The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal has deplored the excessive use of force by security forces to clamp down on the agitations carried out by seven opposition political parties across the country.
Issuing a press statement on Tuesday, the UN rights body said, “OHCHR-Nepal deplores the excessive use of force by security forces it has witnessed in the Kathmandu Valley and in other towns over the last week of public protests.”
It added, “OHCHR-Nepal recognizes that police have often been faced with violent situations with demonstrators throwing rocks, bricks and other projectiles, destroying public property, and in some cases attacking individual officers: many police have been injured.”
“Nevertheless, in recent days in Kathmandu OHCHR-Nepal monitoring teams have increasingly observed members of the police and Armed Police Force using excessive force against demonstrators as well as others not involved in demonstrations. OHCHR-Nepal staff have witnessed police firing rubber bullets into crowds of demonstrators as well as police using lathi (long baton) charges, often aiming at the head and sometimes causing serious injury. In some cases police have charged peaceful assemblies,” the statement said.
The statement further said that OHCHR’s monitors observed severe beatings by the police of individuals after taking them under control even when they posed no physical or other threat. Police have been seen attacking bystanders, charging into houses, engaging in indiscriminate beatings and causing some gratuitous damage to property. Women and children have been among the many victims, it pointed out.
Saying that its observers present in Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Biratnagar witnessed restrain exercised by security forces in some situations, OHCHR said in many cases the security officers have failed to intervene when their colleagues used excessive force against demonstrators.
“In addition to the use of tear gas and rubber bullets, deadly force has been used on a few occasions. OHCHR-Nepal has already expressed grave concern at shooting by a soldier from the top of a building into a crowd of demonstrators throwing stones at police in the street below in Pokhara on 8 April, resulting in the death of one person and the injury of at least one other. Two others are also reported to have died as a result of being shot by security forces: a woman shot in the chest in Narayangadh, Chitwan District on 8 April; and a man killed in Banepa, Kavre District, the same day.”
“OHCHR-Nepal does not condone in any way acts of violence committed by some demonstrators. However, it is time for the Government, and for all commanders of police and other security forces involved in policing demonstrations, to recognise that this level of violence against civilians is not acceptable and is against the obligations of the State,” the statement quoted OHCHR-Nepal’s representative, Ian Martin, as saying.
Martin further said, “I urge the Government to reconsider its position on the right to peaceful assembly, and to give the security forces the clearest instructions to act only with the minimum necessary force in policing demonstrations. And I urge demonstrators and demonstration leaders to only use peaceful means of protest.”
Out of over 2,300 arrested during protests over 1,300 remained in detentions as of 10 April, OHCHR statement said citing official figures. Saying that police stations and other places of detention in and around Kathmandu are “seriously unacceptable” as they are crowded and lack proper arrangement of food, clean drinking water, toilets and medical facilities the OHCHR urged the government to ensure these facilities. nepalnews.com mk Apr 11 06