A Voice For the Voiceless

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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 Rallies: 4/25/06

People Demanding for Constituent Assembly

COCAP Report – April 25, 2006: Kathmandu

 

HR Monitoring team of COCAP has continued its monitoring in the valley today as well. Significantly, there were seen massive rallies in the major areas of the city as well the alleys. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the ring road are as well as the conflict hit areas during earlier protestations.

 

HR Monitoring team of COCAP has observed the victory rally throughout the valley. Significantly, COCAP volunteers helped one alleged vigilante, Shanta Bahadur Gurung, Gorkha, who was severely beaten by the public and demonstrators without any serious cause. He was supposed to have carried a national flag of Nepal. The monitoring team has rescued the injured person to the Bir Hospital and did further treatment afterwards.

 

To dismiss the agitators, police has baton charged at the public and fired tear gas in the site where Shanta Bahadur, a commoner, was beaten by demonstrators . During the tussle, Usha Titishu, Photographic volunteer of COCAP, has been injured by a shell of tear gas and she has been treated in Bir Hospital.

 

Similarly, the team had special volunteerism along with monitoring in the mass meeting at Khulamanch, Kathmandu, which was addressed by the representatives of seven political parties and organized by civil society. Tens of thousands of excited people were hearing the high sounding and motivating speech by the leaders there. The leaders included Lilamani Pokhrel, Rajendra Rai, Hari Roka, Kishor Pahadi, Anil Jha, Gagan Thapa, Chhaya Devi, Pradip Giri and other many young leaders as well as the individuals from civil society.

 

The tussle in front of Bir Hospital resulted in injury of more commoners when police baton charged some people mercilessly. Some of more injured persons include:

·        Bidur Giri

·        Ramesh Giri

·        Kedar Kafle

·        Tenju Sherpa etc.

 

Cautioning the seven-party alliance (SPA) leadership not to compromise on the rights of the people in the future, the demonstrators of the rallies chanted slogans. “Up with democracy,” “Down with autocracy,” “Hold election to a constituent assembly,” were major slogans chanted by the people during the victory rallies.

 

Rallies were organized in Satdobato, Lalitpur, Chabil etc and went through major parts of the capital. Another “huge” rally which began from Koteshwor passed through Ring Road with huge peoples participation. Similarly, rallies with thousands participating were taken out from Gongabu, Kirtipur and various other parts that were much popular during the pro-democracy movement.

 

As reported by our Eastern Focal point, NESPEC , Udayapur,  tens of thousands of people have taken to streets from early Tuesday welcoming the reinstatement of the dissolved parliament. There are reports of lighting lamps by local people in Dharan, Dhankuta and other parts of the country. There was organized a rally  led by donkeys symbolizing failure of monarchy.

 

On Behalf of COCAP HR Monitoring Team