Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward a statement issued by three individuals and 16 human rights organisations in Nepal, with regard to the King’s efforts to dismantle human rights mechanisms in the country. The names of the persons and organisations are deliberately withheld.
For updated information on Nepal, please refer to our website http://nepal.disappearances.org/.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
———————————————————-
Protesting the Attempt of King’s Regime to Dismantle Human Rights Mechanisms
March 22, 2005
We condemn the ongoing arrest, house-detention and interference of leaders of political parties and their cadres, human rights defenders and media persons in various parts of the country after the King’s assumption of executive power, forming the council of ministers under his chairmanship, and imposition of “state of emergency.”
We strongly protest the decision of the King’s regime to form the High Level Human Rights Protection Committee aiming to weaken the country’s human rights mechanisms. Similarly, we protest the interrogation of the Kantipur editor Narayan Wagle by the Crime Investigation Section of the Kathmandu District Police Office on 17 March 2005 for publishing news reports on the protesting political parties.
It is obvious that the human rights situation has further deteriorated as seen by the detention or placing under house-detention of more than one thousand political party leaders and their cadres and of more than two dozen human rights defenders and journalists. These suppressive acts conducted by the state seriously violate the universal principles of human rights. We are convinced that the King’s regime is deliberately acting to dismantle the country’s legitimate and independent human rights mechanisms such as National Human Rights Commission.
We strongly demand the immediate release of all arrested political detainees, human rights defenders and journalists. We also protest the inability of the state to resume the rule of law in the country even after the suspension of civil liberties and demand that the state ensure the “rule of law” in the country by enforcing non-derogable human rights and humanitarian laws during the period of “state of emergency.”
(Names witheld)
———————————————————-
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
