Nepal: Leaders, activists call for end to impunity | Nepal |
[ 2008-1-16 ]
By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 15: Both political leaders and human rights activists of national and international stature have as usual stressed on the need to setting up a commission of inquiry for making public the whereabouts of the disappeared and bring the culprits to book and thereby end the ongoing culture of impunity.
The leaders and the activists pointed out at the aforementioned urgency at the inaugural function of a 37-day nation-wide cycle rally to mount pressure on the government and the political parties to work for clarifying the status of the missing persons during the ten-year-long armed conflict and raise public awareness on the issue of impunity. The rally is organised by the Common Campaign for Peace (COCAP) as part of its concern campaign for the disappeared citizens.
Kathmandu, Jan. 15: Both political leaders and human rights activists of national and international stature have as usual stressed on the need to setting up a commission of inquiry for making public the whereabouts of the disappeared and bring the culprits to book and thereby end the ongoing culture of impunity.
The leaders and the activists pointed out at the aforementioned urgency at the inaugural function of a 37-day nation-wide cycle rally to mount pressure on the government and the political parties to work for clarifying the status of the missing persons during the ten-year-long armed conflict and raise public awareness on the issue of impunity. The rally is organised by the Common Campaign for Peace (COCAP) as part of its concern campaign for the disappeared citizens.
"The government has been ignoring the issue of disappearance, making
public the whereabouts of the disappeared, providing relief to the
affected families and taking action against the perpetrators despite
the fact that there have been several agreements in this regard,"
senior Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai blamed the government
speaking at the programme.
He committed that his party would hold itself accountable if it had any hand on the cases of disappearances.
"At a time when the government is indifferent in forming the commission to look into the cases of disappearances such rallies and other campaigns of the civil society will force the government to be serious and sincere in this issue," he explained.
Arjun Narsingh KC, Nepali Congress spokesperson said making people to disappear was against the rule of law and programmes aimed at putting pressure on the government to this end was needed.
"Steps to reveal the status of the disappeared persons will be taken as per the 23-point agreement," he assured.
Richard Bennett, chief of UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) in Nepal, laid stress on setting up a commission of inquiry upholding international standard and work for making public the status of the missing and the perpetrators accountable in such a way that such cases are resolved once and for all.
"Not enough is done to address the issue of disappeared people in Nepal," he said, adding, �A commission of inquiry should be set up and the commission should be corresponding to international standard and as per the Supreme Court ruling."
He urged the government to set up Truth and Reconciliation Commission after broad consultation and upholding international standard and with an objective to end impunity.
Dr. KB Rokaya, member of the National Human Rights Commission, all out blamed the government, the interim parliament and the political parties of not being serious enough to work for making the status of the disappeared public.
Human Rights activists Mandira Sharma and Krishna Pahadi expressed dismay at the negligence of the loktantrik government in connection with making public the whereabouts of the disappeared and bringing the culprits into the ambit of justice to do away with what they said flourishing culture of impunity.
Subash Darnal, chairman of COCAP, informed that the 20 cyclists taking part in the rally were volunteers. The cyclists will go to Mechi, east of the country and to Mahakali, western part of the country starting from the capital city.
He further informed that there would be five mass meetings in the major cities on the way and 34 discussion meetings in relation to the cases of the disappeared, human rights and impunity.
Although the rally had an objective to help the families of the disappeared with their search for the whereabouts of their kin, not a family member the disappeared was given a chance to voice their plight in the programme.
http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=34315
He committed that his party would hold itself accountable if it had any hand on the cases of disappearances.
"At a time when the government is indifferent in forming the commission to look into the cases of disappearances such rallies and other campaigns of the civil society will force the government to be serious and sincere in this issue," he explained.
Arjun Narsingh KC, Nepali Congress spokesperson said making people to disappear was against the rule of law and programmes aimed at putting pressure on the government to this end was needed.
"Steps to reveal the status of the disappeared persons will be taken as per the 23-point agreement," he assured.
Richard Bennett, chief of UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) in Nepal, laid stress on setting up a commission of inquiry upholding international standard and work for making public the status of the missing and the perpetrators accountable in such a way that such cases are resolved once and for all.
"Not enough is done to address the issue of disappeared people in Nepal," he said, adding, �A commission of inquiry should be set up and the commission should be corresponding to international standard and as per the Supreme Court ruling."
He urged the government to set up Truth and Reconciliation Commission after broad consultation and upholding international standard and with an objective to end impunity.
Dr. KB Rokaya, member of the National Human Rights Commission, all out blamed the government, the interim parliament and the political parties of not being serious enough to work for making the status of the disappeared public.
Human Rights activists Mandira Sharma and Krishna Pahadi expressed dismay at the negligence of the loktantrik government in connection with making public the whereabouts of the disappeared and bringing the culprits into the ambit of justice to do away with what they said flourishing culture of impunity.
Subash Darnal, chairman of COCAP, informed that the 20 cyclists taking part in the rally were volunteers. The cyclists will go to Mechi, east of the country and to Mahakali, western part of the country starting from the capital city.
He further informed that there would be five mass meetings in the major cities on the way and 34 discussion meetings in relation to the cases of the disappeared, human rights and impunity.
Although the rally had an objective to help the families of the disappeared with their search for the whereabouts of their kin, not a family member the disappeared was given a chance to voice their plight in the programme.
http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=34315
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