Impunity, social discrimination must end: OHCHR-Nepal chief
Head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal), Lena Sundh, has said impunity, lawlessness and social discrimination must end as the Nepal moves towards peace after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government and the Maoists.
Addressing a programme organised by human rights NGOs in the capital on Saturday, on the eve of International Human Rights Day, Sundh said the OHCHR-Nepal would now focus on three issues – end to impunity, well-functioning law enforcement with criminal justice system and end to social discrimination – during the transitional phase, apart from monitoring the human rights situation.
“Firstly, impunity must be ended, especially for serious human rights abuses. Those who hold positions of power and public responsibility must be accountable to the public, not least State security forces. It is essential to create a new culture within the security forces, including any new or reformed security forces, of being accountable before the law, to ensure that there is no repetition of human rights violations,” Sundh, who arrived in Nepal last month as head of the UN rights body, said, noting that serious abuses were committed by both sides during the conflict and that there might be dangerous consequences for future human rights protection if these abuses are merely swept under the carpet – supposedly in the interests of peace.
She further said, “Second, there must be a well functioning law enforcement and criminal justice system. Nepal Police must be redeployed to posts in communities across the country, and carry out their duties in a professional and effective manner in order to re-establish the rule of law. Providing security through civilian policing is among the most important of the State's human rights obligations.”
It is essential to address longstanding discrimination against and social exclusion of Nepalis such as Dalits, indigenous peoples, communities such as Badis, groups such as ex-Kamaiyas, people with disabilities and sexual minorities, she said.
Saying that it is not an easy task to address and change deep-rooted discrimination, she said commitments expressed in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which has opened the way to change, must be met with practical measures during the transition period to ensure that those peoples who have been traditionally left out of the political process are able to participate equally in the shaping of the new Nepal.
She also called for measures to address the poverty in Nepal.
“In Nepal, one of the poorest countries in Asia, there is a direct link between discrimination and poverty for millions of people – discrimination creates obstacles for people to have access to opportunities and resources,” she observed, “The State has an obligation to take immediate and long term measures to eliminate discrimination and so address one of the root causes of poverty. For example, the situation of women in Nepal clearly varies depending on which community they belong to.” nepalnews.com mk Dec 09 06
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