Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KATHMANDU863
2006-03-31 11:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
POLICE PUNISH HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000863
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SA/INS, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KCRM NP
SUBJECT: POLICE PUNISH HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS
REF: KATHMANDU 819
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Government Takes Action Against Unethical Police
--------------------------------------------- ---
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000863
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SA/INS, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KCRM NP
SUBJECT: POLICE PUNISH HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS
REF: KATHMANDU 819
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Government Takes Action Against Unethical Police
-------------- ---
1. (C) On March 27, the police announced that they had taken
departmental action against 996 police personnel for behaving
"against the ethics of the police department" between April
2005 and March 2006. The Police Human Rights cell told
Emboff that internal police investigations found 109 police
personnel guilty of human rights violations, while the
remainder of cases were for corruption and other
inappropriate behavior. Government action against all
violators included firing 72 police personnel, suspending 57
persons, and warning 717 persons. The police headquarters
statement noted "we stopped the promotion of 91 police
personnel and decreased the grade of 59 police personnel
during the year." Police reported that out of 167 cases
filed by civilians against police personnel, the police
investigated and found 40 complaints to be genuine and 56
complaints to be false, and were currently investigating 48
complaints. The other 23 cases were resolved by compromise
with the complainants. The police stated that a total of
9,244 crimes took place in the country from April 2005 to
March 2006, an increase of 622 crimes compared to April 2004
to March 2005.
2. (U) A March 29 editorial in the English-language daily The
Himalayan Times titled "Cleaning the Cleaners" praised police
action saying, "it is good that those guilty of misusing
authority in the police department have been brought to book
in a benefiting manner." It continued, "it would be better
if other sectors drew a lesson from this initiative and
followed suit in the process to root out corruption and
rights abuses from the system."
RNA Probing Human Rights Allegations
--------------
3. (C) The Royal Nepalese ARMY team investigating allegations
(reftel) that RNA soldiers "manhandled" and "terrorized"
"more than 100" local residents in Imaliya Village,
Kanchanpur District in far western Nepal found that RNA
members "used force inappropriately." From March 22 to 25,
RNA soldiers summoned dozens of villagers and beat them at an
RNA post in Kanchanpur because the villagers allegedly had
provided food and shelter to Maoists. The RNA actions
against civilians began after the Maoists reportedly killed
an RNA soldier on leave in a village near Imaliya on March
22. Major Sanjaya of the RNA Human Rights Cell told Emboff
that the RNA court of inquiry into the incident was ongoing.
While he expected it would be completed in the next few days,
he noted that he was unable to predict the outcome or what
type of action would be taken until the official inquiry
ended. Under military law, RNA members found guilty in a
court of inquiry could face a court martial.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) While impunity of official violators remains a key
human rights concern, Post welcomes security service efforts
to be more responsible in punishing wrongdoers.
MORIARTY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SA/INS, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KCRM NP
SUBJECT: POLICE PUNISH HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS
REF: KATHMANDU 819
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Government Takes Action Against Unethical Police
-------------- ---
1. (C) On March 27, the police announced that they had taken
departmental action against 996 police personnel for behaving
"against the ethics of the police department" between April
2005 and March 2006. The Police Human Rights cell told
Emboff that internal police investigations found 109 police
personnel guilty of human rights violations, while the
remainder of cases were for corruption and other
inappropriate behavior. Government action against all
violators included firing 72 police personnel, suspending 57
persons, and warning 717 persons. The police headquarters
statement noted "we stopped the promotion of 91 police
personnel and decreased the grade of 59 police personnel
during the year." Police reported that out of 167 cases
filed by civilians against police personnel, the police
investigated and found 40 complaints to be genuine and 56
complaints to be false, and were currently investigating 48
complaints. The other 23 cases were resolved by compromise
with the complainants. The police stated that a total of
9,244 crimes took place in the country from April 2005 to
March 2006, an increase of 622 crimes compared to April 2004
to March 2005.
2. (U) A March 29 editorial in the English-language daily The
Himalayan Times titled "Cleaning the Cleaners" praised police
action saying, "it is good that those guilty of misusing
authority in the police department have been brought to book
in a benefiting manner." It continued, "it would be better
if other sectors drew a lesson from this initiative and
followed suit in the process to root out corruption and
rights abuses from the system."
RNA Probing Human Rights Allegations
--------------
3. (C) The Royal Nepalese ARMY team investigating allegations
(reftel) that RNA soldiers "manhandled" and "terrorized"
"more than 100" local residents in Imaliya Village,
Kanchanpur District in far western Nepal found that RNA
members "used force inappropriately." From March 22 to 25,
RNA soldiers summoned dozens of villagers and beat them at an
RNA post in Kanchanpur because the villagers allegedly had
provided food and shelter to Maoists. The RNA actions
against civilians began after the Maoists reportedly killed
an RNA soldier on leave in a village near Imaliya on March
22. Major Sanjaya of the RNA Human Rights Cell told Emboff
that the RNA court of inquiry into the incident was ongoing.
While he expected it would be completed in the next few days,
he noted that he was unable to predict the outcome or what
type of action would be taken until the official inquiry
ended. Under military law, RNA members found guilty in a
court of inquiry could face a court martial.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) While impunity of official violators remains a key
human rights concern, Post welcomes security service efforts
to be more responsible in punishing wrongdoers.
MORIARTY