A group of journalists, law practitioners, intellectuals and human rights activists have come from various parts of Nepal to participate in the five-day (April 4?) Consultation on Effective Ways to Prevent Torture and Establish the Rule of Law, in Kathmandu, organized by the Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong.
On the basis of their consultation and monitoring, the Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to express its grave concern over the situation that has evolved over some time in Nepal and states the following:
- We strongly protest the cruel and excessive use of force by the security forces on the protesters against ‘regression’, organised by the five major political parties of Nepal.
- We urge the government to instruct the security forces not to use banned rubber bullets and poisonous tear gases, which cause grave bodily harm and unnecessary injuries. Such items have affected the health of leaders, activists and ordinary citizens involved in the protests.
- We also demand that authorities instruct the law enforcement authorities to immediately stop using batons with nails. These batons have been used on large groups of peaceful demonstrators for crowd control tactics.
- Gravely concerned by the situation, we urge that weapons and instruments that cause bodily harm and unnecessary injuries not be used on peaceful demonstrators in the name of maintaining law and order and internal security.
- We also demand that the practice of conducting search operations inside hospitals and harassing the wounded be stopped.
- We appeal to the government to provide immediate medical care and aid for those injured in the demonstrations.
- While supporting the globally recognised concept that ‘only within a democracy can human rights be protected’, we strongly demand the respect and implementation of human rights principles that His Majesty’s Government of Nepal has recently promulgated in accordance with its international obligations and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal.
This text was originally released as a press release by the Asian Human Rights Commission, ‘Situation in Nepal’, on 6 April 2004 (AHRC-PL-35-2004).