Miscellaneous
NHRC to name names
Says recommendations for action against rights violators were unheededDewan Rai
The National Human Rights Commission has started drafting a working procedure for making public the names of officials or agencies that ignore its recommendations for action against rights violators.
NHRC Chairman Anup Raj Sharma, upon his appointment 16 months ago, had vowed to make public the names of individuals or institutions accused of human rights violations if the government continues to ignore its recommendations. The commission unable to do so in lack of required legal procedure, Sharma added.
As per the NHRC Act, individuals or institutions are required to report to the commission citing difficulties in implementing the recommendations within two months from the date of receiving the recommendations.
The government has informed the commission about its inability to implement the recommendations on only one case concerning a squatter who was displaced by the Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City.
In 15 years, the NHRC has investigated 737 cases, including 230 conflict-related ones. Of them, 105 recommendations were fully implemented, 352 cases were partially implemented and the remaining 280 cases were untouched. The Prime Minister’s Office, however, claims that the government has fully implemented the NHRC’s recommendations on more than 200 cases.
NHRC officials say the government selectively implemented some recommendations related to providing compensation to the victims while none of the rights abusers faced legal action.
“Besides, the government did not even bother to inform the commission as to why it failed to implement those recommendations,” NHRC Commissioner Prakash Osti said. The NHRC recently formed a committee under Osti to follow up on the status of its recommendations.
According to him, his team was studying all the cases to make sure they were thoroughly investigated with enough evidences to file chargesheets against the perpetrators. Amid reports of rights violations in Tarai protests, the government is highly unlikely to endorse the NHRC working procedure.
Ramesh Dhakal, head of Law and Human Rights Division at the PMO, said the government will have legal obligation to implement the recommendations of the rights watchdog.
On conflict-related cases, he said it was agreed in the Comprehensive Peace Accord that they would be dealt by the transitional justice bodies. The working procedures of the transitional justice bodies are awaiting the Cabinet nod for over five months now.
Full support to NHRC: PM
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has urged the National Human Rights Commission to be wary of citizen’s rights violations by “organised groups”.
In a meeting with the NHRC chair and commissioners on Tuesday, PM Oli drew the attention of the commission towards incidents of murder, looting, and intimidation carried out by these “groups”.
“The government is always ready to act if you feel threatened by the non-state actors,” said Oli. He added that the government would not be an obstacle in investigating the incidents. PM Oli asked the commissioners to prepare an objective report, as the commission is a part of the state.
Commission delegates briefed the prime minister on the public hardships created by the protracted Madhes agitation.
Oli told the delegates that he was fighting for protection of human rights for the past 51 years. He assured that the government was committed to human rights. (PR)