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

Nationwide Protest: 4/12/06

Marked the Seventh Day of the General Strike

COCAP Report – April 12, 2006: Kathmandu

 

COCAP HR Monitoring Team has resumed its monitoring on the seventh day of general strike. The team has found the Police intervention in a peaceful rally organized by the Federation of Journalists in Nepal at Bhirkuti Mandap, Kathmandu in the early morning of 12th April 2006. Police arrested several journalists from the site. As reported police kicked one of the journalist named, Binod Pahari mercilessly. Some of the detainees’ names are as under:

 

1. Binod Pahari
2. Mahendra Bista
3. Devraj Rimal
4. Bimala Sharma
5. Dambar Giri
6. Ishwori Wagley
7. Kishore Shrestha
8. Bharatraj Pokhrel
9. Shyam Basnet
10. Chetnath Damala
11. Kapil Kafley
12. Surya Neupane
13. Sanat Acharya
14. Nirmala Sharma
15. Rajendra Aryal
16. Kishore Shrestha
17. Ramji Dahal
18. Damodar Dabadi
19. Punya Bhandari
20. Ishwori Neupane
21. Deepak Acharya
22. Amarnath Dakal
23. Shribabu Karki
24. Navaraj Sharma
25. Sitaram Baral
26. Rohit Dahal
27. Santosh Kandel
28. Bharat Khadka
29. Nandarishi Neupane
30. Krishna Humagain
31. Shiv Devkota etc.

 

Police on 12th April 2006, arrested large number of people from various places of Kathamandu, staging demonstration against government. Name list of some of the detainees is as under:

 

1. Shri Prasad Shah
2. Shyam Sundar
3. Tulsi Pokhrel
4. Satyaraj Bhandari
5. Rajendra Dhital
6. Bhagwati Kafle
7. Sashank Koirala
8. Chaya Devi Parajuli

 

In the same manner, senior literary figures and stage-artists from the valley staged a protest against the atrocities of the government in Gurukul Theatre in New Baneshwor area. The artist marched ahead chanting anti government and pro-democracy slogans. They walked till Old Baneshwor area. The title of the rally was given “Srijana Yatra” Police intervened and chased the artists back till the Gurukul once again. Police fired two round of cartridge and many shells of teargas and baton charged at the protestors. Many artists were injured including Desh Bhakta Khanal and many artists were detained from the site.

 

Name list of some of the detainees:

1. Dr. Tulashi Prasad Bhattarai
2. Kusum Gewali
3. Ganesh Paudyal
4. Ram Kumar Rai
5. Raju Man Dongol
6. Manoj Neupane
7. Hari Govinda Luintel
8. Desh Bhakta Khanal
9. Yubraj Ghimire
10. Dr. Sanjit Uprety
11. Bhola Raj Sapkota
12. Thakur Belbase
13. Aaram Dongol etc.

 

The focal point of COCAP, Udayapur, NESPEC, has reported its monitoring report from the site. A peaceful protest rally was taken out at early morning in Ghaighat to extend their solidarity to the ongoing national shut down organized by the seven party alliance to topple down autocracy and to restore democracy. The rally consisted of around 700 people with equal representation of both men and women, and was headed under women leadership. The participants of the rally included students, political leaders, journalists, human right activists, teachers, members from civil society organizations etc. The rally was marching ahead to the District Police Office shouting anti government and pro democracy slogans. Police intervened the rally and district superintend of police Mr. Madhav Basnet gave ordered to disperse the crowd by the use of force. The police mercilessly baton charged the protestors using unprecedented force. In the process several protestors were injured and hurt. Police severely manhandle human right activist and several of them were injured during the clashes with the police. Many of them fractured their arms, legs and fingers by the police beating. The police used maximum forces to suppress the agitation.

 

Name list of some of the detainees from Udayapur:

 

Leaders-

1. Baldev Chaudhary
2. Shyam Rai
3. Bimala Dhungana

 

Human Right Activists-

1. Mohan Gole
2. Shashi Chandra Giri
3. Basudev Khadka
4. Pratima Pokhrel
5. Shyam Dhungana
6. Pavitra Parajuli etc.

 

The Midwestern focal point of COCAP, SWEET Nepal, has reported that there was vigorous protest by the people of all walks of life. Early in the morning there was protest rally by women. Then there was protest rally organized by Professors and lecturers. The agitators have omitted the word ROYAL on a board of Royal Nepalese Airlines Corporation.

The Far Western focal point, SWEE Nepal, Mahendranagar, has reported that there was total strike in all the offices except few governmental ones. There was clash between police and protesters causing two severely injured. There was large rally of around 5,000 people of the civil society in the city. The people have destroyed he statue of King Mahendra. There is reported to be curfew from 8 o’clock to 6 in the morning.

 

(On behalf of the COCAP HR Monitoring Team)