News Alerts – Nepal

Women’s Rights in Nepal

World over 60th Human Rights day is being celebrated with the theme of “Dignity and Justice for all of us”. The notion of Human Rights ensures an individual as a member of society, to his/her right to social security, of the economic, social, political and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. Inherent are his/her right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law and to live peacefully.

However, in practice comparing both developed and developing countries the implantation part may have profound difference. More specifically, it is found that in the developing world an individual has remaind aloof from Human Rights aspect of life. It is also generally believed that Rights of an Individual and his/her Responsibilities go in tandem but it is experienced that in a society those asking for his/her personal rights have been neglecting their social responsibilities.

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Nepal: Understanding human rights

ODESSA T STA MARIA

I don’t think I’ve ever clearly articulated to anyone my agenda for Nepal. I’m here to pursue my life’s passion of hearing about people’s disappointments and finding spaces for them in this thing called the human rights framework.

I am completing my Masters in Human Rights and Democratization, hence the past nine months have been spent listening to lectures and poring over journal articles to know, understand and restate the concept of greed, suffering, and compassion in a legal, scholarly way.

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Nepal: Third country resettlement – Fire-hit refugees seek right of way in process

The victims of Tuesday’s inferno at Goldhap Bhutanese refugee camp have sought priority in the third country resettlement programme.

The fire victims demanded the authorities prioritise them for the resettlement programme besides providing immediate relief. “Sooner or later we have to be resettled. We prefer this to staying in camps after re-erecting the huts,” Tilak Niraula, a teacher at Goldhap camp, said. The devastating fire gutted more than 700 huts in the camp, leaving nearly 4,000 refugees homeless. The victims have been putting up in makeshift tents set up in the area.

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Nepal:Call to ensure public right to safe water

Experts on Saturday urged the government to ensure people’s rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Speaking at a function following a rally ‘Walk for Water’, they said the government was not serious about people’s rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

“If the government wants to meet the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG)-2015 and national goal of providing safe drinking water to all by 2017, it should formulate a concrete action plan,” said Ashutosh Tiwari, the country representative of Water Aid Nepal. Under the MDG, the government has to provide sanitation facility to at least 53 percent population of the country by 2015.

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Nepal: Deforestation probe puts 100 up a tree

RAMESH PRASAD BHUSAL

KATHMANDU: “There can be neither civilisation nor happiness if forests crash down under the axe,” Anton Pavlovich Chekhov had said way back in 1888. To save us the horror, a commission formed to investigate into reported rampant deforestation and corruption has recommended the government to initiate action against more than 100 officials.

Following mounting pressure in the wake of media reports and estimation by the parliamentary committee on natural resources on means that the country witnessed the worst deforestation in the last 30 years in 2010, the government had formed a Judicial Commission headed by former Judge Govinda Prasad Parajuli on July 12.

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Malaysia continues to return Nepali workers

OM ASTHA RAI

Even as Malaysia — where one third of Nepali migrants are currently working — assured a Nepali delegation that it would not return any Nepali worker with minor health problems, Nepali employees, who pass medical tests in their home country before flying overseas, continue to receive step-brotherly treatment

According to foreign employment agencies, many Nepali workers, who passed medical tests conducted by authorized health institutions in Nepal, have been forced to return home over the last couple of months.

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Nepal: Lawmakers bristle at govt expansion delay

KATHMANDU, FEB 20 – Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal’s inability to expand the Cabinet has invited angry reactions from lawmakers in the House. They warned the leaders of an impending crisis if the current deadlock continues and urged the political leadership to realise the interconnectedness of the peace process, constitution writing and power sharing.

“The Constituent Assembly, whose term we extended ourselves, is heading towards its death and the general public across the country have started conducting the last rites of CA members,” said UML lawmaker Ram Nath Dhakal. “Instead of venting ire on one another, the parties should start serious engagement on forging national consensus to address the consequence that would result from the failure to deliver the new constitution within the deadline.”

Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh objected to the seven-point agreement signed by the UML and the Maoists and demanded the Khanal-led government work for completing the peace process and constitution writing within the May 28 deadline. “We have doubts about this government taking full shape within the remaining 97 days of the Constituent Assembly,” he said.

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Trafficker tricked us: embassy

AKANSHYA SHAH

NEW DELHI, Feb 16: The Nepali embassy in New Delhi has said that the suspected human trafficker, who escaped from its custody, had “tricked” the embassy officials to flee from the scene.

“Sushila Rai (the suspect) actually tricked us to escape from the embassy,” Runoonu Chapagai, the third-secretary at the embassy who was handling Rai´s case, told Republica Tuesday. She said the suspect left behind her citizenship card and said she will be back after collecting clothes.

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Nepal: Jhalanath Khanal elected new prime minister

The deadlock was finally resolved when the Maoists, the largest single party, decided to withdraw their own candidate and to support Jhalanath Khanal, the chairman of a smaller allied party.

Nepal has been without a functioning government since June.

Many Nepalese are angry, saying issues including the economy and the peace process have been neglected.

“Jhalanath Khanal secured 368 of the 598 votes cast, giving him a majority,” speaker Subash Chandra Nemwang told parliament.

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Nepal: NHRC, OHCHR urge changes in bill

KATHMANDU, Jan 24: The National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRC) and the United Nations Human Rights Office in Nepal (OHCHR) on Monday released an analysis on NHRC Bill urging government to improve some provisions.

The analysis emphasizes that the law with respect to the NHRC should guarantee the NHRC’s independence and autonomy including operational independence and provide it with broad human rights mandate, the organizations said in a release

The Nepal Government had tabled the NHRC Bill following the provision of constitutional status to the NHRC as stipulated by the Interim Constitution 2007, but it has remained pending since August, 2009.

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