Day of disappeared: Out of 3,444 disappeared, 190 persons killed: NHRC

Day of disappeared: Out of 3,444 disappeared, 190 persons killed: NHRC

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, AUG 30 -
Out of 3,444 persons disappeared during the conflict period by the state and the then rebellion party CPN (Maoist), 190 have been already killed, said a report released by the National Human Rights Commission.

The report made public amid a function in the Capital on Tuesday to mark International Day of Disappeared says out of 2,325 persons disappeared by state security agencies, whereabouts of 1,561 have been traced and the status of 619 still remains unknown. Of 1,119 persons disappeared by the former rebel party, 904 have been released and 170 are still missing, it states.

The figure, as suggested by the NHRC states, a total of 789 individuals are missing at present. However, another report prepared by National Network of Families of Disappeared and Missing says the status of 1,350 conflict

victims still remains unidentified. A study of Informal Sector Service Centre puts the number of persons at 930.

Speaking on the occasion, NHRC Chairman Kedarnath Upadhyay said the figure of missing people was scary and called on the government to come up with a concrete plan to address the issue. He also urged the parliament to pass the bill on formation of a disappearance commission, which pending in the House for the last two years. Human rights activists, including Mandira Sharma, Sushil Pyakurel and Ram Kumar Bhandari, expressed their strong objection to government’s decision to give amnesty to the accused of war crime. Head of UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Jyoti Shanghera expressed her sympathy towards the families of victims of enforced disappearances. Giving access to truth and justice is fundamental human rights, she said.

Pyakurel said civil society bodies and other rights stakeholders have a long way to go before the government addresses the problem of enforced disappearances.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office Trilochan Upreti said the government was committed towards providing relief to the families of the conflict victims.

According to him, out of Rs 110 million allocated by the government in relief, Rs 100 million has already been spent.

Meanwhile, the British Embassy issuing a statement on behalf of the embassies of Switzerland, Norway, Australia, Canada, Japan, US and the European Union urged the government to take action on disappearances. “We urge the Nepal Army and the UCPN (Maoist) to cooperate fully on case of disappearance, as required by the Comprehensive peace Accord,” read the statement. “Their long refusal to do so has prolonged the anguish of relatives, and delayed justice.”

Posted on: 2011-08-31 09:33
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