US govt report paints dismal picture of human rights situation in Nepal

A new report by the US government painted a dismal picture of human rights situation in Nepal in 2009, with over 229 people being killed in that year. According to the report, security forces killed 37 people and the Maoist killed four. Similarly, Terai armed groups killed 21 while 141 people were murdered by unknown groups.

During the year, the fate of many of those who disappeared during the 10-year Maoist insurgency remained unknown, whose estimates are put at 835 by National Human Rights Commission and 1365 by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

There were also numerous cases of arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and manhandling by the state authorities.

There was significant internal conflict in the Terai. Numerous armed groups, many ethnically based, clashed with each other and with the local population. Police had a limited mandate and were unable fully to promote law and order. Members of the Maoists, the Maoist-affiliated YCL, and other ethnically based splinter groups in the Terai frequently committed acts of violence, extortion, and intimidation throughout the year.

The report has also raised alarm bells over the forceful repatriation of the Tibetans who fled Tibet through Nepal into India.

There were numerous reports that police and other local officials harassed Tibetans engaged in daily activities. Police reportedly conducted random checks of identity documents of Tibetans, including monks. Reportedly, these checks sometimes included threats of deportation, followed by requests for bribes. nepalnews.com