A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

COCAP Appeal for Police Restraint During Democracy Demonstrations

Collective Campaign for Peace, COCAP, is coordinating the volunteer group of Human Rights Monitoring Network, formed by journalists, intellectuals, lawyers and students on 2 April 2004 to monitor the human rights situation during the ongoing agitation launched by the five parties.

Please Appeal to the Security Personnel to Respect the Human Rights of All People, Including Human Rights Defenders During the Ongoing Agitation in Kathmandu

Collective Campaign for Peace, COCAP, is coordinating the volunteer group of Human Rights Monitoring Network, formed by journalists, intellectuals, lawyers and students on 2 April 2004 to monitor the human rights situation during the ongoing agitation launched by the five parties. Between 3 – 7 April 2004, over 80 volunteers located at the frontlines of the agitators and the police, the Bir Hospital and the Kathmandu Model Hospital , and at different other locations in Kathmandu , have monitored the human rights situation. The police resorted to excessive and indiscriminate use of force on 2 and 4 April.  On 4 April, at least 150 people were injured by the police; dozens of them are still at the Kathmandu Model Hospital and Bir Hospital undergoing treatment.  One of the persons from Dhading was beaten on the head by the police on 2 April. He fell unconscious and remained stranded for about 12 hours, after which a hospital staff reportedly found him in the moratorium of Bir Hospital! He is not a party worker and had a plane ticket to Malaysia for 7 April 2004 . He has still not regained full consciousness and is in a very critical state.

The other days have been relatively peaceful, with both the agitators and the police using maximum restraint.

At least 5 COCAP volunteers were injured after the police beat them up on 4 April during the clashes between the police and the agitators, despite the very visible identity of the Monitors. Some of the police personnel even said, “beat up these Human Rights people”, while some others tried to convince their friends not to beat up the human rights volunteers. The volunteers continued rescuing the wounded even after the beating by the police. Over 40 injured civilians were rescued by the COCAP volunteers and taken to Bir Hospital during the very violent clashes between the police and the agitators; the humanitarian assistance was provided because competent rescue groups such as the Red Cross were not present.

During the agitation, COCAP volunteers also mediated very violent disputes, rescuing the wounded and convincing the people not to beat up other people. These scenes were covered by several television channels in Kathmandu. COCAP volunteers also convinced the agitators not to beat up one of the security personnel, trapped in a toilet surrounded by the agitators during a very violent phase of the clashes. COCAP volunteers also facilitated peaceful discussion between the agitators and the police near Bir Hopsital in the middle of the clashes.

COCAP is very concerned about the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by the police during the clashes. Even volunteer Human Rights Monitors have not been spared. We talked to the high level police officers about the beating up of our volunteers, and have been promised such things will not be repeated. We request all the concerned people to appeal to the government and the security personnel to respect human rights of people as well as human rights defenders.

Specifically, please appeal them to: (a) use force only when absolutely necessary, (b) provide clear warnings repeatedly before resorting to the use of force, (c) stop using bullets and other devices banned internationally (d) follow the exiting laws of the country to the letter when applying force, and (e) conduct immediate and transparent investigation into the excesses by some security personnel and prosecute the guilty human rights violators as per the provisions of the existing laws of the country.

COCAP, on behalf of the Human Rights Monitoring Network, issues press releases everyday and is operating a hotline to collect, process and disseminate information related to the human rights situation during the agitation. Please call 977-1- 4265143 / 4260498 or e-mail at coordinator@cocap.org.np or visit our website www.cocap.org.np for more information.

Your cooperation and assistance counts a lot. A small step from your side will make a huge difference – maybe between life and death of a fellow human being!

Dinesh Prasain
Coordinator
Human Rights Monitoring Network / COCAP