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ACHR
condemns UN failure to appoint Special Rapporteur on Nepal
Nepal signs an agreement to avoid censure
New Delhi:
Asian Centre for Human Rights today stated that the failure to sponsor
a country resolution on the situation of human rights under agenda
item 9 of the ongoing 61st session of the Commission
on Human Rights in Geneva is a failure of the international community
to condemn the coup in Nepal. The deadline of registration of draft
resolution under item 9 expired today at 3 pm GMT and this has virtually
foreclosed the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Nepal.
“The
ambivalent attitude of India, the United States and the United Kingdom
has caused the failure of the country resolution. It is a failure
of international community to make its statement of disapproval
against the coup.” –stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director
of the Asian Centre for Human Rights.
The UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights Louise Arbour and Ramesh Nath Pandey, Minister
for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, signed an the agreement today, 11
April 2005 to establish a monitoring operation of the Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal to “monitor
the observance of human rights and international humanitarian law,
bearing in mind the climate of violence and the internal armed conflict
in the country”. The OHCHR field offices will be set-up at the regional
level in order to ensure rapid response to reports of human rights
violations. Based on the information collected by the office, the
High Commissioner for Human Rights will submit periodic analytic
reports on any human rights violations committed by either side
of the conflict to the Commission on Human Rights, the General Assembly,
and the Secretary-General.
“The
agreement is nothing but a ploy to avoid censure by the international
community. While Foreign Minister Pandey signed the agreement in
Geneva, King Gyanendra extended the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities
(Prevention) Ordinance to give sweeping powers for detention without
trial. The government of Nepal had earlier failed to implement its
25 points commitment on human rights made on 26 March 2004 as well
the statement of the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights
of April 2004” – further stated Mr Chakma.
Ends/
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