Kathmandu, September 20, 2005

More than 10 demonstrators were injured and 366, including 80 university teachers, detained from rallies organised here to protest against the King’s takeover. The university teachers were detained from Ghantaghar as they took out a silent rally defying prohibitory orders. Police intervened at the gate of the Tri-Chandra College when the rally had just started. The teachers demanded intellectual freedom and peace in the country. Nepal University Teachers Association (NUTA) president Bhupati Dhakal, general secretary Rameshwor Upadhyay, former presidents Khagendra Bhattarai and Suprebha Ghimire were among those arrested. Dhakal and Upadhyay said the King’s February 1 takeover had curtailed people’s rights. A movement to restore democracy is the only way to take back people’s freedom and rights from the King, they said. Later in the day, a women-led rally of the seven-party alliance started from Dillibazaar and moved towards Putalisadak, a restricted area. Police personnel intervened as the demonstrators tried to enter the restricted zone in Putalisadak. The demonstrators, however, managed to break several layers of police cordon to reach the restricted areas and Ratnapark. The protesters chanted slogans against monarchy and called for a democratic republic.

OHCHR concern over use of force in demos

Kathmandu, September 20, 2005

The representative of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Ian Martin, has conveyed to the authorities OHCHR’s serious concern over reports of excessive use of force by the police in their bid to quell public demonstrations. In a press statement issued here today, Martin also voiced deep concerns over reports of the demonstrators being batoncharged and abused and also over the increasing restrictions on peaceful public gatherings. Regarding police response to the protest programmes in Kathmandu, the OHCHR said it has received information on incidents of police pelting stones at demonstrators leading to injuries, the use of tear gas in close proximity to the demonstrators and in the vicinity of hospitals and schools. It also said it has received reports of the arrest of demonstrators on questionable grounds, the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by some policemen while taking demonstrators into custody, the failure to give access to medical care for the injured and the threats and injuries to rights monitors and members of the press observing the demonstrations. The statement said it was concerned over the ban imposed on peaceful public gatherings in Kathmandu and other districts even after four months of the state of Emergency being lifted. The OHCHR further said violence used by some participants in some of the rallies was deplorable.