Nepal: rights activists harassed and attacked
Event- Country
- Nepal
- Initial Date
- Jan 20, 2013
- Event Description
The weekly magazine Lal Rakshak allegedly published an article containing various allegations against Ms. Sharma, Mr. Subodh Pyakhurel and Mr. Dixit, naming them as hostile to the Maoist political agenda and the peace process, as well as accusing them of crimes including corruption, labour exploitation and sexual violence. The article reportedly also mentioned Messrs. Sushil Pyakhurel, Charan Prasai and Kapil Shrestha. It is alleged that the Lal Rakshak article also contained a paragraph outlining the result of a survey the magazine had undertaken on what ought to be done about the persons named in the article. Reportedly, this included quotes by representatives stating that legal action against Ms. Sharma, Mr. Subodh Pyakhurel and Mr. Dixit would be fruitless due to their access to foreign funds, and that "people?s action" should be taken against them. "People?s action" in this context is understood to refer to punishment through violent attacks. It was allegedly used with this meaning during the violent conflict in Nepal during the 1990s and 2000s. Similar articles were allegedly printed in a number of local newspapers, including the 21 January 2013 edition of Gandaki Awaj (published in Pokhara), the 22 January 2013 edition of Taja Khabar (published in Rupandehi), and the online news portal Onlinekhabar. It is also alleged that calls for "people?s action" were repeatedly made on FMradio stations across Nepal against the above-mentioned members of AWC. Sources further inform that in an interview with Krishnasenonline, a Maoist-affiliated news portal, a spokesperson for the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN (Maoist) mentioned NGOs "who prefer dollars to the nation" and who had "called imperialist Britain to have Colonel Kumar Lama arrested" in exchange for dollars. The spokesperson allegedly made explicit mention of Ms. Sharma and the Advocacy Forum as having sent information to the British and so gotten Colonel Kumar Lama arrested. Reports have also been received of alleged harassment of Ms. Sharma and Advocacy Forum-Nepal. It is alleged that on 14 February 2013, Ms. Sharma received a warning from a government official that she should be careful, implying that the army might hinder Advocacy Forum?s work. In addition to this, Advocacy Forum reportedly received a letter from the District Administration Office soon after the arrest of Colonel Lama stating that an investigation would be undertaken against the organisation. Reportedly, a physical attack against Mr. Yadav Prasad Bastola took place on 28 February 2013, around 19:30, as he was walking back from Birendranagar to Vidhyapur Village Development Committee (VDC) -04, in Surkhet district, where he resides. Sources inform that as Mr. Bastola was walking through the jungle along this route, he noticed four unidentified persons following him, with covered faces.Two of the persons then reportedly blocked his way and proceeded to ask him whether he had written an article for the local newspaper ___Pahichen Daily?,consequently accusing him of "trying to send the Maoists to jail". It is alleged that the four persons were then joined by two other unidentified persons. They allegedly grabbed Mr. Bastola?s hand and neck and proceeded to beat his back with iron rods multiple times. Mr. Bastola reportedly fell to the ground while the beating with the iron rods continued and the assailants started to kick him with their boots. It is reported the assailants fled when two motorcycles approached the scene, allowing Mr. Bastola to escape. Sources inform that Mr. Bastola was helped by villagers and police in a nearby village and was consequently taken in a police van to the local hospital and later to Deuti Nursing Home for treatment. He was reportedly discharged the next day. It is reported that Mr. Bastola filed a First Information Report of the event on 1 March 2013 at the District Police Office in Surkhet. It is reported the police is still conducting an investigation.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Vilification
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Event Location
Latitude: 28.517456
Longitude: 81.7787021
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
In January and February 2013, Accountability Watch Committee (AWC) members -Ms. Mandira Sharma, who is also the Chairperson of the Advocacy Forum-Nepal, Mr. Subodh Pyakhurel, chairperson of the Informal Sector Services Centre (INSEC), Mr. Kanak Mani Dixit, journalist and editor of Himal magazine, Mr. Sushil Pyakhurel, former member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and currently Chair of AWC, Mr. Charan Prasai, Coordinator of the Joint Forum for Human Rights, and Mr. Kapil Shrestha, a former member of the NHRC- were subject to slander, intimidation, and harassment at the hands of Nepali authorities and unknown actors. In January, numerous state-aligned publications named them as hostil to Maoism and called for 'people's action' to be taken against them. Subsequently, they faced warnings from army officials, investigation, and physical attack. These attacks are likely connected to the AWC's role in providing information allowing for the prosecution of a Nepali Army Colonel in the UK in 2013 and their role in the arrest of five Maoist cadres for the murder of a journalist. On 22 March 2013 a Joint Urgent Appeal on the matter was issued to Nepali authorities by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non- recurrence.