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| Kathmandu, Wednesday December 25, 2002 Paush 10, 2059. |
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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. |
