AI Report - Nepal: Illegal killings on the increase
News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International
AI Index: ASA 31/002/2005 20 January 2005
Nepal: Illegal killings on the increase
The number of people who are being illegally killed in Nepal is
increasing
and those responsible are using more sophisticated tactics to hide
their
crimes, according to a new report by Amnesty International.
"Both the security forces and the Maoists are deliberately executing
civilians and unarmed fighters" said Ingrid Massage, Asia Director at
Amnesty International. "What is most chilling is that these killings
are
going completely unpunished, despite numerous promises by the
government and
Maoist leaders to uphold human rights."
The report, Nepal: Killing with impunity, gives details of many people
who
have been unlawfully killed by both sides to the conflict since the
breakdown of a ceasefire in August 2003. It documents an increasing
sophistication among security forces in hiding these abuses, including
by
burying bodies and forcing local people to sign false witness
statements, as
well as a continued reluctance to punish those responsible. (Full
report
online at
-
http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maac5Q9abdtT3cieCxfb/ )
Even those responsible for the most serious and high-profile abuses,
such as
the illegal execution of 19 unarmed Maoists in Doramba village,
Ramechhap
district in August 2003, have not been brought to justice.
In another incident, on 3 September 2004 three unarmed teenage girls
were
allegedly killed by security forces. Hira Ram Rai, 15, Jina Rai, 16,
and
Indra Kala Rai, 16, were followed by a group of soldiers as they left
their
school in Basikhora village, Bhojpur district. When the girls went into
a
nearby forest, the soldiers shot them dead and buried them. Their
killers
have not been identified or punished.
Maoists have also been responsible for killing civilians and security
force
personnel that they have taken captive. Among the civilians killed was
Dekendra Raj Thapa, a journalist and human rights defender abducted by
the
Maoists in June 2004 and killed by them on 11 August 2004. Maoist
fighters
responsible for such abuses are not disciplined and remain in their
posts.
"These unlawful killings are part of a terrible spectrum of human
rights
abuses. The Nepali people are living amid daily torture, rape,
'disappearances' and arbitrary arrests," said Ms Massage.
Amnesty International is calling for a number of actions including:
- The Nepali government and Maoists to keep their promises on human
rights
and discipline their personnel who commit abuses;
- The Nepali government and Maoists to cooperate fully with the
National
Human Rights Commission, sign its Human Rights Accord and accept
comprehensive monitoring;
- The UN Commission on Human Rights, which meets in March, to appoint
a
Special Rapporteur dedicated to Nepal.
"International pressure can make a difference. Last year, it helped
produce
a drop in reports of "disappearances' in Nepal. Now it is time the same
level of attention is given to unlawful killings and other human rights
abuses," said Ms Massage.
Background
Nepal has been gripped by a nine year conflict between Maoist
insurgents and
government forces. Since the breakdown of the most recent ceasefire
between
the government and Maoists on 27 August 2003, fighting has intensified
and
the human rights situation has deteriorated dramatically. Human rights
defenders have come under increasing threat and the work of the
National
Human Rights Commission has been obstructed by both sides.
Amnesty International has consistently condemned the illegal killings
carried out by both parties to the conflict. It has appealed to the
government to abide by its international human rights obligations,
including
to uphold the right to life. It has also urged the Maoists to respect
their
stated commitments to fundamental human rights standards and the Geneva
Conventions, which prohibit the execution of civilians and those not
actively engaged in combat.
The National Human Rights Commission has developed a Human Rights
Accord
that will commit both the government and Maoists to uphold human rights
and
accept comprehensive monitoring. Amnesty International urges both
parties to
sign this agreement, as a vital step for the protection of human rights
in
Nepal.
For a copy of the report Nepal: Killing with impunity
please see:
-
http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maac5Q9abdtT3cieCxfb/ Take action and urge Nepal to ratify the Optional Protocol to
Convention on
the Rights of the Child!
-
http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maac5Q9abdtT4cieCxfb/ *****************************************************************
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