Rights activists have raised concern over the rise of impunity in the country as show by the recent brutal murder of businessman Ram Hari Shrestha and asked the Maoist leadership to publicly express their commitment to end it.
Speaking at a program organized by Reporters Club Nepal in the capital Wednesday, Sushil Pyakurel, a prominent human rights activist, said there is an urgent need to end all kinds of impunity in the country, but said the government has largely been seen helpless in this front.
He also blamed United Nation Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) of failing to properly monitor the Maoist cantonments and said that the UN body remaining unaware of the brutal murder of businessman Shrestha inside Chitwan’s Shaktikhor located PLA cantonment “has raised question on its credibility”
Pyakurel also advised that prior to forming the new government under its leadership the Maoists needs to take the people into their confidence by vowing not to engage in violence from now on.
Echoing Pyakurel’s views, journalist Kanak Mani Dixit said that the civil society needs to raise a strong voice to end all kinds of impunity in the country and also asked Maoist supremo Prachanda to publicly express his commitment that the party won’t engage in any kinds of violence in the future.
Similarly, speaking at the same program human rights activists Mandira Sharma said that till the time impunity reins supreme violence won’t end in the country.
Sharma said that they have sent a strong-worded letter to Maoist chairman Prachanda asking him to probe Ramhari Shrestha’s murder and immediately make the perpetrators involved in the incident public.
She also drew the attention of the state and the Maoist leadership towards the threats issued by Maoists cadres to the family members and the doctors who revealed the truth behind Shrestha’s murders. nepalnews.com ag May 21 08
