The need for more mechanisms and measures aimed at addressing the problem of human rights violations in developing countries has often been discussed and stressed. At an inaugural function of the eighth annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Forum of the national human rights institutions in the capital on Monday, Nain Bahadur Khatri, the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has proposed the setting up of a regional human rights court, a regional human rights commission and a regional human rights document in order to tackle this problem. South Asia, and for that matter Nepal, is no exception. Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa told the meeting that the government is facing "serious challenges" in implementing human rights policies effectively because of the Maoist insurgency and mentioned the steps taken by the government to respect human rights.

Those in authority tend to violate human rights, if doing so is convenient to them and does not invite punishment. While meetings, seminars and conferences hold an importance of their own, more of them are no guarantee of an improvement in the situation. It is the duty of the government to respect these rights according to the letter and spirit of the Constitution, the laws of the land, and no less important, to the 16 international human rights conventions and additional protocols to which Nepal has been a signatory. Insurgency or emergency provides no excuse for violations. Even a terrorist has his human rights and his crimes should be dealt with according to the laws and conventions which the government has pledged to uphold.

Of particular importance are the calls by the international community, including the UN and human rights organisations, upon both the rebels and the government to sign a human rights accord to regulate their behaviours as they continue their war. Soon after Amnesty International expressed its concern over the alarming human rights situation, the latest to do so is United Nations special envoy Samuel Tamrat, who has urged both parties to sign such an accord, as drafted by the NHRC. The question of the constitutionality of the government apart, its failure to show a fairly good record on this front has affected its credibility in the public mind. By blaming the Maoists whom it has declared to be terrorists, the government cannot raise its stock. More people have probably been killed since the breakdown of the peace talks in August last year than during any similar period in eight years of the insurgency, but there is no sign of peace returning through military means. The donors, particularly the two large democracies with great clout in Nepal, need to show their concern over the matter in more serious and effective ways.