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Nepal
in Crisis 2006: Human Rights
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| THREE
MONTHS OF CEASEFIRE |
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December
2005, INSEC
| THE
CEASEFIRE |
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| September
3, 2005 probably was the day many Nepali citizens felt a sigh of relief.
The reason: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) - the CPN (Maoist) declared
unilateral truce for three months. The press statement from Maoist Chairman
Prachanda brought rays of hope for peace among Nepali citizens, who were
dejected from violence.
"With
a deep sense of responsibility towards the democratic political way out
and aspiration of peace of the Nepalese people and with an aim of doing
away with doubts remaining in some circles about our movement, our party
declares a unilateral cease-fire for three months to be effective from
the date it has been publicized. |
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During
that period, the People's Liberation Army under our leadership will stay
at the state of active defense in which it will resist only when the enemy
attacks. The People's Liberation Army will not carry out any offensive
action on its own," wrote Prachanda in his statements that added, "We hope
and believe that this declaration of ours will inspire the entire forces
that desire for peace with a forward-looking political way out in Nepal
to take new initiative, in and outside of the country."
This statement of Prachanda declaring truce, which came unexpectedly, made
people optimistic in finding peaceful exit to the current crisis. Political
parties, civil society and people of every walk of life welcomed this move
of Maoist with Dashain and Tihar in the offing. Even the international
communities were no exception.
But throughout the three months period the government did not take any
initiative to reciprocate the truce and work for peaceful dialogue. People
were worried as the date of truce was about to expire. Though, a statement
from Prachanda on December 2 said that the Maoists had extended the truce
for one more month taking consideration of people's aspiration. This extension
has also been welcomed by national and international communities.
| SITUATION |
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It is not that people did not doubt Maoists' unilateral truce as they were
found breaching the 'spirit' of truce in the past. But with the declaration
coming, in a difficult situation facing the nation after the Royal takeover
of February 1, 2005 to assist in finding peaceful political solution, people
welcomed the truce and had expectation that the Maoist would abide by it.
It is the reason that people of every walk of life including the international
communities have been appealing the government to reciprocate the truce.
But the government has been reluctant on doing so and was not ready to
trust them, citing previous experiences. The Maoists also did not respect
their own commitment. They have been involved in killing of civilians,
crossfire, abduction, targeting of schools, beatings and incidents of loots.
Both the sides are seen responsible in human rights violations. A total
of 13 civilians have been killed by the Maoists whereas they have abducted
8777 persons, most of them being students and teachers. Though number of
killings from the Maoists has gone down there has been rise on incidents
of abduction. Notably the number of abduction went down in the latter months
of ceasefire as compared to the first month. For instance according to
INSEC data the Maoists had abducted 8057 persons but the total number of
abduction by the end of three months period was 8777.
Maoists targeted schools a lot. Community schools were the most to be affected.
This has directly violated child's right to education. Study of more than
30,000 students was affected by such closure called by the Maosits. There
are ample of examples where students were displaced following the terror
of Maoists. For instance, students of class 11 and 12 of Pshanand Higher
Secondary School in Bhojpur district were forced to flee away after Maoists
issued notice to take them away for recruitment. 54 students were compelled
to search a safe place. The Maoists have been terming it as their 'policy'.
The Maoists were also found beating civilians, students and even human
rights defenders. They even looted a sum of 6, 00,000 which was to be distributed
among community schools in Taplejung district. They looted medicine from
a health post in Ramechhap district. Similarly they looted the house of
one person in Ramechhap, which they had locked it times back and forced
the house owner to be displaced. They threatened different industries,
businessmen, government employees, schools and NGOs to pay tax, stop functioning
in Jhapa, Kavre, Morang, Kaski, Dailekh and Surkhet districts. They even
destructed houses of civilian and a historical temple in Dailekh and Dhankuta
districts respectively. They are still continuing their activity of detaining
people in their 'labor camp'.
On the other hand the government has been showing disrespect to the people's
aspiration of peace as has shown no mentality to declare bilateral truce.
Rather the government has increased its activity of searching villages,
arresting citizens and disappearing them. The security persons are even
seen of carrying out extra judicial killings. In the past when the presence
of security person would be nil in the villages, they are now seen actively
carrying out search operations in those areas. This has further endangered
the durability of the unilateral truce of the Maoists.
The security persons have killed 62 people during the three months of truce
mostly in acquisition of being Maoists. They have also arrested at least
214 persons from 35 districts in allegation of being Maoists. They have
also rearrested 36 persons from 11 districts who were released as per the
order of the court. All of them were serving imprisonment for being Maoist.
Security persons were found beating civilians for no reason in Ilam, Surkhet
and Darchula districts while carrying out search operations.
The most significant thing ceasefire has brought is the reduction of killing
during this three months period as compared to the three months before
the ceasefire. In the three months period (June-August) before the ceasefire
a total of 483 persons were killed whereas the number has reduced to 75
in the period of three months of ceasefire (September 03-December 02).
The thing to be noted here is: if unilateral ceasefire can bring such drastic
change in people's right to life, bilateral ceasefire will certainly create
a conducive environment for people to live in and pave the way for peace.
Credit
and Copyright
Human
Rights Document and Dissemination Centre (DDC)
INFORMAL
SECTOR SERVICE CENTRE (INSEC) |
P.O.
Box 2726, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel:
+977-1-4278770 Fax: +977-1-4270551
Email:
ddc@insec.org.np insec@insec.org.np
Website:
www.insec.org.np www.inseconline.org |
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INSEC |
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THREE
MONTHS OF CEASEFIRE
An
Assessment of Human Rights Situation during the
Unilateral
Ceasefire by CPN (Maoist) in Nepal
(September
03 - December 02, 2005)
Source:
INSEC
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PDF-File
504
KB
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