Hypocrisy

M.P. Ghimire, Social activist, Janakpurdham

The movement launched untedily by five political parties to restore democracy alleged to have been derailed, lacks sincerity and credibility. Their only aim is to capture the seat of power. How far they are sincere can be gauged from the fact that Madhav Nepal restrained their cadres not to press their demand to make public King’s Property. He was fully confident that he would replace Lokendra Bahadur Chand, when his dream to become Prime Minister turned into nightmare, he became furious and continued to launch the tirade with vengeance.

The dismissal of Sher Bahadur Deuba, duly elected by parliament was itself unconstitutional step. But at that time they key themselves mum in the expectation that one of the larger parties would get a chance to form a government. Even Lokendra Bahadur Chand had tacit support of Girija Koirala he was not bothered about the constitutionality or otherwise but he got vicarious satisfaction in the downfall Deuba.

Only after the sudden revelation of ceasefire with the Maoists, they felt betrayed and marginalised by the King.

Hue and cry continued to be raised to restore dissolved parliament, not out of any commitment for democratic value, but with sole aim to capture their power to the total opposition of Maoists outfit.

The resolution of Maoist problem is the need of the hour, every foree must contribute his mile to resolve permanent peace in the country.

The so-called democrats are so much obsessed with lust of power that they have become oblivious of their objective assessment of the country’s political situation.

If they fail to see the writing in the wall they will have to pay dearly for their folly. Devoid of public support, in course of time their movement will peter out, and their very existence will be put in jeopardy.

NEPAL: US trafficking in person report-2003

"The Annual Trafficking in Persons Report is about modern day slavery and slave trading....The President, members of Congress, and I share a commitment to end modern day slavery. This report is an important diplomatic tool towards that goal. The report details international and U.S. efforts to end trafficking in persons, to protect and help victims, and prosecute those who treat people like commodities or keep them in slave-like conditions. The report emphasizes the human side of trafficking through victim stories and highlights innovative measures some countries are using to prevent trafficking in persons, prosecute those who traffic in human misery, and protect those most vulnerable to this transnational crime....I hope that this report will be informative and lead countries to strengthen their efforts to combat trafficking in persons. All of us can and must do better in this struggle for human liberty and dignity." - Secretary of State Colin L. Powell

Nepal is a source country of women and girls trafficked primarily to India for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and debt bondage. Nepali women traveling to the Middle East in search of work have been put into situations of coerced labor and other slave-like conditions. Internal trafficking also takes place in Nepal. Women are trafficked from rural areas to cities for commercial sexual exploitation and children are placed into debt bondage or other exploitative child labor by their impoverished parents. An ongoing Maoist insurgency has used violence to wrest control of remote areas from the government; many trafficking victims originate from those areas. The insurgents have forcibly conscripted girls and boys.

The Government of Nepal does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so despite severe resource constraints. Pioneering efforts have been undertaken in preventing trafficking. More vigorous efforts to prosecute all forms of trafficking, stronger coordination of law enforcement efforts, and serious efforts to curb corruption will improve Nepal’s anti-trafficking efforts.

Prevention

The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) supported local, regional, and national information campaigns on trafficking including radio and audio-visual programs, booklets, pamphlets, and signboards. As a pilot program, the government established "Village Vigilance Committees" in some districts to train local residents to recognize trafficking and alert authorities. The MWCSW publishes a newsletter and operates a program in 47 districts to emphasize the importance of sending children to school, a key component of the government’s campaign to eliminate child labor. The Ministry of Labor requires all workers traveling overseas to attend an orientation session explaining worker rights and safety issues. Government-initiated income generating projects have been introduced in 3900 villages; those projects include providing micro credit loans, introducing savings programs, and encouraging female entrepreneurs.

Prosecution

The Human Trafficking Control Act of 1986 prohibits selling persons and provides for penalties of up to twenty years imprisonment for traffickers. However, this legislation does not criminalize the separation of minors from their legal guardians with the intent of trafficking. Thus, trafficking children out of Nepal may not be prosecutable as a crime until it is too late. Last year 92 cases against traffickers were taken to court; prosecution and sentencing statistics are not yet available. Nepal’s open land border with India does not allow for stringent monitoring. Border officials receive training from non-governmental and international organizations on how to recognize potential trafficking victims. Former trafficking victims patrol along side border officials and help them spot potential trafficking situations. The Governments of Nepal and India have agreed to form a Joint Cross Border Committee against Trafficking in order to collaborate on investigations and more efficiently share information about traffickers.

Protection

The Government of Nepal provides limited resources to non-governmental organizations to provide victim assistance for rehabilitation, counseling, and medical care. Victims are not jailed, detained, or deported. Once a victim files a civil suit or makes a criminal complaint against a trafficker, the government will prosecute the case at no cost to the victim.

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