RUDRA KHADKA
NEPALGUNJ, Dec 9: Nine foreign ambassadors and heads of mission based in Kathmandu have jointly urged the government and the Maoists to expedite the establishment of a commission of inquiry on disappearances to address conflict-time disappearances that have remained unresolved even three years after the peace process began.
The envoys´ call comes at the end of a two-day visit to Bardiya, the district that has recorded the highest number of conflict-time disappearances. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-N)) recorded 156 disappearances by the security forces and 14 by the Maoists between 2001 and 2004.
“Effectively dealing with the legacy of the conflict will allow Nepal´s transition to peace, democracy and development to continue on the basis of trust, truth and reconciliation” a statement from OHCHR-N quoted the ambassadors and heads of mission as saying.
The envoys´ visit to Bardiya comes a year after the UN human rights agency made public its report on conflict-related disappearances in the district. The envoys and heads of mission represented Australia, Denmark, Finland, the European Union Delegation, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and OHCHR-N. It was aimed at highlighting lack of action to address conflict-time human rights violations on the part of the government and the Maoists.
Victims of disappearances in Bardiya were arrested and held without due process, physically and psychologically tortured, and many are presumed executed, in clear contravention of Nepali and international law, according to OHCHR-N. Although the cases have been well documented by OHCHR and the National Human Rights Commission, and despite a ruling of the Supreme Court in 2007, no official investigation has taken place into these human rights violations.
“It is also one year since OHCHR made recommendations to the Government to investigate the Bardiya disappearances, yet no official response has been received. Now is the time to act to account for the crimes of the past and to end impunity for those soldiers, police and Maoists implicated in these horrific crimes,” the ambassadors said in the statement.
The envoys also visited the notorious Bhada Bridge in Bhadapur, where, one night in May 2002, it is alleged that nine people were summarily executed by the Royal Nepal Army, and their bodies buried in a sandbank, according to the statement.
The ambassadors also met the families of the victims in the district. The families expressed their pain and anguish after the long years of searching for the truth and justice for their kin, according to the statement. Addressing a press conference in here at the end of the visit, the ambassadors said that the victims families demanded that they be provided compensation. They also streesed on the need to address impunity as early as possible.
“It is extremely moving to hear directly from victims away from the politics of Kathmandu. It is clear that their desire for truth and justice cannot go unfulfilled,” they said.
They have also expressed concern over non-cooperation by the army, police and the Maoists for investigation into the disappearances in the district.
“The long refusal of the Army, police and Maoists to cooperate has prolonged the pain of the relatives, and delayed justice. We call on the Unified CPN-Maoist to make known the fate of individuals abducted by Maoist cadres during the conflict, and to cooperate with investigations into these cases,” the envoys said.
They have likewise asked the government to ensure that members of the Nepal Army and other state personnel involved in the disappearances are brought to justice and measures taken to protect victims and witnesses of the crimes. They have urged the Maoists to make available before the authorities those cadres who face charges of involvement in the crimes.
Published on 2009-12-09 19:12:18
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