Kathnandu,Nepal
April 7, 2005
Hong Kong based Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC), and the Kathmandu based Advocacy Forum formally presented a report, “ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES AND ZERO RULE OF LAW IN NEPAL”, at the 61st. Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on March 31st .
The 124-page report described how the rights of people in Nepal have been suspended, “as the rule of law has ceased to function”. The ALRC, in a previous statement this year to the Commission, detailed incidents of extra-judicial killings, torture, and violence against women and children.
The current report details the persistent practice of forced disappearances by the Security Forces of Nepal, and cited the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances which named Nepal as “among the worst countries for human security in the world.”
The ALRC statement documents thousands upon thousands of disappearances at the hands of the Security Forces and “ a policy to allow mass disappearances accompanied by tacit approval at the highest levels of state to use mass torture, extra-judicial killings and other gross abuses”. Persons arrested by mistake cannot be released for fear of compromising some aspect of a Security operation. “They will not return home”.
U.S. SUPPORT AND TRAINING OF SECURITY FORCES
After the India-press revealed the hush-hush cancellation of US Security Force training of Nepali Security Forces, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Nepal, Constance Jones, said the decision to postpone the ongoing training scheduled to resume in March by the US Pacific Command was due to “unspecified administrative reasons”. These “unspecified administrative reasons” coincided with the UK and India cutting off all arms supplies to Nepal.
The US Office of Defense Cooperation since 2002 has operated a training program for the Royal Nepal Army(RNA) dubbed, Exercise Balanced Nail. In addition, through its International Military Education and Training Program(IMET), the US has trained the Security Forces in psychological and special operations designed to bolster intelligence operations.
With the exception of support for the Peace Corps, which was abruptly withdrawn from Nepal in 2004 after 42 years, the US in 2001 began reducing its funding for humanitarian aid and supported the biggest ever expansion of Security Forces, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) and the paramilitary Armed Police Force. The pre-Democratic combined Security Force of approximately 20,000 has increased to above 100,000, with a goal of 150,000 by 2008.
Amnesty International has documented unprecedented attacks by Security Forces on journalists, human-rights and political activists, abductions killings and torture of civilians. Especially after dark, citizens fear drunken Security Forces with new uniforms and automatic weapons. The Royal Palace continues its crack-down on press-freedom and information, blocking the transmission of the BBC World and Nepali Service transmitted through the State run Radio-Nepal. With The Maoist strike in its 4th of 11 days, affecting most transportation and many businesses, the citizens of Shangri-la wait and wonder.
D. MICHAEL VAN DE VEER
FREELANCE JOURNALIST, CONTRIBUTOR TO PACIFICA’S FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS, UnitedWeBlog, and
Co-Host OUT OF THE BOX KKCR-FM
www.kkcr.org Reporting daily from Kathmandu, Nepal
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