(Hong Kong, February 1, 2021)
The community of civil society in Nepal expresses grave concern over the seizing of power by Myanmar’s military on 1 February, in a coup in the aftermath of the democratic elections held in November 2020. The army has claimed that the response was a result of the “election fraud” which the Election Commission of Myanmar has already denied.
This seizure of power by the military with the imposition of a state of emergency for a year, not only risks the fledgling democracy in Myanmar but also risks democracy at large in other parts of the globe as well.
We strongly condemn the arrest of the President Win Myint, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, members of the parliament and leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party and urge the military for immediate and unconditional release of all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully.
The coup staged by Myanmar’s army not only undermines the country’s democratic transition, but is also an utter disdain to the rights of Myanmar’s people to choose their own government. We acknowledge the fact that people in Myanmar have already struggled and endured so much for democracy, peace and development. We extend our strong support and solidarity to the people of Myanmar in restoring democracy and rule of law.
We call on the national and international human rights community to be vigilant on the situation in Myanmar. We are worried for the safety and security of the arrestees. So, we urge the Myanmarese military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through mutual dialogue and lawful mechanisms by adhering to the democratic norms and principles of the rule of law.
Signed by:
1. Accountability Watch Committee (AWC)
2. Advocacy Forum-Nepal
3. Alliance for Conflict Affected Women (Nispakshya)
4. Alliance for Social Dialogue (ASD)
5. Amnesty International Nepal
6. Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Nepal Desk
7. Ashta Jaha Initiatives (Nepal)
8. Centre for Legal Studies (CLS)
9. Civil Rights Association Nepal (CIRAN)
10. Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP)
11. Conflict Victim Women National Network (CVWN)
12. Conflict Victims’ Common Platform (CVCP)
13. Conflict Victims’ National Alliance (CVNA)
14. Conflict Victims’ Society for Justice (CVSJ)
15. Democratic Freedom and Human Rights Institute (DFHRI)
16. Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD)
17. Forum of Women Journalist and Communicators
18. Ganesh Ujjan Memorial Foundation
19. Human Rights and Justice Centre (HRJC)
20. Human Rights for Justice
21. Human Rights Foundation (HURFON)
22. Human Rights Organizations Nepal (HURON)
23. Human Rights Protection and Promotion Center
24. Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC)
25. International Institute for Human Rights, Environment and Development (INHURED)-International Nepal
26. Justice and Rights Institute Nepal (JuRI-Nepal)
27. Law and Policy Forum for Social Justice
28. Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre Nepal (LACC)
29. Maina Bal Bikash Samiti
30. Martyrs’ and Disappeared Warrior Children Academy
31. Nagarik Aawaz (NA)
32. National Alliance of Women Human Right Defenders (NAWHRD)
33. National Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders
34. National Network of Disabled Conflict Victims
35. National Network of Families of Disappeared
36. Nepal Forum for Restorative Justice
37. Fusion Youth Network, Amnesty Nepal
38. Nepal Law and Policy Centre
39. Nepal Peacebuilding Initiative
40. Peace Envisioners
41. Public Defender Society of Nepal (PDS)
42. Sancharika Samuha
43. Sankalpa
44. Tarangini Foundation
45. Terai Human Rights Defenders Alliance
46. The Story Kitchen
47. Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal
48. Voice of Women Media (VOW Media)
49. Women for Human Rights (WHR)
50. Women’s Rehabilitation Centre Nepal (WOREC Nepal)
51. Sansthagat Bikas Sanjal
52. Charan Prasai, Senior Human Rights Activist
53. Agrima KC, Activist (Enough is Enough)
54. Alam Khan, Human Rights Ativist THRD Alliance
55. Amish Mulmi, Writer/Editor
56. Amisha Adhikari, Human Rights Advocate
57. Anita Thapaliya, Human Rights Activist
58. Anurag Acharya
59. Ashmita Sapkota, Activist
60. Baburam Giri, Senior Advocate
61. Badri Prasad Bhusal , Advocate
62. Bal Krishna Ghimire, Advocate
63. Barun Ghimire, Human Rights Advocate/Academician
64. Bashana Bajracharya, Advocate
65. Bhagiram Chaudhary, Human Rights Activist
66. Bhakta Bishwakarma, Human Rights Activist
67. Bhawani Prasad Kharel, Human Rights Activist
68. Bidhur Dhakal, Journalist
69. Bijay Raj Gautam, Executive Director, Informal Sector Service Center ( INSEC)
70. Bikash Basnet, Human Rights Advocate
71. Binita Khadka, Human Rights Protection and Promotion Center Banke (HRPPC)
72. Binod Sijapati, Columnist
73. Bipin Budhathoki, Deputy General Secretary, Amnesty Nepal
74. Bir Bahadur Bista, Human Rights Advocate
75. Birendra Thapaliya, Human Rights Activist
76. Bishnu Pd. Pokhrel, Human Rights Advocate
77. Bishnukala Bhandari, Social Activist
78. Chandan Goopta, Computer Engineer
79. Daman Nath Dhungana, Former Speaker, House of Representatives, Nepal
80. Deepak Adhikari, Journalist
81. Deepak Rauniyar, Filmmaker/ teaching artist
82. Deepesh Shrestha, Artist/Activist
83. Deepesh Shrestha, Lawyer and Activist
84. Dev Bahadur Maharjan, Human Rights Activist
85. Devi Sunuwar, Human Rights Activist
86. Dewan Rai, Journalist
87. Dinesh KC, Human Rights Activist
88. Dinesh Tripathi, Senior Advocate and Human Rights Activist
89. Discharged People’s Liberation Army Nepal
90. Dr Vishnu S. Rai, Poet and Author
91. Dr. Gaurishankar Lal Das, Former Commissioner of Human Rights Commission
92. Dr. Gopal Krishna Siwakoti, Human Rights Activist
93. Forum for Protection of People’s Rights Nepal
94. Ganesh Mandal, Chairman Madesh Nagarik Samaj.
95. Gaurav Chandra Gurung, Communications
96. Geeta Rasaili, Human Rights Activist
97. Ghanashyam Bagale
98. Gopal Bahadur Shah, Human Rights Activist
99. Govinda Bandi, Lawyer and Activist
100. Hari Prasad Subedi, Senior Advocate
101. Harihar Dahal, Former President Nepal Bar Association
102. Hari Sharma, Writer and Activist
103. Indira Acharya,Human Rights Advocate
104. Indra Prasad Aryal, advocate and Human Rights Advocate
105. Janak Bahadur Raut, Human Rights Activist
106. Kala Koyu, Activist
107. Kanak Mani Dixit, Senior Journalist
108. Kapil Aryal, Associate Professor and Researcher
109. Kashiram Dhungana, Human Rights Advocate
110. Khemraj Regmi, President, Transparency International.
111. Krishna Prasad Adhikari, Human Rights Activist
112. Kumar Prasad Thapaliya, Human Rights Lawyer
113. Kunjani Pariyar Pyasi, Human Rights Lawyer
114. Lhakpa Lama, Activist
115. Lisha Dangol, Human Rights Activist
116. Mahamunishwor Acharya, Human Rights Activist
117. Maina Karki, Human Rights Activist
118. Mandira Sharma, Human Rights Activist
119. Mohan Pariyar, Human Rights Activist
120. Mukesh Jha, Technocrat
121. Narayan Wagle, Writer and Journalist
122. Nirajan Thapaliya, Human Rights Activist
123. Nutan Thapaliya, Human Rights Activist & Founder of Amnesty International Nepal
124. Om Prakash Sen Thakuri, Human Rights Advocate
125. Omprakash Aryal, Human Rights Advocate
126. Pankajlal Karna, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist
127. Parbata Acharya, Vice Chair, Amnesty Nepal
128. Pasang Sherpa,Lecturer, Former National Board Member, Amnesty Nepal
129. Phadindra Luitel, Human Rights Activist
130. Prabin Subedi, Advocate
131. Pradip Pokhrel, Former Chair, Amnesty Nepal.
132. Prajwol Bikram Rana, Coordinator, Fusion Youth Network, Amnesty Nepal
133. Prashant Tripathi, Activist
134. Praveen Kumar Yadav, HR Researcher & Journalist
135. Prof. Birendra Mishra, Former Commissioner, Election Commission
136. Prof. Kapil Shrestha, University Teacher and Human Rights Activist
137. Puru Shah, Founder, Madhesi Youth
138. Purushottam Dahal, Editor, Himalayan Times Daily (Nepali)
139. Pushpa Raj Poudel, Human Rights Advocate
140. Raj Kumar Mahaseth, Human Rights Advocate
141. Rajan Prasad Kuikel, Journalist and Former Chair, Amnesty International Nepal
142. Raju Prasad Chapagai, Constitutional & Human Rights Advocate
143. Ram Lal Pokharel, Advocate
144. Rameshwar Nepal, Former Director, Amnesty International Nepal
145. Randhir Chaudhary
146. Ranjeeta Silwal, Human Rights Advocate
147. Rashmi Kandel, Social Activist
148. Ravindra Karn, Associate Professor, University Teacher and Rights Activist
149. Rita Thapa, Human Rights Defender
150. Roshani Giri, Human Rights Advocate
151. Rukamanee Maharjan, Human Rights Activist
152. Rukmina Dahal, Human Rights Advocate
153. Sabin Shrestha, Lawyer and Activist
154. Sabitri Shrestha, Human Rights Activist
155. Samiksha Koirala, National Board Member, Amnesty Nepal
156. Sammar Basnet, Human Rights Advocate
157. Sanita Upreti, Activist
158. Santosh Sigdel, Digital Rights Nepal
159. Sarita Khadka, Activist
160. Shachita Kuikel, Board member, Amnesty Nepal
161. Shailee Chaudhary, Activist/Content Creator
162. Shailendra Ambedkar, Human Rights Advocate
163. Shambhu Thapa, Former President, Nepal Bar Association.
164. Shiva Bisangkhe, Activist
165. Shiva Gaudel,Human Rights Advocate
166. Shobhakar Budathoki, Human Rights Activist
167. Shraddha Pokharel, Human Rights Researcher
168. Shree Kumari Roka, Human Rights Activist
169. Shreejana Pokhrel, Executive Director, INHURED International
170. Sita Sharan Mandal, Advocate
171. Som Niraula, Human Rights Activist
172. Srijana Shrestha, Human Rights Activist
173. Subin Mulmi, Human Rights Lawyer and Researcher
174. Suman Adhikari, Human Rights Activists
175. Sundar Bahadur Sheni, Human Rights Advocate
176. Sunita Khatri, Student and Activist
177. Suraksha Joshi, Activist
178. Surendra Khatri, Human Rights Activist
179. Surya Bahadur Adhikari, Former Chair of Amnesty International Nepal
180. Susan Risal, Activist
181. Tanka Prasad Dulal, Senior Advocate
182. Tapan Kumar Bose, Secretary General, South Asian Forum for Human Rights
183. Taranath Dahal, Former President, Federation of Nepal Journalists Association.
184. Tej Bahadur Bohara, Human Rights Advocate
185. Tirtha Koirala, Senior Journalist
186. Yuda Dangi, Human Rights Activist
187. Pandav Khatri, Human Rights Film Centre
188. Centre for Sustainable Human Rights (CSHR)
