Newsdigest
Two prominent Madhesi human rights activists have alleged that government officials have ‘directly and indirectly threatened’ them due to their work related to accountability and justice in the Tarai.  Dipendra Jha, chairperson of the Democratic Freedom and Human Rights Institute (DFHRI), and Ravi Thakur, the Kapilbastu-based chairperson of the Madhesi Human Rights Home, have warned that they can no longer continue their work in the present ‘climate of fear’. On Thursday, they registered a written complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). In March, the human rights group had released a report on extra-judicial executions in the Tarai, documenting 133 cases which found that state security personnel had killed civilians and alleged armed group activists in ‘encounters’. Armed groups were found to be involved in 128 cases of extra-judicial killings. In June, Dipendra Jha, who is also a lawyer, filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court, which issued a show-cause notice to the authorities concerned. The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha had referred to the report while asking the government to conduct a full investigation into the matter. Jha had also highlighted the issue with UN human rights officials in Geneva recently.
Both Jha and Thakur  allege that they have received almost no support and solidarity from the Kathmandu civil society and human rights organisations. “We have approached leaders of major human rights organisations, but they have not responded positively. Instead, they taunt us and say ‘why do you only raise Madhesi, and not national, issues’? Isn’t killing and illegal arrests in Madhes a national issue?” They have also alerted the Kathmandu office of the OHCHR-N. “The Tarai Human Rights Defenders Alliance, a loose network of activists in the plains, will stop working if the government doesn’t end this intimidation,” said Jha.

Capital city braces for protests today

 Kathmandu Valley is yet again bracing for days of protests, it seems. While former disqualified Maoist combatants have announced a series of protests on Friday, relatives of Roji Maharjan, who was on Wednesday found murdered in the forests of Nallu in Lalitpur, have called a Lalitpur shutdown. The former combatants have been demonstrating in the Capital for the past few days, demanding better financial incentives. “We were disqualified during the the UNMIN verification process and tagged as stumbling blocks in the peace process. The fighters injured during the people’s war and the family of those who died have not been compensated as yet, while leaders have failed to deliver the constitution and guarantee peace in the country. We demand a fair treatment and also ask the government to help us find our way back in society,” said Krishna Dangol, the coordinator of a committee of the disqualified combatants. SP Kedar Rijal, the Chief of the Kathmandu Police Range, said the police are prepared for the protests. “It is the right of every citizen to make hias/her voice heard. However, no one can affect the activities of others and curtail their rights in the name of protests,” he said. He added that police personnel will be deployed all across the valley to avert any untoward incident. We are organising programmes on Friday to showcase our unity and also make the government realise that such criminal activities are a grave threat to society,” said Ramkaji Awale, the President of Jyapu Samaj Yala. He added that the protests will be peaceful.

More information