Nepal: Amnesty International urges investigation into killings

Amnesty International is gravely concerned about the outburst of violence in the Terai region in southern Nepal. At least eight people have been killed and scores of people injured in clashes between protestors and police. Many of the dead are believed to be victims of police shooting at the crowds.

The demonstrators are members of the Madhesi community in southern Nepal demanding proportional representation in the forthcoming elections to ensure better representation of the community in the constituent assembly. They consider themselves to have been left out of the political process, with no decision making powers.

Members of the Madhesi community have been carrying out a campaign of protest to publicize their political demands. According to reports, some of the demonstrators have attacked buses and lorries. Dozens of people have reportedly been injured during these attacks. There have been reports of the demonstrators attacking journalists and offices of newspapers or radio stations; some journalists have fled the area to avoid being targeted. There have also been threats to human rights defenders in the affected area, including delegations from the National Human Rights Commission and the NGO HimRights whose staff were attacked during monitoring visits to assess the unrest. One police officer has reportedly been killed and several others are among the injured.

Amnesty International acknowledges the responsibility of the authorities to maintain law and order but is concerned that some of the killings may be a result of the possible use of excessive force by police.
Amnesty International is urging the authorities in Nepal to ensure a prompt, independent, impartial and thorough investigation into the events and, wherever there is sufficient evidence, prosecute anyone suspected of human rights abuses in proceedings that fully respect international fair trial standards.

Nepal PM appeals for calm after Terai unrest

In a live televised address to the nation for the first time after last year April revolution Nepal's Prime Minister appealed for calm and promised to address the demands of Mahadhesis after two weeks of protests, which turned into violence in the south of the country.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said in his address to the nation Wednesday, "I request the protest organizers to stop their strikes and protests and create a conducive environment to make a new Nepal. “It is our domestic problem and we can solve it," said the Prime Minister, who is navigating the tiny Himalayan nation out of insurgency by signing a peace deal with the Maoist rebels.

The Mahadhesi community, which dominates the southern area of Nepal, has long complained of being discriminated against and under-represented in government and is demanding more powers. However, in response to the demand through his address the Prime Minister promised to allocate more seats for the Terai region.

It is understood that the basic foundation for selecting electoral constituencies will be the size of population and the geographical structure which is not a new thing. But PM in his address said, new elections for CA that will write Nepal's constitution, would pave the way for a federal structure for the country. This is a historical announcement.

He repeated his commitment to conduct a free and fair Constituent Assembly election in June. "The new constitution developed by CA will have a federal system," PM said.

"I suspect that the growing incidents have given room for reactionary forces to raise their heads," Koirala said, in his only reference to the crackdown on royalists.

Koirala's address is a sign that the government has acknowledged the marginalized Mahadhesi complaints. However, mixed reactions were reported from the Terai. Even after his historical address a police man was brutally killed by the agitators in Biratnagar. In some places the strikes were called off but curfews at majority of the places continued because of bandha called by the protesters.