Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05KATHMANDU2773
2005-12-12 09:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY PROTEST INTO RESTRICTED AREA
how-toVZCZCXYZ0161 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHKT #2773 3460931 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 120931Z DEC 05 FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9478 INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 3429 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 8904 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 1048 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 1715 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002773
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2015
TAGS: PHUM PGOV NP
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY PROTEST INTO RESTRICTED AREA
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4(b/d).
Protests, and Arrests, Non-Violent
----------------------------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002773
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2015
TAGS: PHUM PGOV NP
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY PROTEST INTO RESTRICTED AREA
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4(b/d).
Protests, and Arrests, Non-Violent
--------------
1. (C) The Citizens Movement for Peace and Democracy (CMPD)
organized a demonstration in KATHMANDU to mark International
Human Rights Day on December 10. The organizers announced
their intention to enter into a restricted area in the center
of KATHMANDU as part of their call for the restoration of
peace and democracy, and as they attempted to do so, police
intervened. Krishna Pahadi, one of CMPD's founders,
confirmed that police arrested 97 people and released them
all that evening. He explained that it was "natural for them
to get arrested, as they had ventured into the restricted
area." Devendra Raj Pandey, another CMPD co-founder, agreed.
Pandey noted that the police had used water cannons, not
batons, to disperse the crowd, estimated by Pahadi to be over
1,000. Pandey added that the policemen were not aggressive,
and Pahadi said that the police did not mistreat anybody
after the arrests. Pandey also commented that the rally was
"a good gathering" of intellectuals.
HMGN Claims to Protect Human Rights
--------------
2. (C) Vice-Chairman Kirti Nidhi Bista, in remarks at a
separate International Human Rights Day event organized by
the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),said that the
government had made "continuous efforts" to protect the human
rights guaranteed by Nepal's Constitution. He asserted,
despite recent statements by NHRC's Chairman Khatri to the
contrary, the government had been implementing NHRC's
recommendations. Bista explained that His Majesty's
Government of Nepal (HMGN) had also "established human rights
units in most of the ministries to make all government
agencies responsible to protect and promote human rights."
However, NHRC protection officer Madhav Gautam told Emboff
that the only ministry that had a human rights unit was the
Home Ministry.
Comment
--------------
3. (C) Although the two largest English-language daily papers
front-paged the Human Rights Day arrests, the two main
organizers of the protest were sanguine about the day's
events; they had expected to be arrested for entering
restricted areas. They received good coverage, and those
arrested were quickly released.
MORIARTY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2015
TAGS: PHUM PGOV NP
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY PROTEST INTO RESTRICTED AREA
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4(b/d).
Protests, and Arrests, Non-Violent
--------------
1. (C) The Citizens Movement for Peace and Democracy (CMPD)
organized a demonstration in KATHMANDU to mark International
Human Rights Day on December 10. The organizers announced
their intention to enter into a restricted area in the center
of KATHMANDU as part of their call for the restoration of
peace and democracy, and as they attempted to do so, police
intervened. Krishna Pahadi, one of CMPD's founders,
confirmed that police arrested 97 people and released them
all that evening. He explained that it was "natural for them
to get arrested, as they had ventured into the restricted
area." Devendra Raj Pandey, another CMPD co-founder, agreed.
Pandey noted that the police had used water cannons, not
batons, to disperse the crowd, estimated by Pahadi to be over
1,000. Pandey added that the policemen were not aggressive,
and Pahadi said that the police did not mistreat anybody
after the arrests. Pandey also commented that the rally was
"a good gathering" of intellectuals.
HMGN Claims to Protect Human Rights
--------------
2. (C) Vice-Chairman Kirti Nidhi Bista, in remarks at a
separate International Human Rights Day event organized by
the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),said that the
government had made "continuous efforts" to protect the human
rights guaranteed by Nepal's Constitution. He asserted,
despite recent statements by NHRC's Chairman Khatri to the
contrary, the government had been implementing NHRC's
recommendations. Bista explained that His Majesty's
Government of Nepal (HMGN) had also "established human rights
units in most of the ministries to make all government
agencies responsible to protect and promote human rights."
However, NHRC protection officer Madhav Gautam told Emboff
that the only ministry that had a human rights unit was the
Home Ministry.
Comment
--------------
3. (C) Although the two largest English-language daily papers
front-paged the Human Rights Day arrests, the two main
organizers of the protest were sanguine about the day's
events; they had expected to be arrested for entering
restricted areas. They received good coverage, and those
arrested were quickly released.
MORIARTY