A group of human rights defenders have sent an open letter to the government and political leaders warning that Nepal is descending towards “full-spectrum impunity” for human rights abuses committed during the country’s decade long armed conflict.

In a letter issued on Friday, INSEC, ICJ, FORHID and other defenders expressed worry that frequent calls for action to end impunity, both from within and outside of Nepal, have failed to yield concrete results.

“The failure to address ongoing impunity violates people’s rights to truth, justice, remedy and reparations. It is also causing long-term damage to the rule of law in the country,” read the letter.

The abuses committed during the armed conflict, many of which constitute crimes under international law, include widespread and systematic incidents of torture and other ill-treatment, unlawful killings and enforced disappearances.

“We urge the government to send a strong signal to public and the international community that these crimes will never be committed again with impunity, by ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture,” the letter further read.

Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/12/10/national/nepal-descending-towards-full-spectrum-impunity-defenders/326317/