Nepal’s human rights situation has worsened: US

March 9, 2006
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The Unites States has said the human rights situation in Nepal has worsened over the last few years and that both the Maoist rebels and security forces have committed numerous grave human rights abuses in 2005.

Its ‘Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2005’ released by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington on March 8 said, “the government’s poor human rights record worsened and the government continued to commit many serious abuses, both during and after the state of emergency that suspended all fundamental rights except for habeas corpus.”

On the Maoists, the report said, “During the year (2005) Maoists continued their campaign of torturing, killing, bombing, conscripting children, kidnapping, extorting, forcing closures of schools and businesses, and committing other serious and gross human rights abuses.”

During the year security forces continued to commit arbitrary and unlawful killings, the report said and added, “In most cases of arbitrary or unlawful killings, the security forces claimed the victims were Maoists.” The report cites the INSEC record that states security forces killed 964 suspected Maoists and the Maoists insurgents killed 276 civilians during the year. The reports states that there were some cases of individuals disappeared from the custody of security forces, and their whereabouts remained unknown until much later when the government acknowledged that the individuals were detained under TADO. A total of 1,305 persons remained disappeared since the beginning of insurgency in 1996 and government is yet to confirm the custody of 901 people.

The government failed to conduct thorough and independent investigations of reports of security force brutality and generally did not take significant disciplinary action against those involved, the report said.

The reports said that there were continued abduction and kidnapping from the Maoists rebels. The Maoists were responsible for the abduction of 46,794 persons, and the disappearance of 8,715 persons during the year. It added, however, that Maoist rebels did not kill or injure anyone in Kathmandu during the year.

The US human rights report further said that government-backed vigilante groups were increasing the level of terror and violence experienced by the civilian population and that 36 persons died and 600 houses were destroyed by such groups.

“The RNA set up a national registry of detainees and cooperated with the United National Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) to resolve the status of 106 cases from 2004. The RNA definitively answered 98 cases and was investigating 8 other cases at year’s end. The RNA released 54 persons and found that 4 persons died, 3 on the battlefield and 1 in custody,” the report added.

Altogether 9 persons filed for compensation of torture during the year, and of the 184 cases filed since 1996, the court made a decision to award compensation in 26 cases, but at year’s end, compensated only one claimant, the report stated.

The reports was also critical of the government for introduction of new media ordinance promulgated on October 21. The Maoists imposed restrictions on free press through intimidation and the killing of journalists, the US state department said.

On a positive note, the report said the government welcomed the opening of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Kathmandu in May. “Both OHCHR and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported improved access to detention centers and progress in locating persons listed as disappeared,” the report added.

On issues relating to women, the report said, “In September the Supreme Court ruled that, unlike in previous years, children of unmarried women could claim citizenship under the 1990 constitution. In November the Supreme Court ruled that, unlike in previous years, women did not need permission from their husband or parents to get a passport. In December the Supreme Court ruled that women no longer needed to get the permission of their husband, son, or parents if they wished to sell or relinquish ownership of property.”

The US has been concerned over the deteriorating human rights situation of the country and on March 02, during US president George W Bush’s visit to India, he said, “On Nepal, we agreed that the Maoists should abandon violence and that the King should reach out to the political parties to restore democratic institutions.”