The 25-member European Union (EU) has renewed its call for the speedy restoration of multi-party democracy in Nepal.
In a statement issued Friday, the EU said the February 1 move was a serious setback to a negotiated and democratically based solution to the conflict in Nepal. The EU also called upon His Majesty King Gyanendra to take early measures to restore democratic freedoms and civil liberties, and to lift the state of emergency declared on 1 February.
In particular, the EU has called for the restoration of representative democracy; the fast release of all political and other prisoners detained under emergency ordinances; for unrestricted access without the need for prior notice to all detainees to be given to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and its representatives; for political parties and civil society organisations to be granted the freedom to organise and operate; for the lifting of reporting restrictions on the media; assurances of Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) continued independence and for the restoration of the right to assembly and other fundamental rights.
The EU views with particular concern the current human rights crisis in Nepal, and to what it said serious and systematic human rights violations by both sides in the conflict, the statement said. The EU believes that there is a clear and real danger that intensified conflict and the restrictions on democratic freedoms will lead to levels of human rights abuse rising. The EU calls for respect for human rights of the Nepalese people and compliance with international human rights norms and obligations, the statement said.