Government detains activists to foil rally

Prominent human rights activists and political leaders were arrested on Thursday by security personnel in an effort to upset a large political rally planned for Friday in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, aimed at mobilising a nationwide protest municipal elections scheduled on 8 February. Local human rights organisations, including National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Insec, Nepal’s foremost human rights organisation, and the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON), have already circulated a list of the arrested people. According to HURON, the number of arrests has reached 89 and is expected to increase further. The mass demonstration planned by the main seven political parties was expected to attract hundreds of thousands of participants from ordinary civilians to political workers and professional groups, including lawyers, teachers, journalists from both inside and outside the capital. The authorities were worried that the demonstration would be infiltrated by the Maoist rebels, who have been waging an armed rebellion against the state for the past 10 years. The security forces have already banned public buses carrying rally supporters from entering the capital from both east and west Nepal. In a bid to control communications, the government has ordered the Nepali Telecommunication Corporation to cut off mobile lines. A curfew imposed in Kathmandu has been extended to start at 8 pm. There are also reasons to believe that more curfews will be imposed during the day on Friday. Since Monday, the government has banned all political demonstrations. The Indian government was the first to criticise the government’s action and expressed grave concerns over curbs on democratic and peaceful protest. Indian ambassador to Nepal, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, has been called to New Delhi to brief his government on the political situation in the country. “The European Union (EU) heads of mission in Kathmandu are extremely concerned about the recent developments in Nepal, in particular about the arrests of democratic party leaders, members of civil society and human rights activists,” said an EU statement on Thursday. The EU also said it was urgently considering the implications of these developments. Madhab Nepal, leader of the country’s second largest party, Unified Marxist-Lennist (UML), said that the government was overreacting, adding that the protest rally would be held peacefully. Despite the ban and possible day curfew on Friday, political leaders said that they would not change their plans to go ahead with the mass demonstration. But they have warned of a countrywide strike if the state authorities cause any disruption. The Maoist rebels announced through a press statement that they would not take part in the mass rally. “We will not use any force or provoke violence during the peaceful protest of the seven parties,” said top Maoist leader Prachanda. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR) said that it was monitoring demonstrations and their policing but was seeking clarification from the government regarding the “measures imposed and the basis on which they are deemed necessary and proportional”. “We urge the government to maintain the maximum freedom of peaceful assembly consistent with legitimate security considerations and we call on those who organise or participate in demonstrations and rallies to act peacefully at all times,” said Ian Martin, OHCHR Nepal Representative.