– 513 bandhs in the last six months cripple Nepal –
Recruitment of 5000 more Nepali police personnel reduces the chances for integration of the PLA and success of the peace process
New Delhi: The Asian Centre for Human
Rights (ACHR), in its report, Nepal and the Pax Indianus
(http://www.achrweb.org/briefingpapers/BPNepal-07-09.pdf), released to the media today stated that daily bandhs are crippling
Nepal. In the first six months of 2009,
513 bandhs or about 3 bandhs per day were called across Nepal: 69 by the
CPN-Maoists (CPN-M), 15 by Nepali Congress (NC), 17 by CPN-UML, 175 by local
citizen groups, 175 by armed groups, 145 by transporters and 92 by traders.
The
bandhs are a potent symbol of a dangerously unstable political stalemate over
the failure of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and most visibly over
how to disarm, integrate and rehabilitate the People’s Liberation Army.
“The
debate on the integration of the PLA has been reduced to integration in the
Nepal Army only. All options including integration in the Nepal army must be
debated and agreed upon. However, the decision
of the government of Nepal on 26 June 2009 to increase the size of the Armed Police Force and
the Police by five thousand more personnel further reduces the chances of
integration of the PLA as well as the success of the Peace Process.” – stated
Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights.
ACHR’s
report stated that the Army led by Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Rukmangud
Katuwal is actively promoting another conflict with the CPN-M, among others, by
antagonising the democratic middle ground by pushing the promotions of
well-documented human rights violators into senior positions in the army. On 30
June 2009, the COAS recommended promotion of Brigadier General BA Kumar Sharma
to Major General. Sharma publicly threatened members of the Nepal’s National
Human Rights Commission during the conflict and was central to the military
cover up of the Doramba Massacre of 19 detainees on 17 August 2003. On 1 July
2009, the COAS further recommended that Major General Toran Bahadur Singh be
promoted to Lieutenant General. Singh was directly implicated in the systematic
torture, summary execution and disappearances of numerous suspected Maoist detainees
under his charge by the Bhairabnath Battalion.
Yesterday,
on 13 July 2009, the government of Nepal promoted Brigadier General BA Kumar
Sharma to Major General.
“The
promotion of officers like General BA Kumar Sharma and General Toran Bahadur Singh
whose hands are soaked in blood and whose services have been turned down by the
United Nations because of involvement in human rights violations is just one
more indicator of an administration in hock to the Army.” – stated Mr Suhas
Chakma, Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights.
ACHR
urged India to take advantage of the 6th July 2009 decision of the
CPN-M decision to allow parliament to start functioning
“This
provides India the opportunity to decisively delink itself from its recent
unconditional support to the Army especially the COAS, Rukmangud Katuwal that has damaged the Indian interests.” – asserted Mr
Chakma.
ACHR
urged India to play a critical role similar to the one
played to facilitate the 12-point agreement of November 2005 and call for the early establishment of an independent mechanism to monitor
the CPA, definitive Maoist renunciation of violence, the Maoists’ commitment to
the rule of law and establish measurable indicators of progress with regard to
individual cases of abuse by the Maoists.
[Ends]