Mechanism to prevent torture discussed

BY STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept.8 Human Rights leaders, jurists, advocates and government representatives met here today to discuss human rights abuses specially the torture with a view of suggesting measures to strengthening safeguards against inhuman and degrading treatment inflicted on a person placed in custody or detention.

Legal luminaries, human rights activists and representatives of social action groups from South Asia and Europe participation in two day South Asia Seminar on Prevention of Torture organized by Nepal Law Society and the Geneva based Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) presented the widespread and endemic abuse of Human Rights through perpetration of torture and recommended several action measures in curbing the menace.

Opening the seminar Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya referred to the body of the provisions enshrined in the constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal and remarked "The right to life, freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the right to liberty and security of persons and freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention constitute sum of the core values of human rights incorporated in the basic law of the land".

Ponting out the state’s obligation to promote and protect human rights as a signatory of international human rights instruments, Chief Justice Upadhyaya observed "At the domestic level there exists a sort of insensitiveness among various stakeholders with regard to effective implementation of the treaty provisions as well as the provision of the domestic law relating to human rights".

In the suggestive tone, the Chief of the Nepalese apex court said "abidance of domestic and international human rights norms is no doubt important but what we should emphasize is a purposeful positive action and strengthening of the available resources whereby not only law abidance is ensured but good behavior among various stakeholders is guaranteed.

Delivering his observation, chairman of Human Rights Commission of Nepal Nayan Bahadur Khatry referred to the National Human Rights institutions set up in Nepal and said "The commission has come into being to supervise and give caveat against infringement of basic human rights of every citizen."

Relating to the relevant provision of the law for relating to the compensation for the victim of torture enacted in 1996, Chairman Khatry remarked "While the provisions can be expected to serve as effective deterrence against the irresponsible and inhuman behaviors "but" there is no legal provision for actually punishing the offenders involved in the infliction of torture.

Minister of State for Science and Technology Surendra Prasad Choudhary told of the government commitment to human rights and emphasized "Nepal has been making various efforts for the protection and promotion of human rights of every citizen. Discussing the socio-economic constraints for enjoyment of human rights he said "Human rights and economic development are relative and interdependent."

Home Secretary Padam Prasad Pokharel said "mere law connot abolish torture."

Prof. Dr. Walter Kaelin, Vice-President of the Geneva bassed Association for Prevention of Torture and internationally known expert of humanitarian law aptly remarked about the occurrence of torture saying "Torture happens in the isolation of the interrogation room where the victim becomes a faceless object for torture."

Pointing out the objective of the South Asia level seminar the erudite Swiss professor put "We would like to send out not a depressing but an optimistic message, that is, torture is not a fate, it is not part of the human condition. The opposite is true: Torture can and must be prevented."

Speaking from the chair President of the Nepal Law Society, Churamani Raj Sinha Malla culled from the oriental text and said "Inflicting of pain and torture is a sinful act". He added

"Prevention of torture needs multidisciplinary approach and hoped the seminar would contribute to suggesting appropriate mechanism to prevent torture."

Secretary of Nepal Law Society Anup Raj Sharma proposed vote of thanks to all the guests and participants while Anil Kumar Sinha moderated the opening session of the seminar.

At the discussion session representatives of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan presented reports of their respective countries. They discussed at length on the legal fromework relating to human rights and the realities obtaining in the individual countries of the region.

In the today’s open forum jurists, human rights leaderas, and scholars critically examined the legal provisions and suggested measures in the prevention of torture. The seminar is scheduled to conclude today.

Acharya lauds ADB’s role

Dhulikhel, Sept. 8 (RSS): Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya has said Agriculture Development Bank is the only institution that can remarkably contribute to poverty alleviation, a major policy adopted by the country in line with the strategy of ensuring people’s participation in development.

Acharya observed that in order to strengthen fiscal institutions, we should prepare not only fiscal indicators, but human development indicators and reach the target groups.

The Finance Minister was inaugurating a three-day workshop seminar on the bank’s institutionalized development programme implementation and the formulation of effective policies and future strategies of adb for fiscal year 2057/58 and their implementation here today.

Expressing happiness over the bank’s progress over the past few years despite the difficulty to get capital from external sources, he noted that many efforts are yet to be initiated in the area of poverty alleviation which the current ninth five-year plan has prioritized.

Chairman of the ADB board of directors and joint secretary at the Finance Ministry Lav Kumar Devkota expressed confidence that the seminar would go a long way in working out future strategies for fulfilling the goal of poverty alleviation and in achieving agriculture development.

General manager of the bank Devendra Pratap Shaha also spoke on the occasion.

In Pokhara, Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya has said that most of the suggestions given by the industry and commerce sector have been included in the budget of the current fiscal year.

Inaugurating the 23rd convention of the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, Minister Acharya said it would be easier for the government to adopt various methods for tax simplification if the chambers of commerce became actively engaged against tax evasion and illegal trade including low invoicing and black marketeering.

Acharya said a new economic structure has been developing with the initiative of the private sector after the restoration of democracy.

Noting that the supervision mechanism of the central bank will be strengthened to properly monitor government and fiscal institutions in a bid to resolve problems of liquidity of commercial banks and the monitoring process will be advanced effectively, Minister Acharya spoke of the need for the private sector to look where the old and bad debts lie since the state-owned banks are investing in infrastructure development and the trade and industry sector.

Noting that a committee headed by the prime minister has been working for an airport in Pokhara, he said an immigration and customs unit will be established at the pokhara airport, if deemed necessary.

Minister Acharya also honoured the students securing highest marks in post graduate, graduate and proficiency certificate levels under the management faculty in Kaski district.

Bishnu Prasad Adhikari, Sarita Acharya and Nisha Pant were honoured with the Laxmi Vidya Padak (Medal) instituted by the Laxmi House Pokhara and run by Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

MP Prakash Bahadur Gurung expressed the view that the chambers of commerce and industries should become involved in development activities alongside professional interests.

Former president of FNCCI Ananda Raj Mulmi said the banks reduced the interest rates without giving attention to inflation and did not do so proportionately.

Vice president of FNCCI Diwakar Golchha said the government should give attention towards eradicating problems in the local level by constituting a zonal level follow up committee.

At the function presided over by president of the Pokhara chambers of commerce and industry Ajad Shrestha, various other speakers including president of the western regional chamber of commerce Ashok Kumar Shrestha, Basant Udas, Fanindra Man Shrestha, Nisha Pant, Gehendreswor Koirala of the Red Cross and Arjun Shrestha also expressed their views.

Study shows rise in HIV/AIDS cases in valley

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept 8: The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the Kathamandu valley has doubled from 8.7 per cent in the year 1996/97 to 17.3 per cent in February 2000, according to a recent study conducted by STD/AIDS Counselling and Training Services (SACTS) with the support of Family Health International.

Previous surveys conducted in 1992 showed that the prevalence rate for the Kathmandu Valley was one per cent in 1992, 2.7 per cent in the year 1995/96 and 8.7 per cent in the year 1996/97.

"Gradually the clients of HIV positive sex workers will take HIV home, which in turn will initiate increase of HIV among general population, " the report prepared by Dr. Gurbacharya said.

Dr. Gurbacharya has stated in his report that a program should be developed for continuous monitoring of the situation, diagnostic and treatment facilities for STDs and outreach program with peer group formation for counselling and condom promotion.

The reports on the Behavioural Surveillance Study on the Highway Route of Nepal: Round Number 2 and Kathmandu Female Sex Workers Seroprevalence Study were presented at a programme organised today.

The two studies were carried out under the aegis of HMG, Ministry of Health Department of Health Services, National Centre for AIDS and STD control and Family Health International.

Dr. Gurbacharya interviewed 300 female sex workers in various spots- Thamel, Langankhel, Bus Park, Thimi and Ekanta Kuna of Lalitpur, Kathamandu and Bhaktapur districts.

Major findings include HIV prevalence rate of 17.3 per cent and active syphilis 19.3 per cent, 14 per cent of the sex workers are in the age group 13-19 years, 3 per cent of sex workers have also worked in India as sex workers, 5 per cent of the sex workers are drug users with HIV prevalence of 73 per cent, 13.3 per cent HIV and 11.7 per cent active syphilis was seen in age group 20-29 and only 2.7 per cent of HIV was seen among 18 per cent of sex workers who reported condom use by all their clients.

Sidhartha Tuladhar Project Director of New Era presented the report on HIV Risk Behavioural Surveillance Study (BSS) on the Highway Route of Nepal: Round Number two.

The important behavioural changes noticed after the interventions were that the consistent use of condom by sex workers with the immediate last client has increased significantly between surveys from 30 per cent to 40 per cent, Tuladhar said.

Thirty five per cent of the female sex workers were found to be carrying condoms. The female sex workers reported that 73 per cent of the clients brought condoms along with them and the use of condoms with regular clients stood at 85 per cent.

The BSS also revealed that consistent use of condom by the truckers and the male labourers with sex workers in the past year had increased compared to round one.

Intended effects of media campaign was noted in the present survey, indicating that the condom and AIDS related messages were reaching the target groups, Tuladhar said.

The main objective of the BSS was to systematically measure and monitor HIV risk behavioural trends among sex workers and several male sub-population groups along highway routes in Mid-western to Eastern Nepal.

Three specific sentinel HIV/STD/AIDS risk groups were included for the purpose of monitoring. The three sentinel groups included were 400 female sex workers, 400 male transport workers and 600 male labourers comprising of migrant workers (44%), industrial workers (29 %), police/soldier (39 %) and Rickshawaala (25%).

Delivering the welcome address, Dr. James Ross, Country Director, FHI/Nepal said the present scenario revealed that Nepal was facing a rapid expansion of HIV/ AIDS expansion with the number of present prevalence standing somewhere between thirty thousand and sixty thousand.

He said that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in injectable drug users that stood at 2 per cent in 1990 had increased to 40 per cent in the last couple of years.

Ross said Nepal, which was initially dubbed as a low prevalence country for HIV/AIDS had now been categorised as a country having concentrated epidemic, according to UN/AIDS study.

Cathy Thompson, Acting Chief, HFP/USAID, the major funding agency for the studies said the data collected would be used to formulate programmes for the high risk areas of HIV/AIDS.

She said that interventions in western Nepal to control HIV/ AIDS had not been carried out and the state there was still not known.

Thompson said that people were referring to the disease as ‘Mumbai’ disease, carried home by Nepalese workers who visited Mumbai in India to take up jobs. She called for a multisectoral approach to HIV/ intervention.

Poudel, Nepal to leave for Manila

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept. 8: Deputy Prime Minister Ramchandra Poudel and General Secretary of the CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal, will attend the First International Conference of Asian Political Parties on behalf of the ruling and the main opposition parties of Nepal to be held in Manila from September 17-20. The other participants from Nepal are Sushil Koirala, General Secretary of the Nepali Congress and Bhim Bahadur Rawal, central committee member of the CPN-UML.

Meanwhile, Vijaya Vaidya, Honorary Consul of The Philippines to Nepal, has been appointed special adviser to the Organising Committee of the Conference.

The Conference, to be coordinated by former Speaker of the Philippine parliament Jose de Venecia, is the first such meeting of both the ruling and the opposition parties of the Asia.

The main objectives of the conference are to determine common approaches towards strengthening the roles of political parties in enhancing democratic governance, promoting economic development, addressing regional security issues and ensuring social justice and human dignity. These conference aims to explore mechanisms and processes for regional political and economic cooperation at the level of political parties and build bridges among Asian political parties to foster partnership in areas of mutual concern.

The meeting aims forge an Asian strategy for the next 25 years and examine the role of the political parties in four specific areas, namely social justice, democratic governance, sustainable development and advancement of peace.

The Conference is co-sponsored by CDI-Christian Democrats, Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Hans Seidel Foundation of Germany and De Gasperi Foundation of Italy. The conference will be participated by more than 100 political parties from 80 countries around the world, which include representatives from Europe, Africa, America and the Pacific countries.

Nepali guest on CNN’s Biz Asia programme

Kathmandu, Sept. 8 (RSS): Ashutoush Rajbhandari, a Nepali entrepreneur currently involved in a US Merchant Banking Firm was a guest on internationally renowned television CNN’s Biz Asia Programme, August 6, 2000.

This is the first time that a Nepal born business entrepreneur was featured by CNN.

Talking to CNN Mr. Rajbhandri, 42, who is a partner at Thomas Weisel Partners in San Francisco, California, remarked, "technology investments will provide the underpinnings for the economic growth of the US over the next five years".

Ninety per cent of growth in the GDP of the US is likely to be generated by technology related businesses like internet, he added.

Pointing to the fast growing computer technology in the Asian continent, he noted fifty per cent establishments in the silicon valley are either founded or owned by Asians, mainly Indians and Chinese.

Mr. Rajbhandari is optimistic that the major thesis of technology driven economic growth will hold as true for asia as it has and will for the United States.

Speaking on the economic prospects of Nepal he pointed to the success of India in the field of software in particular, and expressed hope that the admirable success of our neighbouring country will have a carryover effect in this Himalayan Kingdom.

Thomas Weisel Partners established in 1999 with 66 partners and over seven hundred employees is a $ 5.5 billion company.

Its transaction has exceeded $140 billion this year and is described by US financial publication as "one of the hundred companies that are likely to change the world." The firm made $186 million in revenue in 1999, its first year of operation. The firm is anticipating to create $ 8 to $10 trillion of net new equity capital in technology related companies within next five years.