Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 24:

Even as a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said at a press conference today that the NHRC is against the imposition of emergency in the country, Nain Bahadur Khatri, the NHRC chairman, said at the same conference that the commission’s work is running smoothly despite the emergency. “We have been monitoring and probing human rights violations throughout the country without any problem. We recently opened our regional office in Biratnagar and plan to open our branch in Pokhara.” “The emergency is not acceptable to us. It was neither needed during former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s tenure nor is it needed now,” said NHRC member Kapil Shrestha at the press conference organised by the commission. Although Nepal’s human rights situation has not improved, it is not as bad as portrayed in the international media and community, he said, adding that the government and stakeholders should work together to improve the country’s image.

A delegation headed by NHRC chairman Khatri is leaving for Geneva in the first week of April to participate in the convention of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. “The NHRC will put forward challenges facing it and highlight the need of technical assistance for the protection of human rights,” said Kedar Prasad Poudel, the NHRC secretary and spokesperson. The commission has been visiting detention centres in recent days. It has met political leaders under house arrest and presented suggestions to the government on the protection of their human rights. It has forwarded recommendations concerning 19 complaints registered at the commission since October and called on the government to punish the guilty. The commission has recommended the government to provide damages to 37 individuals.