Kathmandu, May 22:

The National Human Rights Commission stated today that the government is not serious about protecting human rights.

The human rights watchdog, which was established in 2001, said government authorities did not implement 75 per cent of its directives and recommendations, which had called for rights protection.

Seeking the protection of human rights, the NHRC has so far issued 117 directives to several authorities, including the Prime Minister’s Office, the Home Ministry, Nepali Army, Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force. However, the authorities are yet to implement 111 directives concerning payment of compensation to the victims and punishment for culprits.

The Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007 has recognised the NHRC as a constitutional body. Holding the state party accountable for extra-judicial killing of 20 persons, the NHRC had directed the government to compensate the families of the victims and punish the culprits. But not a single directive on the payment of compensation to the bereaved families has been implemented, the NHRC said. The Maoists, too, have not punished the guilty and compensated the kin of two persons killed in detention, it said.

The NHRC had issued five directives on the violation of rights of juveniles, two on the killings in army barracks and one on a death in a jail. The NHRC said 6,509 cases were registered with it in seven years. The rights body disposed 1232 out of 6,509 cases, quashed 130 cases and did not proceed with 955 cases.

According to the NHRC, 800 people have been disappeared by the state and 300 by the Maoists. “This is a worst situation. The constitutional body’s directives are not respected, though the constitution has vested it with the authority to protect human rights,” NHRC member Gauri Pradhan told this daily.

The new team of NHRC commissioners, appointed last year, has decided 417 cases and directed government authorities to respect human rights. “The NHRC will give the authorities, who are disobeying NHRC directives, a chance to fall in line,” Pradhan said.