduce the practice of extrajudicial executions and “disappearances” of suspected Maoists and now turns many detainees over to police custody within a month. Security forces also allowed the Nepal Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, established in 2005, access to military barracks and other places of detention

The international rights group in its report also urged Nepal’s major arms suppliers like India, UK and USA to continue to suspend their military assistance.

“Nepal’s largest arms suppliers, India, the U.S., and the U.K., should continue to suspend lethal military assistance to Nepal until the government complies with international human rights and humanitarian law. Countries reportedly engaged in or contemplating lethal military assistance to Nepal, such as China, Pakistan, and Israel must also refrain from transferring any arms to Nepal.”