Kathmandu, April 30, 2007

The Chure Bhawar Ekta Samaj (CBES) today agreed to call off its indefinite general strike in the Tarai region. The government talks team, led by Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel, assured the Samaj team during talks held today that the government would form a commission to investigate incidents that occurred during the agitation and release nine arrested people.

The three-hour long talks were held at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction. CBES president Keshav Prasad Mainali said they decided to withdraw the indefinite general strike in the Chure Bhawar Pradesh as the government talks team agreed to form a commission to probe the loss of life and property during the agitation and release nine arrested persons. He said the CBES would resume its agitation if the government fails to keep its promises.

Poudel said all problems could be resolved through talks and that the government would form a commission to probe the incidents and take initiative for the release of the arrested persons. Minister of State for Water Resources Gyanendra Bahadur Karki was also present during the talks. Other members of the Samaj who attended the talks included CBES secretary Badri Prasad Neupane, Ram Sharan Upreti, Parthamani Bhattarai and Shyam Shrestha.

The East-West Highway and neighbouring towns have remained closed for a week following the bandh called by the Samaj demanding separate Pradesh for the Chure region.

Maoists haven’t kept word: OHCHR

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)-Nepal today expressed concern about the CPN-Maoist’s ‘non-compliance’ with its formal commitments to allow displaced persons to return and to give back all their property and land.

It has also asked the party to allow unconditional, dignified and safe return of all displaced persons recognised as internally displaced persons (IDPs). Issuing a statement, the OHCHR asked the local Maoist leaders to return all land and property confiscated from the IDPs.

“CPN-Maoist leaders have long pledged to permit displaced people to return to their homes and to also return all their property . Now that they are part of the interim government it is time for them to prove that they have the will to ensure that those promises are transformed into action at the local level,” said Lena Sundh, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal.

“OHCHR’s regular monitoring activities in rural areas in recent months indicate a failure to implement such central-level commitments due to the attitude and activities of village-level Maoist cadres as well as the failure of the district level Maoist leaders to hold cadres accountable for not allowing or facilitating safe and sustainable return of IDPs,” the OHCHR said.