Rights abuses continue unabated: NHRC

Kathmandu, April 21

The National Human Rights Commission said it received a total of 210 complaints of human rights violation during the fiscal 2016-17.

According to the NHRC annual report recently made public, the rights body carried out investigation into 220 backlog and new complaints registered at different points of time at the NHRC. Altogether 350 monitoring programmes on various issues related to human rights were also conducted.

“Based on the facts received from the monitoring and investigation, a total of 201 cases were resolved which included 45 recommendations (38 for compensation and for legal action and seven policy recommendations), one settlement, 63 annulment and 92 to be kept under consideration. Of the recommendations made by the NHRC, legal action and compensation has been advised in 38 cases.

Similarly, the recommendations also include free medical treatment, payment of the medical treatment cost, instruction not to use excessive force unless as provided by the law, take legal action against the guilty and reforms in the medical examination carried out during custody and in the post-mortem report.

There report said there was a state of impunity in the country due to political instability, unstable and weak government, poor situation of implementation of the law and political patronage to the guilty of human rights violation and those involved in crimes. Impunity has been encouraged in the absence of failure to take effective legal action against those found guilty by the NHRC and those punished by the court.

“The condition of enforcement of the verdicts of the Supreme Court and low rate of enforcement of the recommendations made by the NHRC to the government (14.3 per cent full enforcement, 47.9 per cent partial enforcement and 37.8 per cent non-implementation) also give an indication of the state of impunity in the country,” it warned.

Peaceful demonstrations held in the name of accomplishment of rights have on many occasions turned violent and the demonstrators have even vandalised the vehicle carrying member of the NHRC, which shows that there are many challenges in the protection of human rights, the report said.

The rights watchdog said the country had not been able to move forward as expected in the post ten-year armed conflict and in implementation of the constitution. Even though local level elections were held after a gap of two decades under the new federal structure, the country is yet to complete the transitional phase.

“It is hence having a direct negative impact on the rule of law and protection and promotion of human rights, and in the development of human rights culture. As the incidents of human rights violation took place during the conflict are yet to be addressed, conflict survivors have still not been able to get a sense of justice,” it said.