5) The country's human rights situation is worsening significantly. We
are requesting that United Nations and human rights organizations
conduct human rights monitoring in Nepal
Signatories:
1) Subodh Raj Pyakural, INSEC
2) Govinda Bandi, Nepal Bar Association [Human Rights Committee]
3) Shobhakar Budhadhoki, CEHURBS ?
4) Pradeep Shankar Wagle, Nepal Bar Association [Human Rights Committee]
5) Rajesh Hamal, Advocacy Forum
6) Madhav Pradhan, CIWIN Nepal
7) Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, Mahendra Narian Smriti Pratestan
8) Usha Titikshu, Civic Solidarity for Peace
9) Dinesh Prasain, Collective Campaign for Peace (CoCAP)
10) Samir Nepal, Human Rights Alliance
11) Gopal Siwakoti, INHURED
12) Surya Bahadur XXX, NGO Federation
13) Anil Bhattarai, Nepal South Asia Center (NESAC)
14) Swanaam, Civic Solidarity for Peace
All 14 signatories of the document are now under threat of arrest by
RNA, who is searching for the activists. They are living underground.
***
From an interview with Shankar Pokhrel, Director of Media Relations,
CPN-UML, February 5 * Pokhrel has been in hiding since the February 1
announcement. His home has been searched and he is known to be on the
1,000 person list of UML party members whom the RNA has been given
orders to arrest. * Since Feb 1, he has stayed in three houses over four
days, frequently moving from place to place to avoid his path from being
traced by the RNA. * He has been able to communicate with other party
members during the brief periods where phones have been restored and the
party is gathering information and making a plan at these times. * The
RNA has a list of 1,000 people to arrest, divided into three categories.
Category A is called "sensitive persons" and consists of people with the
capacity to lead the masses, who are spokespeople and ery well-known.
Category B is for Central Committee Members and Category C is for
general cadre. * The 3 main leaders of CPN-UML are under house arrest. *
10-12 other leaders are in police custody. * 200+ active workers from
CPN-UML are also in police custody. * Leaders of Nepali Congress are
also under house arrest and in police custody. * This is occurring in
districts throughout Nepal. * The CPN-UML held a meeting to form an
agenda and address the king's proclamation, and addressed three issues:
1) The CPN-UML has officially declared their opposition to the king's
announcement. This proclamation is illegal, non-democratic and
unconstitutional. In the name of solving the problem the king is
attempting to extend his intentions and authority.
2) The CPN-UML declares their priority for united within all political
parties against the announcement of the king. The first priority is to
establish unity within all parliamentary (officially recognized)
parties.
However, the CPN-UML also would like to bring non-parliamentary parties,
including Maoists, into a unified platform and struggle for a peaceful
revolution against the king. The CPN-UML has invited the Maoists to join
"cease terrorits acts and join hand to hand for a peaceful revolution."
The CPN-UML has given higher priority to go against the announcement of
the king than to oppose the Maoists. They are appealing to the Maoists
to "join with the [CPN-UML] in a peaceful way."
3) The CPN-UML is seeking to organize a popular movement against the
king by networking with different political parties. * When asked how he
felt about many Nepali's comments that they did not regret the
suspension of political parties due to corruption and mismanagement by
political parties since the beginning of democracy, he said "democracy
has done many positive things to strengthen civil society for the
public." * Pokhrel also said, "the government is only in the city. If
the Maobodi allow the parties to organize in the village they can
harness their popular support and organize against the king." *
"compared to the political parties, the monarchy has a much worse
reputation. Don't measure the political parties based on the word on the
street. Today if elections took place 80% would vote for the political
parties and 10% would vote for the monarchy." * However, there is very
little support for the leaders of the political party. "The present
cabinet has only 2% of the popular vote." This distrust of party leaders
is the reason why many Nepalis are expressing support of the king's
decision. * "Over the last 14 years we have made a lot of mistakes,
which we are now realizing. Now there is lots of dialogue within the
party and we are going to go forward with a new path." * "Our first
mistake was that we made a lot of compromises with the monarchy. We knew
it was a mistake, [catering to the king's wishes], but we weren't able
to communicate to the people [that we were acting on the king's
command]" * When asked if CPN-UML had to choose between the king and
Maoists today, Pokhrel responded, "the question is not 'to whom we
choose', but 'when will the Maoists and King choose the people?' We
would choose ourselves!" * Pokrel said that "the Maoists are more
capable of changing" than the King, i.e., the Maoists are more likely to
make compromises and come forward to work for a peaceful resolution, so
they are more likely to work with the Maoists than the king. * "The
Maoists are in a good position after February 1. Because of the king's
announcement lots of people will go to the Maoists and join forces." *
When asked if CPN-UML members would join the Maoists, Pokhrel responded,
"We are trying to make a movement. If we are not able to make a strong
movement [due to suppression from the monarchy], many will join the
Maoists. But no one will join the monarchy." * When asked if he had
plans to flee the country to escape arrest, he said, "We are Nepali
people. We don't need to leave. We operated underground for years during
the Panchayat regime, and we will survive now." * Before Feb 1, Pokhrel
was the Director of the Education Department for CPN-UML. Since Feb 1,
he has been named Director of Media Relations for CPN-UML. He is the
former president of the Nepal National Free Students Union. He is 41 and
has two daughters.
Michael Hutt
(Note, the details included in this email on BBC jounalist Netra KC have been denied by Mr. KC himslef)
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