ASIA/NEPAL-NGOs: No amnesty for war crimes and human rights abuses

Saturday, 3 September 2011

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Kathmandu (Agenzia Fides) - No amnesty for past war crimes and human rights abuses is what is asked in an open letter to the Prime Minister by the four NGOs': "Advocacy Forum" "Amnesty International "," Human Rights Watch, "and the" International Commission of Jurists " in Nepal. The letter, sent to Fides, calls upon the new Prime Minister of Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai, and his government to honor its commitment "to ensure that perpetrators of human rights during the civil war are held accountable before courts of law". The letter was issued in reaction to an agreement between the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the opposition parties which provides for the "withdrawal of criminal cases committed during the country’s armed conflict" as encouragement for national reconciliation. According to NGOs, however, this agreement threatens the principle of constitutional supremacy, judicial independence and the rule of law.": "The proposal to grant amnesty to people accused of human rights abuses would deny victims of these crimes their fundamental rights", including the right to an effective remedy, said Mandira Sharma, director of Advocacy Forum.
The letter reminds that amnesty is prohibited under international law and clashes also with the recent jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of Nepal.
"We understand the need to forge consensus among political parties to bring the peace process and and Constitution writing process to a satisfactory conclusion," said Sam Zarifi, Asia director at Amnesty International. "However, this should not be done at the expense of justice and safeguarding the rights of Nepal’s people."
The four organizations, hope for "truth and reconciliation", they ask the new Prime Minister for an unequivocal public commitment not to grant amnesty, especially for crimes that could amount to violations of international law as war crimes, crimes against humanity, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 03/09/2011)