NATIONAL8 (Spotlight Weekly]

Grim Realities

A report by an NGO projects disturbing data about the rights abuses in the country

By A CORRESPONDENT

As the Maoist "people's war" continues for the last four years in Nepal, there were massive violations of civil and political rights of the citizens last year, a report compiled by a human rights group said.

According to the"Nepal: Human Rights Year Book 2000" compiled and published by Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC)-- a Kathmandu-based human rights watch dog-- that was launched here on April 7, at least 284 (including 43 women) people were killed by the state during the year 1999 whereas 594 people (including 146 women) were killed in personalized and organized cases of killings in which state was not involved.

The main reason of non-state killing has been identified as the four-year-old Maoist rebellion. A total of 1037 men and102 women suffered in extra-judicial arrests while 2 persons died of police torture, the report said. The report said that the cases of disappearances increased last year. Sixty-four men and nine women disappeared in the involvement of state whereas at least six people were reported missing by the non-state actors (read: Maoist rebels).

The reported cases of crime against women remained almost static in 1999 compared to the previous year. A total of 153 women and girls were victimized in 150 rape cases, the report said. INSEC, said to be close to the main opposition UML, has been bringing

out Human Rights Year Book for the last eight years.

Similarly, the incidents of human rights violations have increased sharply in Nepal since the launching of so-called 'People's War" by an ultra-left outfit, a human rights agency has said.

According to the "Nepal: Human Rights Year Book 2000" compiled and published by Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC)-- a Kathmandu-based human rights watchdog-the number of cases involving human rights violation stood at 293 (including 114 by the state and 179 by others) which went up to 1613 in 1996. The underground Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) had launched the armed rebellion in Febraury 1996 which has already claimed lives of more than 1200 people over the last four years.

RAIMAN SHAKYA
Living With A Cause

Forgotten by the government, a living martyr recalls his struggle for democracy a decade ago

By BHARAT SHARMA

When Raiman Shakya was leading a demonstration against the Panchayat system in 1990 at Kirtipur, three bullets hit his right leg and he fell on the ground.

Once an enthusiastic young man, Shakya is now regretting over his decision to join demonstration to overthrow the authoritarian Panchayat system as he is living now as a disabled depending on others.

"Had I known that my blood would be split uselessly, I would not have participated in the movement," said a frustrated Shakya, with tears in his eyes. "The democracy has resulted into a continuous pain for me," he said.

Shakya was hospitalized for one month and underwent a major surgery to take out two bullets. The third bullet could be extracted only after seven years. Well known orthopaedic surgeons tried to treat his leg. Unfortunately, he still cannot walk.

Despite the government claims that all the victims of the 1990 people's movement have received all kinds of benefits, Shakya's case shows otherwise. Neglected and dejected from all quarters, Shakya is now roaming from place to place by telling his sad story. If Krishna Prasad Bhattarai could dole out crores to his cronies, he could not spare even a red cent for Shakya.

A father of four children, Shakya, 34, works as a junior staff at the Department of Biology at Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur. "I had to give up my study after being physically handicapped," recalls Shakya. "Now, I want to give better education to my children but I can't afford," he says with a worried look.