The Nepalese Security Agencies have gone beyond their jurisdiction and opened fire on peaceful demonstrators, killing some and injuring many, who demanded the king to return power to the people. FORUM-ASIA executive committee has condemned the atrocities committed by the agencies, calling for the perpetrators of the violence “not to obey” orders of the government which resulted in the killing and further suffering of their own people.FORUM-ASIA has strongly condemned the atrocities waged by Nepalese security agencies – the Royal Nepalese Army, Armed Police Force and the Nepal Police against ordinary citizens participating in peaceful demonstrations.
In a joint open letter issued by executive director Anselmo Lee and chairperson Singh Babu, FORUM-ASIA strongly opposed the excessive force unleashed by the security forces causing extrajudicial killings of at least a dozen civilians, leaving hundreds injured and thousands arrested over the last two weeks.
“The denial of access and freedom of movement to human rights defenders, media and medical personnel was totally unacceptable.
“Even United Nations monitors were denied freedom of movement, thus violating the agreement between the Nepalese government and the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as others,” said FORUM-ASIA.
Security forces are indiscriminately firing bullets and teargas shells at the demonstrators. Severe beatings and indiscriminate baton-charges to disperse the protesters have caused a large number of injuries to the civilian population, including human rights activists, journalists, medical professionals, lawyers, bystanders, women and children.
Meanwhile, FORUM-ASIA cautioned the Nepalese army against obeying criminal orders from the king to kill unarmed protesting civilians, saying the level of indiscriminate firing into crowds and wilful killing of human rights defenders place criminal liability on individual military personnel before international law and cannot be shielded by reason of ‘following orders’.
It added that such unrestrained actions have to be taken up by the UN Security Council and the Department of Political Affairs as the carnage caused by the Nepalese security agencies in their home country has to be noted by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to re-assess the recruitment of Nepalese soldiers for UN peacekeeping missions.
“Their violations should also be noted by the UN Peacebuilding Commission, as Nepal should not be seated in its Organisational Committee, given its security forces’ actions in their own country”.
FORUM-ASIA declared its solidarity with the Nepalese people, regional and international groups, and UN experts and officials to demand that King Gyanendra immediately end the crackdown on peaceful protests and step down.
It also strongly called on the Nepalese security agencies not to obey the orders of the government which resulted in the killing and further suffering of their own people.
The open letter was endorsed by FORUM-ASIA’s executive committee:
Mr Thun Saray, Cambodia Human Rights and Development (ADHOC), Cambodia
Mr Henry Thomas Simarmata, Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), Indonesia
Ms Urantsooj Gombosuren, Center for Human Rights Development (CHRD), Mongolia
Ms Damaris Wickremesekera, Law and Society Trust (LST), Sri Lanka
Mr Sinapan Samydorai, Think Centre, Singapore
Mr Abu Haseeb Khan, Resource Integration Centre (RIC), Bangladesh
