Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 8:

Three political parties have demanded the appointment of National Rapporteur for Nepal under the auspices of the United Nations to probe incidents of violations of commitment made by the government by signing a number of human rights and humanitarian instruments.

The demand for the appointment of National Rapporteur under Agenda 9 of Human Rights Protocol is usually made under circumstances when the nation, where it is being sought, is a “failed state” from the view point of compliance to human rights.

The call made yesterday was passed on to the UN today which bears the signatures of NC President Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN-UML stand-in General Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal and NC (D) President Sher Bahadur Deuba. This is the first time that Deuba and Koirala have signed a selfsame document which indicates the seriousness of the latest call to the UN. They have demanded the National Rapporteur in the light of abuses committed by both the government and the Maoists.

The statement states that the demand has been made in the light of instances of rights abuses and the state of impunity in the face of growing violence and intimidation, militarisation and anarchy while National Human Rights Commission and other agencies related to law enforcement have been rendered redundant.