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Reports
on Nepal's Civil War: Landmines
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Kapilvstu:
Landmine attacks along the Mahendra Highway
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August 2005
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Seven
bus passengers were killed and at least four injured seriously when an
landmine planted by Maoist rebels on the Mahendra highway in Kapilvastu
district. The passengers have been killed while trying to move road-blocks
placed by Maoist rebels. |
The
killings on the Mahendra highway follow the death five security personnel
in a blast in Kapilvastu on the same highway, taking the toll to 11 deaths
in 48 hours.
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Nepali
people oppose land mines Deaths
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June 2005
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At
least 55 people were killed and dozens more wounded today in Nepal when
a crowded bus detonated a land mine planted by Maoists. Maoist are displaying
an increasing readiness to use landmines in attacking army and civilians,
as well as infrastructure. Maoists are also using indiscriminate or victim-activated
mines. |
These
mines are exempted from the international ban. The Maoists also use wire-detonated
pressure cookers packed with explosives to target passing military
vehicles.
There
is total disruption to Nepali life and the environment. In addition
to the deterioration of the basic infrastructure the reduction of health
services have left Nepal with poor water and sewage systems which in turn
have led to a huge increase in endemic disease and thus Nepal is left with
one of the highest mortality rates. If the situation is not
remedied with help from the international community, It will not allow
for industry and agriculture to flourish.
In
Nepal, landmines terrorize the population, cause death and terrible injuries,
and prevent economic and social progress. While estimates of the total
number of landmines here vary, they all run into the thousands. Land mines
affect Nepal on a daily basis because they are weapons of social terror.
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'Dozens
die' in Nepal bus blast
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June 2005
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At
least 36 people have been killed after a packed passenger bus ran over
a suspected rebel landmine in southern Nepal, the army says. Another 72
were hurt, many seriously, in the blast in Chitwan district. State radio
put the number killed at over 50. |
The
vehicle and many of those crammed inside and on top were blown to pieces.
Correspondents say it is likely to be the single bloodiest incident involving
civilians since the Maoist rebels began their fight for a republic in 1996.
Many women and children have been killed. There has been no word yet from
the rebels, who have carried out landmine attacks in the past against security
targets.
A
public bus, travelling with local people from the village of Madi to nearby
Narayangadh, was packed with villagers going to market or to work when
it hit the landmine hidden under a bridge over the Bandarmudhe river. The
bus was ripped into pieces and many people were killed.
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Chitwan
incident: UN urged to investigate killing of over 50 civilians in Nepal
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June 2005
Asian
Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) condemned the killing of at least 50
innocent civilians and injuring of 40 others in a land mine blast today
in Nepal as an act of "terrorism and crimes against humanity". The
incident reportedly took place at about 8 am after a packed passenger bus
ran over a landmine planted on a bridge at Mudhekhola in Kalyanpur VDC,
Madi area of Chitwan district. Over 12,000 persons have been killed in
the conflict that begun in 1996.
"International
humanitarian law and the Rome Statute of international Criminal Court prohibit
such willful killing and mass murder "committed as part of a widespread
or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge
of the attack," stated Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian Centre for Human
Rights.
Asian
Centre for Human Rights called upon both the government of Nepal and the
Maoists to refrain from the violations of the international human rights
and humanitarian laws, provide full and unrestricted access to the International
Committee of the Red Cross and called upon King Gyanendra to restore multi-party
democracy with constitutional monarchy to initiate negotiation with the
Maoists to bring an end to the killings.
ACHR
also called upon the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights in Nepal to conduct an inquiry into the incident and refer
the report to the International Criminal Court for necessary action.
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Amnesty
International condemns Maoist landmine attack
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June 2005
Amnesty
International ondemned the killing of 45 civilians and wounding of
at least 70 others in a landmine explosion for which the Communist Party
of Nepal (Maoist) have acknowledged responsibility. It called upon the
CPN (Maoist) leadership to publish in full the results of its internal
investigation into this indiscriminate attack on civilians and the action
taken against those responsible.
The
landmine explosion took place in the morning of 6 June 2005 at Madi, Chitwan
district, southern Nepal. According to a Maoist internet site, the Maoist
leadership has announced that it was carrying out a "serious investigation"
into the incident.
It
is not the first time the Maoist leadership has announced an investigation
in response to strong criticism for attacks on civilians. Amnesty International
is calling for immediate and effective action against those found to have
been responsible and for measures to be put in place to ensure it does
not happen again.
Background
In
a statement released on 7 June, the CPN (Maoist) leadership acknowledged
responsibility for the landmine explosion and reportedly stated that it
was "a mistake as it was aimed at government troops". The leadership also
expressed regret at its actions.
It
is a basic principle of international humanitarian law that persons fighting
in armed conflict must, at all times, distinguish between civilians and
combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives. The "principle
of distinction", as this rule is known, is the cornerstone of international
humanitarian law and binding on all parties to armed conflicts, whether
international or non-international. Whereas it is not unlawful to target
combatants for attack, specific rules are aimed at protecting civilians
and other non-combatants - they must not be the object of attack. Indiscriminate
attacks, including attacks on military objectives that are expected to
cause excessive loss of civilian lives or damage to civilian objects (the
principle of proportionality) are similarly prohibited, as is the use of
civilians as "human shields". In Nepal, both the CPN (Maoist) and the security
forces have repeatedly breached these rules.
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Stop
mining highways and roads
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November 2004
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The
'Himsa Birodh Abhiyan' (Campaign Against Violence) has asked the Maoist
leadership and activists to desist from placing landmines and explosives
on the roads and highways of the country. |
The
group said travel along roads and highways has become a hazardous and
fearful activity due to the placement of landmines, said to be targeted
at the security forces but which in fact also kill and maim ordinary citizens.
The Maoists
use of landmines on highways and roads affects the fundamental rights
of the people to use public space. HBA has asked the Maoists to restore
the rights of the Nepali people to travel the roads and highways without
fear of landmine attacks. The Maoists must
immediately end their practice of placing explosives on roads.
HBA
has said danger to citizens escalates when security personnel use public
transport in order to protect themselves from attack on highways.
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Landmine
victims in Nepal 2004
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October 2004
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A
total of 976 people have fallen victim
of landmine explosions in Nepal in the first six months of the year 2004,
the Ban Landmines Campaign Nepal (BLCN) said. Of those, 280 people have
died while others have been left badly bruised, disabled and terror-stricken. |
Landmine
action: September 2003
he
most affected territories include: Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Cambodia,
Iraq, Laos, Mozambique, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan. In the last year, mines
have been used in countries including Burma, India, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia
(Chechnya) and Nepal. |
Ban
Landmines Campaign Nepal (NCBL):
According
to the NCBL report 2002, a total of 720 people have fallen victims to landmines,
improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other explosives since January
to December 2002, of the total victims 202 have died in such explosions. |
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