When protestors gathered in Kathmandu on Saturday, 21 January 2006, massive arrests by security forces added 200 more people to over 100 politicians and civil society activists already detained.
In what was seen as a few steps backward, the government of King Gyanendra detained more than 400 politicians and activists, starting from late last Thursday, 19 January, putting the opposition’s senior party leaders under house arrest and cutting off mobile phone services.
When protestors gathered in Kathmandu on Saturday, 21 January 2006, massive arrests by security forces added 200 more people to over 100 politicians and civil society activists already detained.
In what was seen as a few steps backward, the government of King Gyanendra detained more than 400 politicians and activists, starting from late last Thursday, 19 January, putting the opposition’s senior party leaders under house arrest and cutting off mobile phone services.
Shortly after, a dawn-to-dusk curfew was imposed in Kathmandu, keeping residents locked in by restricting their freedom of movement. The government also issued orders to restrict peaceful assemblies and demonstrations in the all major parts of the capital city of Kathmandu.
On 23 January, it was reported that the government had started releasing a number of senior party leaders previously kept under house arrest. By Friday it was reported by news agencies such as ekantipur.com that about two dozen leaders and political activists have been released. It remains to be seen if more will be freed.
However these are seen as random fluxes in the situation. Human rights, democracy and civil society have continually suffered backlashes by the Nepali government; detainees are not treated decently, and many are kept in harsh conditions in various police stations and detention centres. Various local and international media have also reported the mistreatment of arrested persons, including students accused of taking part in rallies.
Although the release of some of these political figures and activists are welcomed, FORUM-ASIA has urged the government of Nepal to immediately release all the detained human rights defenders, trade unionists and political activists and stop arbitrary arrests; and repeal those restrictions orders against peaceful assembly and movement. In addition, the organisation urges the government to guarantee all rights of the people, stop harassment of these activists, and to lift all measures passed without due process.
According to a FORUM-ASIA country coordinator for Nepal, the position that the organization is taking is the issue of democracy, human rights and peace in the Himalayan country, and at the same time opposes the actions of the current monarch behaving like an autocrat, as well as those of the current regime.
“Our prime concern is that the government of Nepal should respect the rights of all Nepalese people,” he said.
