KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 7

The National Human Rights Commission submitting its annual report to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari today reported the country’s poor human rights situation this year.

Submitting the report of fiscal 2019-20, NHRC’s Secretary Bed Prasad Bhattarai stated that the existing caste-based discrimination, challenges to the right to life, lack of access to health and education, among other indicators, were depriving people of fundamental rights.

The report further states labour exploitation of foreign employees and increasing violence against women and children were contributing to degradation of quality of life.

Further, it says that the government has been failing to secure the rights of marginalised people, people of indigenous communities, people with disability, Dalits, women, minorities and senior citizens. Besides, the report states that the COVID-19 pandemic has further deteriorated the problem of such people.

The constitutional body appealed to the government to be sensitive towards protection and promotion of human rights and stated that it expected the situation to improve this year.

The human rights watchdog stated that a total of 132 complaints were registered with it in the fiscal year. Similarly, it completed investigating 795 complaints lodged this year and the previous years.

This year it undertook field inspection in relation to 128 cases.

The report complained that the government did not take action against those the human rights watchdog found guilty of different crimes. “We have so far recommended action against 280 perpetrators who had violated human rights. But, action has been very limited,” Bhattarai’s letter to President Bhandari stated. The letter further says, “The perpetrators, instead of being brought under the purview of law, are being felicitated.”

The report also sheds light on how failure to draft rules and regulation related to fundamental rights have hindered implementation of rights enshrined in the constitution.

It also states that people who suffered during the armed conflict are still deprived of justice notwithstanding the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 14 years ago.