1. International community’s role for weakening of the democratic movement
The deadline for the submission
of draft resolutions on country situations under item 9
of the 61st session of the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights expires at 3 pm on 11 April 2005. But, a country
resolution on the situation of human rights in Nepal increasingly
appears elusive. India, despite calling for the restoration
of democracy and the release of political detainees, journalists
and human rights activists, has maintained a thunderous
silence on a country resolution on Nepal. The United States
also failed to formally announce an embargo on the sale
of arms to Nepal although training programmes for the RNA
has been cancelled. The position of both the United States
and India has not helped those countries such as Denmark
and Switzerland which have been advocating appropriate action
to address the coup of 1 February at the Commission on Human
Rights.
According to informed diplomatic
sources, the Ambassador of the United States on behalf of
those interested for the restoration of democracy in Nepal
has reportedly set 8 April 2005 as the deadline to King
Gyanendra to release political leaders and restore freedom
of press or face a resolution on country situation under
item 9.
As a part of the assurance
given by King Gyanendra to US Ambassador, G P Koirala was
released on 1 April 2005 as promised. New Delhi immediately
welcomed it. But on 3 April 2005, the Nepali Police arrested
two leaders of the Nepal Student Union (NSU)- a pro-Nepali
Congress (NC) student wing, NSU vice-president Pradip Poudel
and NSU leader Dharma Khanal from the residence of NC president
Girija Prasad Koirala, indicating King Gyanendra’s views
on democracy. It remains to be seen as to whether King Gyanendra
releases Madhav Nepal and others and restores the press
freedom by 8 April 2005. Even if King Gyanendra were to
release Madhav Nepal and others and restore press freedom,
there is no reason to expect full restoration of democracy.
International community
often blames the over ground political parties of Nepal
for the lack of unity and lack of public support because
of corruption. While the allegations are true to some extent,
international community has also contributed to the weakening
of the democratic movement in Nepal and instead, strengthened
the autocratic measures of King Gyanendra.
International community
remained a mute witness to dissolution of the parliament
on 22 May 2002 and subsequent dismissal of Prime Minister
Sher Bahadur Deuba on 4 October 2002.
Most importantly, in April-May
2004, the five-party alliance of Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML,
Peoples Front Nepal (PFN), Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party
(NWPP) and Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) launched
anti-regression movement against King Gyanendra. The Ambassadors
of the United States, United Kingdom and India reportedly
advised the leadership of the five-party alliance to reconcile
with King Gyanendra as their movement might strengthen the
Maoists. In fact, King Gyanendra categorically told then
Indian Ambassador and India’s present Foreign Secretary,
Shyam Saran that neither G P Koirala nor Madhav Nepal would
be accepted as Prime Minister. Therefore, Sher Bahadur Deuba was appointed
as the Prime Minister. International community accepted
such undemocratic role of King Gyanendra.
The United States, United
Kingdom and India have also supported the only approach
adopted to resolve the Maoist conflict i.e. military approach
in the name of launching united fight to weaken the Maoists
before initiating any substantive peace process. Little
attention was paid to the processes and substance of dialogue
between the government of Nepal and the Maoists.
The fact that talks between
the government of Nepal and the Maoists never reached beyond
discussion on agenda has not been considered. As the talks
on agenda became serious in August 2003, the Royal Nepal
Army perpetrated Doramba massacre on 17 August 2003 to derail
the peace process. It is clear that the Narayanhiti Palace
is against peace with the Maoists. Only continued conflict
with the Maoists could justify the intervention of King
Gyanendra. India’s objection to third party involvement
in Nepal and the treatment of the Maoists as “untouchables”
by international community have helped King Gyanendra. The
demand of the Maoists on 5 April 2005 for an international
monitoring team to probe human rights abuses in Nepal is
unlikely to find echo in Geneva.
The consensus between New
Delhi and other members of the international community is
limited to restoration of democracy and the release of detainees.
While New Delhi would like to play a central role for resolution
of the conflict in Nepal, it is increasingly running out
of options.
In an attempt to counter
New Delhi, on 17 March 2005 Nepalese Foreign Ministry issued
a statement expressing unequivocal support to the controversial
law recently enacted by China that authorises the use of
force against Taiwan - if the island decides to press for
independence. This was followed by the visit of Chinese
Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing to Kathmandu on 31 March 2005.
Kathmandu believes that forthcoming visit of King Gyanendra
to China to attend the annual meeting of Boao Forum for
Asia (BFA) from 22 to 24 April 2005 and Pakistan’s offer
of military assistance will counter New Delhi’s overtures to
the democratic forces of Nepal.
International community
has no roadmap to resolve the Maoists conflict in Nepal
apart from the restoration of democracy. By offering a deal
to drop the country resolution on the situation of human
rights in Nepal in exchange for the release of political
detainees and restoration of press freedom, international
community in many ways legitimses the coup of King Gyanendra.
International community underestimates his insatiable craze
for power. A country resolution without the cooperation
of the government of Nepal might mean nothing but it is
a statement of disapproval of coup by the international
community.
As this Briefing Paper shows,
there is no improvement of the situation in Nepal. The RNA
and other security forces continue to perpetrate gross human
rights violations including extrajudicial executions. In
late March 2005, three school students– Narayan Bahadur
Kanauji Magar (17), Tek Bahadur Gaha (15), and Dal Bahadur
Darlami (15) – had been shot dead at the highway near Tansen,
the district headquarters of Palpa by plain-clothes security
personnel suspecting them to be Maoists. The victims who
were in their school uniform were collecting ‘donations’
from vehicles and passengers for ‘Fagu Purnima,’ a festival
of colours.
“Kathmandu valley” increasingly
appears to be equivalent to the whole of Nepal. As the Maoists’
bandh came into effect from 3 April 2005, businesses and
transport in most districts came to standstill. But life
in the capital remains unaffected. So long the supply line
to Kathmandu remains open, peripheries do not matter to
King Gyanendra. On 3 April 2005, the RNA personnel reportedly
escorted over 800 vehicles leaving Kathmandu along the Prithvi
highway. On 4 April 2005, the road permits of
seven oil tankers owned by the private sector were cancelled
for not cooperating with Nepal Oil Corporation, Western
Regional Office, Bhalbari in transporting petroleum products
from the Indian Oil Corporation to Bhairahawa and to Kathmandu. There are no reports of the humanitarian
crisis in rural Nepal as reports relating to the Maoists
cannot be published without the prior sanction of the RNA.
Mass influx of Nepalese into India speaks of a humanitarian
crisis in the making. Around 300 Nepalese have been crossing
over to India every day at Dhangarawa point alone.
King Gyanendra continues
to suppress all forms of dissent and continues to confine
key leaders to Kathmandu valley. On 25 March 2005, security
personnel at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu
barred Prof. Dr. Lok Raj Baral, Prof. Krishna Khanal and
Dr. Krishna Hachhethu from taking the Jet Airways flight
to Delhi on the way to Goa to attend a conference. On 5
April 2005 afternoon, security personnel at the Tribhuvan
International Airport barred three politicians including
former MP and central committee member of CPN (UML), Pradip
Gyawali, joint general secretary of Rastriya Prajatantra
Party, Khem Raj Pandit, and spokesman of Nepali Congress
(Democratic), Dr Minendra Rijal from flying to Colombo to
take part in a seminar.
Complete restrictions on
the press freedom continue and at least a dozen journalists
including Lavadev Dhungana (Panchthar district), Gopal Baraili
(Dhankuta), Manohar Pokhrel and Arjun Shah (Saptari), Rishiram
Pokhrel (Tanahun), D. R. Panta (Dadeldhura), Sharad Adhikari
(Dang), Ganesh Lama and Surya Thapa (Kathmandu) and Madhu
Acharya (Kavre) remain in custody. The judiciary and National Human Rights
Commission have abysmally failed to address such gross violations.
Yet, international community
including India appears to be obsessed with supporting national
mechanisms to address the crisis in Nepal and therefore
suggest a resolution on technical cooperation under item
19 of the 61st session of the CHR. The term of the NHRC
expires in May 2005 and the terms of many members will not
be renewed. There is also no guarantee that even members
of the NHRC attending the UN Commission on Human Rights
can return to the country if they truly speak about the
prevailing situation in Nepal. On 4 April 2005, ten major
human rights organisations of Nepal criticised the National
Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Nepal for issuing an "incomplete"
statement on April 1 regarding human rights violations and
excesses committed by the vigilantes in Kapilavastu. Like the Supreme Court, the much-vaunted
NHRC too succumbed. The NHRC can never replace the judiciary
and when the judiciary fails, the NHRC cannot be expected
to deliver.
When the international community
fails, NHRC cannot be expected to stand alone but fall in
line. Yet, it might be easy for international community
to blame the Nepalese over ground political parties who
are battered by King Gyanendra and his RNA and the Maoists,
and often restrained and abandoned by international community.
Time has come for international
community to retrospect their own role in Nepal.
2. Extrajudicial killings by RNA
The Royal Nepal Army (RNA) personnel
continue to be responsible for gross human rights violations
including extrajudicial executions. While it is difficult
to verify all claims of the RNA, the reports of executions
of innocent civilians continue to pour.
On 22 March 2005, three
youth – Narayan Bahadur Kanauji Magar (17) of Class IX,
Tek Bahadur Gaha (15) of Class VIII, and Dal Bahadur Darlami
(15) of Class VI– had been shot dead by plain-clothes security
personnel taking them for Maoists. The youth were shot at
when they were collecting ‘donations’ from vehicles and
passengers plying on the highway, some 19 km northeast of
Tansen, the district headquarters of Palpa. The youth in
their school uniform were raising money to observe ‘Fagu
Purnima,’ a festival of colours. Police claimed that they
were killed in encounter. Following protests from the relatives
of the deceased and civil society groups, the police reportedly
acknowledged that the boys had died “due to bullet injuries”. On 31 March 2005, chief of the Western
Divisional Headquarters of RNA, Amar Panta, said that a
board of inquiry into the killing of three school students
by security personnel at Dhaireni in Chidipani in Palpa
district on March 22 has been formed and the probe is underway.
On 16 March 2005, the security
forces reportedly killed at least eleven alleged Maoist
rebels in separate security operations. Three Maoists were
killed in Nijgadh of Bara district, two Maoists were killed
in Matela of Dailekh district and one in Jumla. Arms and
ammunition and Maoist-related documents were recovered from
the incident sites.At
least five Maoist rebels were gunned down during search
operation at Siundanda area of Nawalparasi district.
On
20 March 2005, security forces shot dead a Maoist rebel
identified as Kumar Pandey alias ‘Prabhat’ at Salme area
of Nuwakot district. On the same day, security
forces also killed two Maoists – Ramjulum Yadav alias ‘Birupan’
and Dilip Yadav alias ‘Dilpa’ at Gadha area, and shot dead
another identified as Satma Raya at Mohanpur area of Siraha
district. The security forces reportedly recovered two pistols,
bullets, socket bombs and explosives.
The security forces claimed to have killed at least
nine alleged Maoists in separate incidents on 21 and 22
March 2005. On 21 March 2005, security forces killed a rebel
each in Mahadebdanda area of Sindhuli, Dalapur area of Kapilvastu
and Kalyanpur area of Surkhet district. They also recovered
some arms from the incident sites. On 22 March 2005, two
Maoist rebels were shot dead at Lekfarsa area of Surkhet
district and one rebel at Ishma area of Gulmi district.
In Pokhara, security forces shot dead Sundar Oli, a Maoist,
at Hulake area of Ishma Rajsthal VDC-1 and an unidentified
Maoist at Arje VDC of Gulmi district. Hasan Kasahi, another
Maoist, was killed at Dalpur VDC of Kapilvastu district.
On 22 March 2005, at least five alleged Maoist rebels
were reportedly killed in security actions in different
parts of the country. According to the Public Relation Directorate
of the Royal Nepal Army, three Maoists were killed at Dhareni
area in Palpa district, and two Maoists were killed in clashes
at Arje and Hulaki areas in Gulmi district.
On the morning of 24 March
2005, security forces killed two alleged Maoists in an encounter
at Wegashivapur VDC in Dhanusha district. The deceased have
been identified as Shrawan Kumar Mandal (30) of Bhunhipartewa
VDC-4, and Nathuni Kapar (29) of ward 9 of Dhanusha district.
The security forces reportedly recovered some empty rifle
magazines from them.
On the night of 24 March
2005, an RNA personnel Gobind Karki allegedly opened fire
in a drunken frenzy leaving Arjun Lamichhane, a civilian
from Manmaiju-8, seriously injured in Lamabagar, Kathmandu.
He died while being shifted to Bir Hospital for treatment.
On 25 March 2005, the RNA issued a statement claiming
to have killed three alleged Maoists in security actions
on 23 March 2005. According to the statement, while a Maoist
company member identified as ‘Geeta’ was shot dead at Jhungakhola
area of Sindhuli district, Shrawan Kumar Mandal and Nathuni
Kapang were shot dead in Begashiwapur area of Dhanusha district.
The security forces reportedly recovered two pistols, some
bullets and socket bombs from the incident sites.
On 28 March 2005, at least four alleged Maoist rebels
were killed in security actions. While security forces shot
dead two Maoists identified as Tilak Chaudhari alias 'Sunil'
and Suresh at Laxmipur area of Morang district, they killed
a Maoist at Bisunpurwa area of Bara and another rebel Tej
Bahadur Khadka at Chaukhutte area of Achham district.
On 31 March 2005, security forces gunned down two
alleged Maoists during a clash at Chhuplu Bhanjyang area
in Solukhumbu district.
On 1 April 2005, security forces shot dead an alleged
Maoist rebel identified as Mangal Singha Ghalan in Paurahi
area of Rautahat district, and an unidentified Maoist at
Bhagawanpur area of Kapilvastu district. Three Maoists and
two security personnel were killed in a clash at Likhuphalate
area in Gaighat. Two security forces were injured in the
clash that occurred after Maoists attacked a security patrol.
On 2 April 2005, Directorate
of Public Relations (DPR) of the RNA issued a statement
claiming to have killed at least nine alleged Maoist rebels
over the last 24 hours during encounters in different parts
of the country. According to the statement, the head of
a self-styled ‘village people’s government’, Purna Bahadur
Pulami was killed in a security action at Dana area of Mygdi
district on 2 April 2005. Three Maoists, one each in Manpur
area of Sarlahi district, Dikhuwakhola of Taplejung district
and Molangakhola of Okhaldhunga were killed on the same
day. On the same day, one Maoist was allegedly killed at
Bhagwanpur area of Nawalparasi district. The security forces
reportedly recovered socket bombs, explosives, detonators
and Maoist documents from the Maoists.
On 3 April 2005, security
forces reportedly shot dead four alleged Maoist rebels in
different security operations. In Dang district, a Maoist
was killed in Riya Chaukhola area, while two others were
gunned down near Amaliya of Lamahi-Kohalpur road. Another
rebel identified as Shambhu Rajbanshi was killed in Debighada
area of Jhapa district.
On 4 April 2005, at least
three alleged Maoist rebels were killed in clashes with
security forces in different parts of the country. According
to a press release issued by the Directorate of Public Relation
(DPR) of the Royal Nepalese Army on 5 April 2005, two ‘district
committee members’ of the Maoists – Pashupat Mahato and
Bidur Baitha- were killed in Kanakpur area of Rautahat district,
while a Maoist ‘area committee member’ identified as Tal
Bahadur Shahi was killed in Seri area of Mugu district.
The security forces have reportedly recovered a pistol,
socket bombs, combat dresses and different materials of
logistical support from the slain insurgents.
Though President of Nepali
Congress Girija Prasad Koirala has been released from house
arrest along with 258 others on 1 April 2005, repression
on the political activists continues unabated.
On
18 March 2005, security personnel arrested seven political
activists from Pathivara Campus premises in Taplejung district.
They have been detained at District Police Office. Security
forces also arrested Gopal Baral, chairman of the student
wing of People’s Front Nepal Dhankuta People’s Campus unit
and local correspondent of the Gorakhapatra daily in Dhankuta
district.
On 20 March 2005, over 300 political party workers
were reportedly arrested by the police for staging protest rallies
demanding peace and restoration of democracy across the
country. Nine activists including
former state minister Suresh Malla and party leader Chiranjivi
Nidhi Tiwari were arrested in Ason, Kathmandu. More than
100 political activists including 79 cadres of NC and 22
of CPN-UML were arrested in Sarlahi. The arrested political
activists have been kept at the premises of the local Customs
Office. At least 28 activists including former assistant
minister Ajay Chourasiya, were arrested in Birgunj. 25 NC
activists were arrested in Biratnagar, seven women cadres
were arrested in Narayangadh. Police also arrested 18 cadres
in Bardiya, 16 in Mahottari, 11 in Dang, 13 activists including
NC central leader Farmullah Mansoor in Bara, eight in Janakpur,
four in Bhairahawa, three in Pokhara and two in Dhangadhi.
Out of 24 arrested in Nawalparasi, 19 were released in the
evening. Five cadres were injured when police baton-charged
protesters in Tanahun.
Most of the arrested persons were released on 21 March
2005. However, out of the 16 arrested in Mahottari, five
have been served 90-day detention orders under Public Security
Act. Six of the 18 political activists
arrested from Guleriya in Bardiya district on March 20 were
sent to jail under Public Security Act on 21 March 2005.
On 21 March 2005, at least 175 demonstrators belonging
to five-party alliance were arrested across the country
for staging protest demonstrations demanding restoration
of democracy. Forty-nine of them were reportedly released
in the evening. In Kathmandu, police arrested five persons
including CPN-UML standing committee member Keshav Badal.
General Secretary of Nepal Tarun Dal, Surendra Pandey and
Treasurer Kamal Shah were arrested from Satdobato in Lalitpur.
42 demonstrators including journalist Kushal Babu Basnet
were arrested in Gaighat of Udaypur district. District Secretary
of CPN-UML Mani Raj Upadhyay, NC (D) chief Narayan Karki,
NC’s acting President Himal Karki and former District Development
Committee chairman Bed Prasad Pokharel were among those
detained. In Bara, police detained 31 protesters. In Birgunj,
among the 29 arrested, 21 were released after brief detention.
Police also arrested 15 persons, including former minister
Shiva Raj Joshi, in Nepalgunj, 6 in Pokhara, 6 in Tanahun
and 28 in Dang.
On 22 March 2005, over three-dozen Nepali Congress
(NC) leaders and cadres were arrested during protest demonstrations
demanding restoration of democracy and civil and political
rights. Five protestors of NC, including 72-year-old Chandra
Kanta Neupane, the NC regional representative, were arrested
in Chitwan district. In Lamjung, police arrested six NC
leaders including former minister Ram Bahadur Gurung and
former lawmaker Haribhakta Adhikari.Eight protestors belonging to NC were reportedly arrested in Rupandehi
district. In Birgunj, police rounded up eight NC cadres.
On 23 March 2005, police cracked
down on Nepali Congress (NC) leaders and cadres who took
out Satyagraha rallies for restoration of democracy
across the country. At least 20 party leaders and activists
were arrested – 9 in Siraha, 8 Bhairahawa and 3 Chitwan.
In Nawalaparasi, police reportedly handed down a three-month
detention warrant to NC district president Krishna Chandra
Nepali, who was arrested along with four other activists
during a demonstration on 21 March 2005. The four were released
on 23 March 2005. In Birgunj, eight NC activists, including
Parsa President Rajendra Bahadur Amatya, who were detained
on 21 March 2005, were sent to jail for three months.
On 24 March 2005, two-dozen Nepali Congress (NC) cadres
were reportedly arrested from various districts. 13 cadres,
including district members Somnath Sharma and Udayaraj Kafle,
were arrested from Rupandehi district. In Dadeldhura district,
8 NC cadres, including district president Sher Bahadur Dhant,
were arrested. NC general convention member from Taplejung
constituency, Junga Bahadur Basnet was arrested from Taplejung
district.
On 27 March 2005, police arrested at
least two-dozen activists of Nepali Congress during a
‘civil disobedience’ campaign in different parts of the
country against the February 1 royal takeover. At least seven NC activists were arrested
in Kathmandu including former state ministers, Mahadev Gurung
and Pushkar Nath Ojha, Bhojpur district leader of the party
Chitra Bahadur Karki, Dan Bahadur Baniya of Okhaldhunga,
Jagat Prasad Joshi of Bajhang, Bal Bahadur Kunwar of Achham
and Purna Bahadur Dhakal of Jhapa. Six were arrested in
Narayanghat in Chitwan district. They included Chhabi Dhwaj
Budhathoki, Ram Mani Neupane, Devi Prasad Neupane, Bishnu
Prasad Bhushal, Rameshwor Basnet and Jhalak Gurung.At
least half-a-dozen protestors were rounded up in Tansen
in Palpa district.
On 28 March 2005, over 150 Nepali Congress party workers
were arrested during protests staged across the country.
Police detained 80 NC activists, including former parliamentarians
Chin Kazi Shrestha and Mukul Humagain, in Kathmandu. In
Liwang, the district headquarters of Rolpa, police arrested
11 political activists including erstwhile parliamentarian
Lekhnath Acharya. At least 41 NC cadres were arrested in
Tanahun, Shaynga and Kaski districts. 23 NC activists were
detained in Hetauda, Chitwan, Birgunj and Nepalgunj.
On 29 March 2005, police arrested 42 political activists
from across the country during anti-King protests.
On 29 March 2005, the Kathmandu district administration
gave three month’s detention orders for nearly 46 political
cadres arrested in the past including two former parliamentarians
Chin Kaji Shrestha and Shiva Humagai arrested on 28 March
2005.
On 30 March 2005, at least 29 Nepali Congress cadres
were arrested across the country during satyagraha
rallies demanding immediate restoration of democracy. Police
arrested 12 cadres in Biratnagar, 10 in Narayangadh and
six in Birgunj.
On 30 March 2005, seven NC
party workers including National Assembly member Khagendra
Raj Regmi who were arrested on 28 March 2005 were handed
over three-month detention orders. In Rolpa, seven more
NC cadres including former parliamentarian Lekhnath Acharya
were given three-month detention orders.
On 31 March 2005, about five-dozen Nepal Workers and
Peasants' Party (NWPP) activists were arrested in Patan,
Dailekh, Surkhet and Kailali during protest demonstrations
against the February 1 royal takeover. 18 NWPP activists
including central leader Buddhi Kumar Gosain and Gobinda
Duwal were arrested in Patan. Party's youth wing leader
Jagya Bahadur Shahi was arrested in Dailekh, along with
26 others. Police also arrested two youth leaders in Surkhet
and one in Kailali. Besides this, 9 NC cadres were arrested
by police in Rupandehi and two in Narayangadh while they
were staging satyagraha. Those arrested in Narayangadh are
Maha Prasad Bagale and Mani Prakash Khatiwada.
On 1 April 2005, nearly two
dozen activists of the United Left Front (ULF) were reportedly
detained by police in Kathmandu and Rautahat districts while
they were protesting the royal move of February 1. A statement
issued by president of ULF, C. P. Mainali, said 15 CPN (Marxist-Leninist)
leaders including former MPs Tanka Rai and Gopal Basnet
were detained from Kathmandu while eight other ULF activists
were detained in Rautahat.
On 4 April 2005, Police arrested six political activists
and two Nepal Student Union leaders from Birgunj for taking
out protest rallies, demanding the restoration of absolute
democracy and civil rights in the country.
On 4 April 2005, Police
reportedly denied former Prime Minister and president of
Nepali Congress (Democratic), Sher Bahadur Deuba access
to meet detained UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal
at his house at Koteswore.
On 17 March 2005, various student organizations took
out protest rallies against the February 1 royal take-over
in various parts of Kathmandu, including Bhotahity, Bangemuda,
Ason and Mahaboudha. Protest rallies were also held in major
towns across the country like Biratnagar, Janakpur, Pokhara,
Butwal and Nepalgunj.
Police
launched crackdowns and immediately detained around two-dozen
student and youth leaders from various parts of the Kathmandu
Valley. Those detained included Padam Palunge and Niranjan
KC, central members of Nepal Tarun Dal, Bharat Shahi of
Nepal Student Union, Santosh Kattel, vice-president of NSU’s
Pashupati Campus unit, Kamal Regmi, chairman of NSU’s Amrit
Science Campus unit, Om Gurung of Ratna Rajya Campus and
Phanindra Niroula and Laxmi KC. In similar crackdown, Police
also detained Hari Rai, central member of Democratic National
Youth Federation (DNYF), DNYF Lalitpur district president
Hera Kaji Maharjan from Bangemudha, DNYF Bhaktapur district
committee president Bachan Deuja, and central committee
member Abdul from Bhaktapur.
On 22 March 2005, student leaders of Nepal Students’
Union (NSU)- Arjun Rimal and Madhusudan Ghimire were arrested
in Nuwakot.
On 23 March 2005, police arrested Bandev Adhikari,
the president of Nepal Student Union, Balmiki Campus branch,
from Bhaktapur district.
On 27 March 2005 afternoon,
security personnel reportedly barged into Ratna Rajya Laxmi
Campus in central Kathmandu and arrested six students affiliated
with the All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU),
the student wing of the CPN (UML) for organizing a publicity
campaign against the February 1. They included Urmila
Karki, Devi Basnet, Bhava Nath Ghimire, Ajay Khanal, Rajesh
Prasai and Subash Thapa.
On 29 March 2005, police arrested at least eight students
from the protest rallies in Kathmandu. Police also arrested
15 students of Nepal Students Union in Para district, while
9 activists were arrested in Dang and 10 in Surkhet district.
On 30 March 2005, police arrested two student leaders
- Free Student Union President of Mahendra Ratna Campus
Mohan Gautam and Upendra Poudel - who were organizing a
welcome program for new comers in Kathmandu. They had received
District Administration Office's approval, but police broke
up their program.
On 4 April 2005, plain-clothes policemen
arrested
Nepal Student Union (NSU) vice-president Pradip Poudel and NSU
le
