Congress unveils six-lane path to peace

Added At:  2011-04-16 12:12 AM  

Last Updated At: 2011-04-16 12:12 AM

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PRAKASH ACHARYA

KATHMANDU: Stating that there is no possibility of promulgating the new constitution without completing the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants, main opposition Nepali Congress today brought a six-point action plan for the peace process.

A panel led by senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba today presented the five-page document, which dealt with NC’s bottom-line for completing the peace process, at the party’s Central Working Committee meeting at the party headquarters in Sanepa. Following the discussion on the document, the party will approve it making it the party’s authentic version tomorrow, according to party sources.

The document, however, does not mention the time limit to complete the peace process. Without specifying the number, it has suggested to fix the number of combatants as per the past agreement made at the leadership level. However, the combatants will have to fulfil the basic requirements of the concerned security bodies for integration and they will remain under the command and control of the bodies. All UNMIN verified weapons will be brought under government control.

It adds that those who want voluntary retirement should be allowed to leave the camps and for those who want to be rehabilitated package should be prepared to provide them with seed money.

The government will provide security to the camps to be integrated and to rehabilitated combatants, states the document.

NC has been claiming that late NC leader Girija Prasad Koirala and Unified CPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had made a verbal agreement to integrate 3,000-5,000 combatants in different security bodies, before signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2006. The UCPN-M, however, says that although the number was discussed, it was not agreed upon.

The plan seeks to ensure justice for the conflict victims by declaring the people killed by Maoists as martyrs and providing relief and compensation to their families and the families of those who sustained disability during the conflict, providing their children free education, giving priority to their children for employment and arranging treatment for injured people.

It adds that all property seized during the conflict should be returned to the rightful owners and all interest and principal up to Rs 1 million of bank loan be waived of for victims.

The displaced people should be rehabilitated by providing them relief and keeping

their proper record, adds

the document.

Meanwhile, another panel led by Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Paudel is holding consultation with experts about the issues of state restructuring. Paudel told today’s CWC meeting that he would submit his report in a week.

Action plan

• Ensure justice for conflict victims

• Pass a Bill to form a commission on disappeared people

• Pass a Bill to form a Commission on Truth and Reconciliation Commission — probe the violent incidents during the conflict and make arrangements for reconciliation of conflicting parties

• Activate all-party peace committees at central (Peace and Reconstruction Ministry) and local levels

• Manage combatants

• Put an end to dual security for Maoist leaders — from government and combatants — and scrap paramilitary forces of the party. In addition, the government should impound all illegal vehicles used by Maoists and take legal action

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/rssReference.php?headline=Congress+unveils+six-lane+path+to+peace&NewsID=284188

Nepal NGO Coalition Urges the Government to Take Proactive Leadership in Fulfilling Its Human Rights

Wednesday, 26 January 2011

(25 January 2011, Geneva/Kathmandu) Today Nepal underwent its first Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a process which involves a review of the human rights records of all 192 UN member States once every four years under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council. During the three-hour session, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sujata Koirala, took the lead in presenting the national report and responding to the questions and concerns raised by other States. The Nepal NGO Coalition for the UPR (NNC-UPR), a coalition representing 235 human rights and civil society organisations in Nepal, notes with appreciation that the government of Nepal at least acknowledged existing and ongoing human rights challenges in the country. However, the NNC-UPR expresses its disappointment at the rhetorical statement by the government delegation and their failure to provide any concrete commitments and timelines for the implementation of Nepal’s human rights obligations. Particularly, the NNC-UPR is troubled by the response of the government delegation who claimed today that “there is no systematic torture in Nepal”, in spite of well documented and credible reports of systematic practices of torture at the hands of State security forces. The NNC-UPR is encouraged by the fact that its issues and concerns were adequately reflected in the interventions of various UN member States, particularly with regards to Nepal’s failure to address the culture of impunity including the investigations into the past and ongoing human rights violations committed by both State security forces and non-State actors. During today’s Review, a number of States made urgent calls to establish transitional justice mechanisms as stipulated in the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA), such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances, in accordance with international standards. The wide range of discriminatory policies and practices, specifically discrimination against women, children, Dalits, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, refugees as well as religious, sexual and ethnic minorities were often raised as areas of serious concern. Attention was concentrated to situations of the rights to food, health, housing and education faced by marginalized and vulnerable groups such as Dalits, Madhesis, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities, especially the women and girls within these communities. Many States also shed light on the lack of appropriate action taken by the government of Nepal in responding to gender-based violence committed during and after the armed conflict. Meanwhile, the NNC-UPR regrets that the government delegation avoided answering a number of key questions, particularly with regards to lack of implementation of decisions and recommendations by the courts and the national human rights institutions as well as regarding the steps to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, the Convention on Enforced Disappearances, the Convention on the Status of Refugees, and the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court. The Nepal NGO Coalition on the UPR urges the government of Nepal to recognize that the UPR is not a one-time event. Recommendations put forward by today’s Review must be followed up through proactive leadership of the government in ensuring practical and time-bound action plans for actual implementation, upon the genuine consultations with all relevant stakeholders in the country. (ENDS) http://www.forum-asia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2657&Itemid=42

NEPAL: Nepal urged to accept and implement UPR recommendations and end impunity

On Tuesday, Nepal's human rights record was reviewed for the first time under the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR process was established by the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 through resolution 60/251 to "review the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments." The procedure assessed Nepal's compliance with its international obligations to protect and promote human rights.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-STM-002-2011
January 27, 2011

A Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre

NEPAL: Nepal urged to accept and implement UPR recommendations and end impunity

(Hong Kong, January 27, 2011)

On Tuesday, Nepal's human rights record was reviewed for the first time under the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR process was established by the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 through resolution 60/251 to "review the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments." The procedure assessed Nepal's compliance with its international obligations to protect and promote human rights.

The UPR review, which represents an important opportunity to scrutinize the challenges Nepal faces in upholding human rights and strengthening its rule of law framework, was conducted on the basis of three reports: a report by the government of Nepal; a report by the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) comprising information and recommendations by United Nations mechanisms and experts; and a report compiled by the OHCHR summarising the input by other stakeholders, including civil society organisation and the National Human Rights Commission.

The ALRC welcomes the dialogue held, notably the many questions raised by States concerning key issues such as torture, forced disappearances, gender- and caste-based discrimination, human rights defenders, freedom of expression, weakness of national institutions and legislation, and the overarching problem of impunity. The Government of Nepal now has the primary responsibility to implement the recommendations made as part of the review. As part of the UPR process, the government will now decide which recommendations it accepts and those it only “notes.” The ALRC strongly urges the government to accept and implement the recommendations made concerning these key issues, if its approach to human rights is to have any credibility.

During the review, the government of Nepal declared its full commitment to "establishing constitutional supremacy, ensuring the rule of law, good governance and human rights and guaranteeing the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution of Nepal.” It added that, “Addressing impunity entails two aspects: addressing the past and maintaining the rule of law at present. The government is fully committed to work on both fronts." The ALRC welcomes the government of Nepal's commitment to tackle impunity and expects that this commitment will be followed by concrete steps in line with the recommendations made during the course of the review and international human rights laws and standards. The ALRC cautions that similar commitments have been made in the past by the Government of Nepal, but have remained unfulfilled to date. It must be noted that the ALRC is seriously concerned by the Nepalese delegation’s apparent reluctance to acknowledge some human rights violations during the UPR review, as will be seen below.

The ALRC and Nepalese NGO Advocacy Forum submitted a joint report to the UPR on 5 July 2010, which can be found here, along with a background document found here. The report focused on the impunity which persists for conflict-related and ongoing abuses, which have not been effectively investigated or prosecuted, as well as on the failure of the institutions of the rule of law to protect Nepal’s citizens. The report recommended that addressing the problem of impunity should be the prime focus of the UPR and action by the government of Nepal. It pointed to the institutional weaknesses of the judicial system, the lack of criminalization of certain human rights abuses such as torture, enforced disappearances and caste-based discrimination, as well as the absence of the right to effective remedy, which, together, greatly hamper the realization of the fundamental rights enshrined in the 2007 Interim Constitution. The report urged the Working Group on the UPR to consider as a priority under the UPR, issues such as the breakdown of the rule of law and the increased insecurity in the Terai region, forced disappearances, endemic torture, extra-judicial killings by security forces, persisting caste-based discrimination, gender-based violence, the vulnerable situation of human rights defenders, and the inability of the State to respond to such abuses.

During the review, questions and recommendations raised by a number of governments during the three-hour long UPR session reflected many of these concerns. The ALRC welcomes this and urges the Government of Nepal to accept the urgent need for it to address these serious issues and take appropriate action as a result.

Concerns about persisting impunity for past and ongoing abuses was repeatedly raised by delegations, including those from Japan, Czech Republic, Sweden, South Korea, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, Hungary, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Denmark and Switzerland. In questions submitted in advance to the government of Nepal, France had, for instance, said that it was "deeply preoccupied by the persistence of impunity enjoyed by the alleged perpetrators of numerous grave human rights violations committed during and since the conflict," and recommended during the session that, "the decisions of the judiciary taken in this respect should be fully respected by all institutional actors especially the army and the police forces". Norway recalled that addressing impunity is fundamental to foster peace, democracy and stability. In questions in advance, the Czech Republic stated that "failure to act on human rights abuses undermines respect for the rule of law" and Canada underlined that "addressing abuses committed by all sides during the decade long conflict and post conflict period in Nepal is an important element of transitional justice".

Several States, such as France, Spain, the UK and the United States, inquired about progress in establishing the transitional justice mechanisms included in the Comprehensive Peace Accord, namely the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission on Inquiry into Disappearances, and called for the criminalization of enforced disappearances. Norway inquired about measures to protect the police and justice system from political interference and to ensure that suspects accused of serious human rights abuses during the conflict are handed over to the police for proper investigation.

The need to strengthen the National Human Rights Commission as an independent and autonomous human rights body and to implement its recommendations was noted by several delegations, including Canada, the United States, France, India and Norway.

Allegations of misconduct by law enforcement authorities, qualified as "disturbing" by Japan, have also been a serious concern. The issue of the systematic use of torture was raised and the government was asked by several countries about its intention to introduce legislation to criminalize torture in line with international standards. Several delegations called for the effective investigations into all allegations of torture. Furthermore, several States expressed their concerns about allegations of extrajudicial killings in the Tarai and asked what measures were being taken to investigate them and to implement the recommendations of the OHCHR to establish an external oversight mechanism to investigate allegations of human rights abuses by security forces. In questions submitted in advance, the Danish delegation underlined the fact that "credible investigation of alleged human rights violations of security forces is an important part of strengthening the rule of law". The Czech Republic also urged the authorities to "support and protect witnesses as well as victims and their family members" in the investigation of allegations of human rights violations.

The persistence of gender- and caste-based violence and discrimination at all levels of Nepali society were also raised several times and the government was requested to explain what actions it is taking to address these problems, including with regard to: the levels of implementation of the Caste-based Discrimination and Untouchability Crime Elimination and Punishment Act and the National Dalit Rights Commission Bill; the investigation of allegations of caste-based discrimination; and the strengthening of the National Women's Commission and National Dalit Commission.

Obstacles to the freedom to speech, the vulnerability of journalists to threats, attacks and harassment, as well as the precarious situation of human rights defenders, were also repeatedly raised during the review. The Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Norway, France and the United States asked for improved protection of human rights defenders and journalists through the launching of proper and impartial investigations of all allegations of threats and harassment against them.

These issues have been at the centre of the concerns of the civil society in Nepal for a long time. They all deeply impact the democratisation and peace process in the country. Now that they have been raised in the international arena as part of the UPR, it is the Government of Nepal's responsibility toward its citizens and the international community to respond by properly addressing these issues.

Of grave concern has been the government of Nepal’s denial of the reality of human rights abuses during the review. For example, one of the government delegates asserted that there is no systematic torture in Nepal and that "there are sufficient constitutional and legal safeguards for the prevention of torture in Nepal.” Independent international and national experts and observers have documented that the opposite is true: torture is still used as a common tool by the police as part of interrogation procedures, while the lack of legislation enabling the criminal prosecution of alleged perpetrators of torture has engendered systemic impunity concerning this grave violation of rights. Similarly, the ALRC is seriously concerned by the government's reluctance to acknowledge the existence of human rights violations committed by the security agencies, including the Nepal Army, which it claimed during the review was a "source of Nepali democracy". The delegation to the UPR stated that that there was already a "zero tolerance" policy toward "isolated" human rights violations committed by the security agencies. This is a complete denial of the reality on the ground, where not a single perpetrator of serious human rights violations committed during and since the conflict has faced prosecution. The government delegation also kept silent over other crucial issues, such as the need to protect the work of human rights defenders and the freedom of expression of journalists.

The Asian Legal Resource Centre therefore urges the Government of Nepal to acknowledge the reality of these persistent abuses and recognize its responsibility in addressing them. The Government is urged to accept the recommendations made concerning the issues highlighted above and commit to take measures to implement them in good faith and in a prompt, transparent and verifiable way.

# # #

About the ALRC: The Asian Legal Resource Centre is an independent regional non-governmental organisation holding general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. It is the sister organisation of the Asian Human Rights Commission. The Hong Kong-based group seeks to strengthen and encourage positive action on legal and human rights issues at the local and national levels throughout Asia.

http://www.humanrights.asia/news/alrc-news/ALRC-STM-002-2011

Nepal braces for rights scrutiny

KAMAL RAJ SIGDEL

KATHMANDU, JAN 04 -
The government has decided to send an 11-member team led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala to defend its report on the country’s human rights situation. The defence will be presented in the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Nepal at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.

On Jan. 25, Nepal’s human rights records will come under the first ever UN scrutiny at the UPR, a mechanism created by the General Assembly in 2006 to ensure that the 192 UN member states respect rights. The mechanism reviews each member every four years and its review report as well as its follow-up have implications for the respective country’s prospects of receiving international aid, among others.

The UN review in Geneva is expected to have a wider significance for Nepal given the widespread concern over the government’s failure to address human rights issues as it is transits to peace after a bloody internal war.

Nepal’s team to the UPR scheduled to leave on Jan. 21 includes Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Trilochan Upreti, Foreign Secretary Madan Kumar Bhattarai, Joint Secretary Dilli Raj Ghimire, representatives of the Ministries of Health, Peace and Reconstruction and Law and Justice, according to a PMO source.

Nepal will have an hour’s time to present its report to the UPR followed by shadow reports from the civil society groups in the next two hours. The government has already sent its 24-page “national report” to the UPR. While the government report is mainly focused on highlighting its achievements made so far in the human rights front, the civil society reports, in general, paint a beak picture of human rights in the country with impunity on the rise.

OHCHR Nepal, National Human Rights Commission, National Dalit Commission, National Women Commission, INSEC, Advocacy Forum and other international defenders have submitted joint and separate reports to the UPR expressing serious concern over worsening the rights situation in Nepal.



State report highlights achievements

l    Statute draft recognizes 21 fundamental rights

l    Adoption of National Human Rights Action Plan

l    Active NHRC with diverse and inclusive board

l    Separate National Dalit Commission (NDC)

l    Separate National Women’s Commission (NWC)

l    Relief to families of 14,064 who died during conflict

l    Human Rights Directorate at Nepal Army

l    A bill to criminalize torture in the offing

l    21,639 ex-bonded families rehabilitated

l    Gender friendly budget (17.3 percent to gender)

Civil society report paints beak picture 

l    Crimes under international law not criminalised

l    Constituent Assembly has failed work in time

l    New draft legislation weakens NHRC

l    Govt dumped recommendations of NHRC, NWC, NDC

l    Widespread discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity

l    Sexual and gender minorities highly discriminated

l    State fails to recognise Muslims as a religious minority

l    Unwilling to prosecute past human rights abuses

l    Systematic practice of torture

l    Ill treatment to refugees, rights unprotected

Posted on: 2011-01-05 08:17    

http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/01/04/metro/nepal-braces-for-rights-scrutiny/216843/  

The Himalayan Times : NHRC to carry out exhumation in Janakpur - Detail News : Nepal News Portal

The Himalayan Times : NHRC to carry out exhumation in Janakpur - Detail News : Nepal News Portal

Civil society on fence: Analysts | Editor's Pick | ekantipur.com

Civil society on fence: Analysts | Editor's Pick | ekantipur.com

Clear all semi-judicial detentions: Apex court | Nation | :: The Kathmandu Post ::

Clear all semi-judicial detentions: Apex court | Nation | :: The Kathmandu Post ::

Armies Left and Right Defy Justice in Nepal

By John Child in Kathmandu

A Nepal Army major and a Maoist Peoples' Liberation Army brigade commander remain on the job despite arrest warrants issued against them, and there is no indication that either will ever be brought to court. Each is being protected by his institution, demonstrating again the inability of the government to enforce the rule of law here.

Major Niranjan Basnet has been implicated in the torture and murder of a 15-year-old Nepali girl, Maina Sunuwar, in Army custody during the country's civil war. See Nepal Army Continues to Protect Accused Murderer in Maina Sunuwar Case, Newsblaze December 13, 2009. He was cleared by a military inquiry in 2005, though three other officers were convicted of not following proper procedures during Sunuwar's interrogation. Two years ago a Nepal court filed civilian charges against him.

The Army refused to accept the court order, instead promoting Basnet and then sending him to a UN peacekeeping mission, a plum posting for Nepali soldiers and his second such assignment. While serving the UN mission in Chad last December, Basnet was sent back by the UN force commander there after the commander learned of the allegations against him.

Last month an Army inquiry again cleared Basnet, saying that he had been "acting against a common enemy" when Sunuwar was killed. The Army had had harsh words for the UN for sending Basnet home, "tarnishing the Army's reputation."

PLA commander Kali Bahadur Kham also has a two-year-old arrest warrant pending against him. He is charged with murdering businessman Ramhari Shrestha. Shrestha was kidnapped by PLA soldiers and taken to Kham's military cantonment, where he was tortured and beaten to death. The PLA suspected Shrestha of taking money from them.

The Maoists later admitted complicity in Shrestha's death, and Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) met with Shrestha's family to apologize. But Kham was promoted to the party's central committee and protected from arrest.

Then last month, police investigating a robbery of Chinese traders in the medicinal fungus yarshagumba discovered, what they say, is a major criminal gang headed by Kham. They raided Kham's home, recovering eight kilograms of yarshagumba, a large amount of money, a stolen car, and guns and ammunition.

The home minister personally visited Prachanda to ask for Maoist cooperation in arresting Kham, but was told that the Maoists didn't know where Kham was. Two days later a Maoist vice-chairman said that they would cooperate with the police "only if [Kham] is found guilty" by an internal investigation.

Last week Kham taunted police in a television interview and dared them to arrest him. "It shows how weak the police, especially a handful of officials, are," he said.

He is right about that. Major Basnet and commander Kham may be innocent of the charges against them, but they are unlikely ever to face those charges in an impartial and public forum with such powerful forces behind them.

John Child is The NewsBlaze Nepal Correspondent, a journalist in Kathmandu who writes about goings-on in and around Nepal and her neighbors.

http://newsblaze.com/story/20100807083144chil.nb/topstory.html

NA nay, PLA aye to JMCC | Nation | :: The Kathmandu Post ::

NA nay, PLA aye to JMCC | Nation | :: The Kathmandu Post ::

Closure of OHCHR regional offices premature | Interview | Oped | ekantipur.com

Closure of OHCHR regional offices premature | Interview | Oped | ekantipur.com

They’re more violent | Opinion | Oped | ekantipur.com

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Defence Minister prepares action plan on democratisation of Army | Top Stories | ekantipur.com

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The Himalayan Times - Conflict affected women highlight demands - Nepal News, News on Nepal, News of Nepal, Nepali News, Nepalese News

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Feudalism is alive and well | Oped | :: The Kathmandu Post ::

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SRI LANKA - Celebrating war victory and banning commemoration of dead civilians

Friday, 18 June 2010


(By Ruki, 18 June 2010, Groundviews)



Today, 18th June 2010, has been declared a public holiday by the government. Many Sri Lankans, especially Sinhalese from the South are expected to respond enthusiastically to the government's elaborate plans to celebrating the war victory over the LTTE. For several days, citizens in Colombo had to put up with closed roads in preparation. How much of our - citizens - tax payer's money will be spent for this celebration is something I don't know and dare not think.



Some media had highlighted on the fact that the General who led the war victory is likely to be in detention and not invited to celebrate the victory he led.



What seems to be forgotten, and what I do know for sure is that tens or hundreds of thousands of Tamils, particularly in the North, will not be celebrating this victory. Many of them infact, will be grieving and mourning for family members and friends killed, injured, missing and detained in during the course of the war, particularly the final months of the war.



However, now, even grieving and mourning appears to be criminalized in the newly "liberated" North.



On 17th May, amidst heavy showers and floods in Colombo (which had compelled the government to postpone the victory celebrations), I was with a group of friends, at an ecumenical (Christian) event to commemorate those killed in the war. As we were starting the event, I got a call from a good friend, a Catholic priest in Jaffna, who told me that he had got several threatening calls asking him to cancel a religious event he had organized in Jaffna to commemorate civilians killed in the war. In addition to the telephone calls, senior army officers had visited his office and asked him to cancel the event. He was in a dilemma - he was personally not keen to cancel the event, but was concerned about the safety of his staff and families due to participate in the event.



Later, I came to know that this was not an isolated incident and several other friends were subjected to similar threats.



On the same day, 17th May, Nallur Temple area in Jaffna, where an inter-religious event was being held to remember those killed in the war was held, was surrounded by the police and the army. The people who came to participate were threatened and told to go away. Those who insisted on going in they were asked to register their names and other details with the police. Many went away in fear and only few had participated. Later on, the army had questioned and threatened a priest who was involved in organizing the event. The priest was even summoned to Palaly military headquarters in Jaffna for questioning.



In Vanni, an army officer had told a villager that he will shoot a parish priest and drag him behind his jeep, because he (the priest) was organizing prayer services for those killed in the war. Another priest was prevented from celebrating a holy mass to pray for those killed in the war on 19th May in the Vanni.



So, it is clear the army doesn't want Tamils to mourn and grieve for their loved ones killed during the war. The thinking appears that all these events are to commemorate the killing of LTTE leader Prabakaran. Or that May 17th - 19th is a victory day, and thus, no mourning should happen, and everyone should celebrate, even if your own mother or child or husband was killed.



This seems to be the official policy of the government, with the Minister of Media and Information reported as saying that Tamil people only have a privately commemorate their kith and kin killed privately and not publicly. (See http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=9568)



Of course the writing has been on the wall for some time. Ever since the end of war, I had seen many monuments built in the Vanni celebrating war victories and in honour of dead soldiers. At the same time, memorials for Tamil militants built by the LTTE have been destroyed, in the Vanni as well as in Jaffna, denying family members the opportunity to light a candle or lay a flower. At one such destroyed memorial site in Jaffna, army officers told me not to take photos since that place is now earmarked to be an army camp. I was not allowed to even get near another such well known memorial in Kopay, Jaffna.



Not surprisingly, I didn't see a single memorial built to remember civilians killed in the war. A priest in Vanni who was trying to build a simple and small monument for civilians killed was warned by the army to stop building it.



Beyond a moral and ethical perspective, these incidents raise serious issues about freedom of assembly and freedom of religion.



Just a few days after some provisions of the emergency regulations, including restrictions on public processions and meetings were repealed, the military had prevented peaceful religious events from taking place and threatened organizers and participants.



The army had also curtailed religious freedom, despite freedom of religion being a right that cannot be restricted in any circumstances in the Sri Lankan constitution.



So, we Sri Lankans will have to live with a type of homegrown reconciliation in Sri Lanka that doesn't allow its citizens, and especially families of those killed, to light a candle, lay a flower, say prayer to mourn and grieve.



We will have to live with an indigenous "liberation" and "freedom" which doesn't include rights of religion and peaceful assembly to have religious events to commemorate family members and loved ones killed.



http://www.forum-asia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2597&Itemid=42

Nepal Army absolves major accused of rights violations: Report - Hindustan Times

Nepal Army absolves major accused of rights violations: Report - Hindustan Times

VSUs balm for crime victims | Capital | ekantipur.com

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Court directs police to register case against army men

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 10:59


Appellate Court Surkhet has directed the District Police Office to register a case against armymen filed by Devisara Poudel of the district.

A joint bench of justices Bishwanath Joshi and Nirmal Kumar Dhungana directed the police to register Poudel's case.

Poudel had moved court after both the police and the local administration refused to register her complaint against army men.

Poudel has alleged 18 army men of murdering her husband during the conflict.

Her husband Bhawani Prasad Poudel was killed on May 16, 2002.

Poudel expressed hope that she would now get justice following the court order.

"All I want is an independent probe on the alleged," said Poudel. "The court's ruling has revived my hope." nepalnews.com


http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/19-general/7383-court-directs-police-to-register-case-against-army-men.html 

Rights report on UN table | Capital | ekantipur.com

Rights report on UN table | Capital | ekantipur.com

Unhealed wounds: War victim is now a porter | Editor's Pick | ekantipur.com

Unhealed wounds: War victim is now a porter | Editor's Pick | ekantipur.com