NEPAL: Arrests made ahead of public rallies in the capital, Kathmandu 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with information regarding police in Nepal having detained more than 100 people for planning to defy a ban on public rallies in the capital, Kathmandu. The arrests come a day ahead of a planned anti-monarchy protest and four-day general strike by a seven-party opposition alliance. Though the actions have been condemned by the international community many of those arrested remain detained and have yet to be informed what the charges against them are. Furthermore, due to curfews having been imposed in the city, it is increasingly unlikely that the planned demonstrations will go ahead.

In the lead-up to the proposed peaceful demonstration to be conducted by the seven political parties, the police have begun their crackdown by arresting approximately one hundred people. Political figures, lawyers, journalists, teachers, doctors and political activists have been arrested, with many having been taken following police raids on their homes.

The lawyers arrested are: Shambhu Thapa (NBA President), Sher Bahadur KC (NBC Vice-President), Madhav Banskota (NBA General Secretary), Ishwari Bhattarai (President of the NBA Court of Appeal Patan Unit), Yogendra Adhikari (President of the NBA Kathmandu District Court Unit), Hari Upreti, Ramesh Badal, Kamal Iteni, Basudev Acharya, Pravin Kharel, Nawraj Khatiwada, Bikal Prajapati and Hariram Suwal. The lawyers have been detained without being informed of the charges against them. They are currently being held in Ward No. 10 Police Office Baneshwar, Kathmandu. One lawyer, Damodar Khadka, was detained early this morning when security officials entered his house without a warrant for the entry or his arrest. He is currently being held with 13 other lawyers who were detained this morning as they prepared for a demonstration at New Baneshwor, Kathmandu.

Among the journalists arrested are: Harihar Birahi, Bishnu Nishthuri, Mahendra Bista, Kosh Raj Koirala, Bharat Pokhrel, Yubaraj Acharya, Sudarshan Acharya, Binod Phahari, Navaraj Sharma, Krishna Humagain, Hemant Kafle, Gyanram Shrestha, Laxman Karki, Purna Basnet, Bal Kumar Nepal, Devraj Rimal, Nabin Pariyar, Baburam Dhakal, Ujjowal Acharya, Damodar Prasad Acharya, Kanak Mani Dixit, Dharmendra Jha, Rajendra Aryal, Bimal Gautam, Govinda Chaulagain, Prakash Silwal, Lila Raj Khanal, Nirmala Sharma, Shiva Gauley, Shankar Lal Malla, Indra Bania, Roshan Rai, Ujir Magar and Kiran Pokhrel. The journalists have reportedly been moved to Mahendra Police Office, Kathmandu.

According to Nepali Congress (Democratic), police without any arrest warrant entered the houses of various leaders of the party early morning of April 6 and arrested at least 14 leaders of the party. Among the arrested are: Bimalendra Nidhi (party general secretary), Dr. Minendra Rizal, Manmohan Bhattarai and Indra Bahadur Gurung (all central members). Others arrested are: Arun Singh Rathor, Dhurba Adhikari, Damodar Khadka, Chakra Thakuri, Sabuj Krishna Bania, NSU general secretary Kalyan Gurung, Manju Khand, Sudarshan Acharya and Bishnu Adhikari.

The police also arrested at least 22 leaders of the CPN-UML. According to the party, the arrested leaders include: Shuvas Chandra Nemwang, Ram Chandra Jha, Keshav Badal, Bhim Rawal, Gopal Shakya and Raghu Pant. The police also arrested 15 political leaders from a protest rally organised by Madhesi community in Baneshwor on April 4.

Meanwhile, at least four students were injured when police charged a group of students holding a protest programme in front of the Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus. Twenty-five students were also arrested from a programme at Shankerdev Campus at Putalisadak. Students of various Valley campuses, including Tri-Chandra, Shankardev and Pashupati Multiple Campus at Chahabil held protests programmes as part of their support to the general strike. To date the following arrests have been made at each campus: Trichandra (6), ASCOL (6), Balmiki (9), Bishwo Bhasa Campus (3), Patan Multiple Campus (3) and Pasupati Campus Chabail (3).

We are also aware that Gopal Thapaliya, the president of SAFMA Nepal, who was injured during the protest programme, is undergoing treatment at Kathmandu Model Hospital, Bagbazaar. Professor Bhupati Dhakal has also been arrested.

Along with the arrests, it has also been learned that curfews have been imposed in Kathmandu and Lalitpur during the night, that people are barred from entering the Kathmandu area and that the government has restricted all gatherings or assemblies in Kathmandu city. This will of course significantly impact the proposed demonstration and people’s right to freedom of assembly and right to peaceful protest.

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