Probe commission grills CoAS Thapa; ‘We only followed state orders’

August 3, 2006
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The high level judicial probe commission Thursday interrogated the Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) General Pyar Jung Thapa in connection with his alleged role in the excessive use of force during the people’s movement-II in April this year.

Chief of Army Staff Pyar Jung Thapa talking to the media after filing statement at the High Level Probe Commission’s (HLPC), Thursday, Aug 03 06. nepalnews.com/ANA

General Thapa was interrogated for more than five hours. He entered the commission’s office at around 11:25 a.m. and came out at around 4:30 p.m.

Talking briefly to reporters after filing his statement, General Thapa said security forces had only executed the order of the state during the movement and that the now-defunct Unified Command led by the army was deployed to quell the Maoist violence, not the uprising in April.

“We did what the stated asked us to do in order to maintain peace and security in the country,” he said, claiming that the security agencies had no intention of suppressing the people’s movement. “It was the prime responsibility of the security forces to check the infiltration of insurgents in mass agitations,” Thapa argued.

Thapa looked awkward in front of camera as he entered the commission’s office but was relatively composed when he talked with newsmen after the interrogation. Security guards who escorted him up to the commission had told reporters that the army chief would speak to journalists only after the questioning.

He arrived at the commission with tight security. Security personnel misbehaved with journalists present at the probe commission’s premises and also arrested at least four protesters who demanded action against Thapa.

In a controversial move, Thapa had deferred his interrogation at the commission scheduled for Sunday citing an official trip to Pokhara. Later, the Defence Ministry came in his defence saying that he had consent from the Prime Minister, who oversees the defence portfolio, to defer the interrogation.

This is the first time the commission has interrogated the top brass of the Nepali Army. The government suspended chiefs of three security agencies as per the recommendation of the commission but spared Thapa.

The commission has already summoned suspended chiefs of the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department and incumbent top police officers.

The high level panel headed by former Supreme Court Justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi has interrogated vice chairmen-duo of the erstwhile royal government, ministers, administrators, former Speaker Taranath Ranabhat, former Chief Justice Hari Prasad Sharma and other royal advisors for their alleged role in suppressing the pro-democracy movement that brought down King Gyanendra’s direct rule.