OHCHR condemns Bara bus ‘bombing’; urges non-violent demonstrations and political rallies
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal) has condemned the ‘bombing’ of a passenger bus in Bara yesterday that killed seven people and injured dozens others.
Issuing a statement Saturday, OHCHR-Nepal also expressed condolence to the families of the victims, and urged security officials to take swift action to bring to justice the members of the Terai Army, which has claimed responsibility for the attack on the passenger bus.
The Bara incident occurred one year after the start of the Madhesh Aandolan, which ended in the deaths of nearly three dozen people, and on the eve of a series of planned rallies and demonstrations in the Terai relating to the upcoming constituent assembly elections.
“OHCHR-Nepal is calling on all concerned actors to exercise restraint and take the necessary steps to ensure that violence will not recur at this critical time in the peace process.“
Amid fears of similar violent protests in the days ahead, UN rights agency stated that law enforcement officials must balance respecting the right to freedom of assembly with their duty to protect the citizens.
“Leaders of protesting groups also have a responsibility to ensure that demonstrations are peaceful and that their supporters carry no sticks, guns or other weapons,” OHCHR-Nepal said, calling on all concerned parties to respect the rights of journalists and human rights defenders to carry out their activities without threat of violence.
They should, at the same time, take all necessary protection measures to avoid exposing young people under 18 to violence, or to manipulation for political ends, OHCHR-Nepal added.
Urging the government to establish an authentic participatory dialogue and confidence-building measures in Terai, OHCHR-Nepal also called upon “armed groups that claim to be pursuing political objectives” to immediately end criminal activities such as killings, abductions, bombings and extortion, threats and intimidation, and use peaceful means to achieve their stated objectives.
“Such activities are having a serious impact on the human rights of others and on establishing an environment conducive to free and fair Constituent Assembly elections. “ nepalnews.com mk Jan 19 08
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