Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 20:

The National Human Rights Commission today expressed deep concern over news reports accusing its chairman Nain Bahadur Khatri of speaking against the image and “impartiality” of the commission at the 61st session of the UNCHR.

“I’m very surprised to learn the media reported things not discussed during closed door meetings at the convention,” said Khatri addressing a press meet here today. According to Khatri, everything was perfect and the commission was doing its duties well, but right after the royal move of February 1, everyone had been questioning the commission.

“How could the perception towards the commission change overnight?” he asked.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on December 24 between the government and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on providing technical assistance to NHRC has been scrapped with a fresh MoU being signed at the convention.

The OHCHR will set up its office in the country and conduct its monitoring work, said Khatri emphasising the NHRC may not receive any technical assistance but “we do not know the details of the MoU”.

Khatri also made public his statements made at the CHR and APF meets at Geneva concerning human rights violations.

“The suspension of fundamental rights, preventive detention and mass arrests of political leaders, human rights activists, journalists and restriction on the movement of several people have created a difficult situation for our commission,” Khatri reportedly said during the convention.