Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 5:

An Ireland-based human rights watchdog has expressed its concern over the “paralysed” human rights situation in Nepal, including arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists, human rights defenders and others. “The human rights situation here can only be described as drastic and tragic and on the edge of catastrophe and the civil society is no longer functioning as it should,” said Roger Clark, special representative of Frontline, who is here to assess the situation. Speaking at a press meet organised by the Frontline in coordination with the Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) here today he said one of the victims of the ongoing situation “is human rights itself, which is demoralised and depressed”. He visited Nepalgunj and Biratnagar to assess the rights situation.

He also expressed concern over disruption of monitoring work of the situation and travel restrictions on certain individuals within Nepal and to other countries. Clark objected to the government’s plan to “further control the work of NGOs and INGOs through a code of conduct” emphasising that such attempts should be halted. He called on authorities to immediately release Krishna Pahadi and all those who are under detention. However, Clark was not allowed to visit Pahadi. “The authorities must adopt a legal recourse even in times of emergency,” he said calling on both the government and the Maoists to respect the international conventions and humanitarian laws. Clark said he would take up Nepal’s issue in his country Canada before government representatives while his colleagues in Ireland will also do the same.