“Under UN pressure, Nepal to probe ‘disappearances'”
AP reports:
— “Nepal’s Maoist-dominated government promised Saturday to establish a “disappearance commission” to investigate political killings that the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights says were perpetrated by communist insurgents fighting to overthrow the monarchy.”
“Nepal’s Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal spoke to the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday, telling other nations: ‘We have come a long way in terms of our transition from conflict.'”
“‘Like in every post-conflict situation, there are ups and downs and obstacles in the way. Managing the legacy of the violent past with justice and reconciliation and mainstreaming all the forces into a democratic order are major challenges before us,’ he said.”
“The prime minister promised that his government ‘is determined to establish a truth and reconciliation commission and a disappearance commission as a part of ensuring transitional justice and restoring social harmony and peace.'”
“The pledge came a day after the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, Richard Bennett, released a letter demanding that the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) allow police to get to the bottom of several assassinations and a bus bombing.”
“The U.N. envoy’s letter wanted answers to the killings of businessman Ram Hari Shrestha, journalist Birendra Shah and another victim, Arjun Lama, as well as a deadly bus bombing in June 2005 in Madi at killed some 50 people.”
“Bennett’s letter said the three killings ‘are among those for which there is substantial evidence of Maoists’ responsibility,’ naming Maoist Third Division Commander Kali Bahadur Kham as being allegedly involved in Shrestha’s killing.”
“In the case of the bus bombing, Bennett said, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has claimed responsibility and identified the perpetrators, but no one has been punished and the Nepalese police seem unable to act without cooperation from the Maoist party.”
“‘The practice of protecting and promoting alleged human rights violators, whether they are Nepal Army officers or members of UCPN-M, must end,’ Bennett wrote.”
“Nepal’s government is preparing a report that says 16,274 people were killed in the country during the 10-year conflict between Maoist rebels and government troops that climaxed in 2006, officials recently said.”
“The Maoist rebels began their armed revolt in 1996 seeking an end to the monarchy and to establish a communist state. The rebels gave up their insurgency in 2006 and joined a peace process under U.N. supervision and ultimately became part of the political mainstream.”
“A communist-dominated Constituent Assembly voted in May 2008 to abolish the centuries-old monarchy and declared Nepal a republic and a secular state.”
“The UCPN-M contested elections last year and emerged as the largest political party in Nepal. They led a coalition government between September 2008 and May 2009.”
“Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal resigned as prime minister over the president’s refusal to dismiss the army chief, and a new coalition government took over in May.”
See Also:
May 7, 2009 – Washington Times: “Nepal’s Maoist double-cross”
SATA Report on “Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist”
2007 – Deteriorating Rights Situation in Nepal — By Navaraj Pudasaini, Human Rights Attorney
Asian Human Rights Commission – Nepal
May 2007 – “Everyone should receive social justice but without breaking other people’s legs” — by Dr. Sanjeev Upreti
— “Maoists continue to maintain that it is all right to use violence as a temporary tool to obtain social justice. Madhesi aandolan also repeated the same lesson learnt during the Maoist war. As a consequence, the idea that it is all right to break other ‘people’s legs-or to vandalize shops and burn buildings- in order to achieve justice has become a part of the national culture of Nepal.”
— “Maoists continue to maintain that it is all right to use violence as a temporary tool to obtain social justice. Madhesi aandolan also repeated the same lesson learnt during the Maoist war. As a consequence, the idea that it is all right to break other ‘people’s legs-or to vandalize shops and burn buildings- in order to achieve justice has become a part of the national culture of Nepal.”