Major human rights violations continue with the declaration of emergency in Nepal. Various governments as well as international agencies have said that the democracy must be re-established in Nepal.

United Nations (UN) human rights experts have issued a joint statement expressing serious concern over the recent political development in Nepal.

Issuing a joint press communiqué on Wednesday, a group of human rights experts have stressed on the authorities to consider steps to reinstall democratic institutions and to protect Nepali citizens and their representatives as well as human rights defenders.

Meanwhile, a New York-based rights watchdog, Human Rights Watch, has also expressed concern over reports of what it said ongoing arrests in Nepal in the aftermath of declaration of the state of emergency last week.

Security forces in Nepal have confirmed overnight clashes between security forces and Maoist rebels in the far-western town of Dhangadhi. A body of a suspected insurgent has been recovered from the battle site. A few injured security personnel are undergoing treatment at the Dhangadhi hospital, according to the reports.

According to the state run Radio Nepal on Thursday afternoon, security forces managed to repulse the Maoist attempt to attack the District Administration Office, Regional Police Office, District Police Office and Dhangadi based branch office of the Nepal Rashtra Bank.

In addition, on February 10th, police detained around one dozen rights activists while they were staging peaceful demonstrations in the Nepali capital.

Around one dozen activists including vice president of Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES), Suresh Chandra Pokhrel, were detained by police while trying to protest the royal move of February 1. Police had detained founder president of HURPES, Krishna Pahadi, on Wednesday from his office at Kalikasthan, the Society said.

All public gatherings and demonstrations are banned in Nepal following the declaration of state of emergency last week.

Immediately after the declaration, government censorship was applied to all media outlets. Numerous journalists are reportedly underground and fear for their lives.

After ignoring foreign envoys for over a week, the king granted separate audiences to the ambassadors of India and the USA.

During the meeting, the ambassador conveyed India’s position and urged a return to democratic processes at the earliest. He emphasized the importance of bringing the political party leaders into a broad national consensus to enable Nepal to overcome the political and economic challenges confronting it. For this, it was necessary to remove all restrictions placed on Nepal’s political leaders since February 1, 2005

Similarly, a spokesman of the State Department of the US government has said the US is concerned about the welfare of human rights activists, leaders and students detained under the state of emergency in Nepal.

The government has lifted orders of house arrest against seven political leaders including former prime ministers K P Bhattarai and Lokendra Bahadur Chand as of Wednesday, February 9th, 2005.

A senior minister of the newly formed royal government has said that investigation over the illegally amassed property of political leaders will begin very soon. The minister said that homework to form a Royal Commission to investigate corruption cases was underway. Political leaders and human rights groups fear that this would be but another tool for justification of political oppression.

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