ReD_ReBeL
13th February 2006, 04:12
Amnesty asks for arms embargo on Nepal
By Sudeshna SarkarKathmandu:
As the armed conflict in Nepal turns a decade old, international rights watchdog Amnesty International has urged foreign governments providing arms to the kingdom to impose an embargo until the human rights situation improved "significantly".
"Ten years of war and political instability have turned the human rights situation in Nepal into one of the worst in the world - and the international community has a critical role to play in reversing the decline," Amnesty said in a statement issued Friday.
"In over a decade of conflict we have seen the human rights situation steadily worsen, with increasing numbers of civilian killings and injuries and, for a time, the highest number of reported 'disappearances' in the world," said Irene Khan, Amnesty's secretary general.
"Without urgent action from the international community and all parties in Nepal, a new generation will grow up knowing nothing but bloodshed and conflict."
According to Khan, there has been a sharp escalation of violence in recent weeks with police using "excessive force" against those protesting against the controversial municipal elections held on Wednesday.
There are fears of further violence as the Maoist guerrillas celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 'People's War' launched on Feb 13, 1996, when they attacked a police post and began an armed insurgency that has since then killed over 13,000 people.
"Hundreds more have 'disappeared', been tortured, abducted, raped or recruited as child soldiers. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes behind to live in miserable conditions in temporary housing," Amnesty said.
"The international community has a critical role to play in preventing further deterioration of the human rights situation," Khan said. "They need to continue to pressure the government to respect human rights and to meet their obligations under international law - including by restoring basic freedoms such as the right to peacefully demonstrate."
To bring added pressure, Amnesty is urging the international community to review Nepal's participation in peacekeeping operations abroad in view of the Royal Nepalese Army's "poor human rights record at home".
It is also asking the foreign governments that continue to supply weapons to Nepal to impose an arms embargo until the human rights situation has significantly improved.
While Nepal's major arms donors India and the US suspended lethal arms supply after King Gyanendra seized power through a bloodless coup last year, China and Israel have been supplying arms and ammunition to the Royal Nepalese Army with negotiations on to get supplies from Pakistan as well.
If every country stops supplying the monarchy with arms , this is going to speed up the rate of the peoples war, due to the loss of power on the kings side. Future looks bright for the Maoists.
By Sudeshna SarkarKathmandu:
As the armed conflict in Nepal turns a decade old, international rights watchdog Amnesty International has urged foreign governments providing arms to the kingdom to impose an embargo until the human rights situation improved "significantly".
"Ten years of war and political instability have turned the human rights situation in Nepal into one of the worst in the world - and the international community has a critical role to play in reversing the decline," Amnesty said in a statement issued Friday.
"In over a decade of conflict we have seen the human rights situation steadily worsen, with increasing numbers of civilian killings and injuries and, for a time, the highest number of reported 'disappearances' in the world," said Irene Khan, Amnesty's secretary general.
"Without urgent action from the international community and all parties in Nepal, a new generation will grow up knowing nothing but bloodshed and conflict."
According to Khan, there has been a sharp escalation of violence in recent weeks with police using "excessive force" against those protesting against the controversial municipal elections held on Wednesday.
There are fears of further violence as the Maoist guerrillas celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 'People's War' launched on Feb 13, 1996, when they attacked a police post and began an armed insurgency that has since then killed over 13,000 people.
"Hundreds more have 'disappeared', been tortured, abducted, raped or recruited as child soldiers. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes behind to live in miserable conditions in temporary housing," Amnesty said.
"The international community has a critical role to play in preventing further deterioration of the human rights situation," Khan said. "They need to continue to pressure the government to respect human rights and to meet their obligations under international law - including by restoring basic freedoms such as the right to peacefully demonstrate."
To bring added pressure, Amnesty is urging the international community to review Nepal's participation in peacekeeping operations abroad in view of the Royal Nepalese Army's "poor human rights record at home".
It is also asking the foreign governments that continue to supply weapons to Nepal to impose an arms embargo until the human rights situation has significantly improved.
While Nepal's major arms donors India and the US suspended lethal arms supply after King Gyanendra seized power through a bloodless coup last year, China and Israel have been supplying arms and ammunition to the Royal Nepalese Army with negotiations on to get supplies from Pakistan as well.
If every country stops supplying the monarchy with arms , this is going to speed up the rate of the peoples war, due to the loss of power on the kings side. Future looks bright for the Maoists.