Kathmandu, April 17:

Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ian Martin, today met with Home Secretary Bal Krishna Prasain and conveyed the OHCHR’s serious concern over human rights violations in the context of policing recent demonstrations and arrests, and subsequent detentions.

“I told the Home Secretary in the clearest terms of the concerns of our office, and our expectation that his ministry take responsibility for implementing measures that will ensure the protection of human rights in the course of policing demonstrations and the provision of acceptable conditions for those detained,” said Martin, who left for Geneva late this evening. He will attend a meeting called by the Swiss government’s Department of Foreign Affairs’ Political Division to discuss Nepal’s situation in Geneva tomorrow. Martin expressed his concern over “use of excessive force” by security forces in Gongabu and other places witnessed by OHCHR-Nepal staff.

According to an official at the OHCHR, Martin also acknowledged that police faced a difficult task in policing large demonstrations, some of which had seen violence resulting in police suffering injuries in course of their duty. “However, he (Martin) insisted on the authorities’ legal obligation to use only minimum necessary force in accordance with international standards on the use of force and firearms,” said the OHCHR official. Secretary Prasain, according to officials, assured the OHCHR representative that appropriate instructions had already been issued to security forces. During the meeting, Martin insisted investigations be held into the killing of demonstrators and bystanders in Pokhara, Chitwan, Banepa and Nawalparasi and the use of excessive force in Gongabu.

Martin also raised serious concern over widespread use of the Public Security Act, despite recent rulings by the Supreme Court that such arrests conducted last January were illegal.

Martin will present a report on the human rights situation in Nepal at the Geneva meeting, which will be attended by some representatives of civil society from Nepal also and members of the diplomatic community in Geneva. The OHCHR representative will also hold a meeting with the UN High Commissioner Louise Arbour. The Swiss government had invited government officials to attend the meeting but the government is not sending any to Geneva.

Nepal Bar Association president Shambhu Thapa, Mandira Sharma of the Advocacy Forum and human rights activist Gopal Siwakoti Chintan have also left for Geneva.