Highhanded behaviour

Nepal’s Human Rights records are pathetic and more worrisome than they were ever before. The annual report released by the Amnesty International (AI) last week raises serious doubts over the intention of the government in improving the situation. That’s why it had solicited international initiatives, including that of the United Nations Secretary General, to set up relevant offices to monitor the human rights situation in the conflict-torn country. There was, of course, serious indictment of the Maoist rebels as well for their gruesome activities and involvement in the cases of annihilation. The atrocities by the security forces and the rebels have contributed to the dismal human rights record for which AI has indicted the country.

The government responsibility in the aftermath of the report has increased manifold, and it has an obligation to convince the international community that it honours human rights like any democratic and accountable government should. Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand took the uncomfortable report in stride. In an interview to The Kathmandu Post, the Prime Minister also showed keenness to improve the human rights situation by activating the human rights cells in the army and the police. This could be considered a small move, but certainly cannot be dismissed as irrelevant. The security forces need total reorientation in terms of their commitment and respect to the human rights and behavioural pattern in dealing with individuals. Certainly, the result cannot be obtained overnight, but the beginning has to be there at some point. And the government cannot and should not wait any further.

But the report from Nepalgunj has shown that impunity still reins large, and there has been no behavioural change visible among the security personnel indicted by the AI Report. A captain and a major of the Royal Nepal Army, who had been named for raping two women in the area, have not been apparently brought to book by the Department concerned. Instead, they are now threatening the victims to retract the statement and findings issued by AI. The AI Report had accused the army officials of indulging in graft, harassment and rape. The Amnesty Head office in London is keeping a vigil on the renewed harassment of the rape victims by the same officials who are forcing the victims to deny the crime perpetrated against them. Such a coercive tactic on the part of these officials would further damage the human rights credentials of the government, and AI would be justified in seeking international intervention to stop these nefarious actions of the security personnel.

It is equally important the human rights cell of the army, the Defence Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister took a personal interest in ordering investigation into the charges mentioned in the AI Report against these officials, and immediately stopping the harassment of the rape victims.